Bass tone

[punk'd]

Usually, how do your tune your bass amp to get a nice rock/metal tone.
Eg. the treble, middle and bass.

 

[engz]

mine is normally flat. now i cut the last eq knob/lever coz i just recently started using a behringer bdi21 and it adds too much high, but other than that it rocks!

for solos/slap, mid scoop is good
to sit nicely in a band mix, a slight mid hump is good

then again, the truth is that it all depends... haha tat's the std answer =]

e.g. your using a P bass and its too boomy for u, so u might wanna cut the bass. or your using a J bass and its doesn't have enough bottom for u, den u boost bass.

>< too many combinations. too many results. so too many things to consider

ambiguous questions like this usually don't really matter much, and shouldn't b posted up here in a forum. if only everyone asked google, or searched forums 1st b4 they asked questions, imagine the time/effort/bandwidth saved =]

 

[punk'd]

mine is normally flat. now i cut the last eq knob/lever coz i just recently started using a behringer bdi21 and it adds too much high, but other than that it rocks!

for solos/slap, mid scoop is good
to sit nicely in a band mix, a slight mid hump is good

then again, the truth is that it all depends... haha tat's the std answer =]

e.g. your using a P bass and its too boomy for u, so u might wanna cut the bass. or your using a J bass and its doesn't have enough bottom for u, den u boost bass.

>< too many combinations. too many results. so too many things to consider

ambiguous questions like this usually don't really matter much, and shouldn't b posted up here in a forum. if only everyone asked google, or searched forums 1st b4 they asked questions, imagine the time/effort/bandwidth saved =]

Well, i am just getting opinion from people who are interested to share and discuss. I am a beginner and i want to know more about it. Thats the reason behind it. I am not here to waste anyone's time,effort and bandwidth.

Anyway, thanks for the effort for your opinion.

 

[iverson763]

i think engz was just giving you advice in good spirit... anyway, his reply was pretty useful in the general sense. if you need more specific advice, maybe you can provide more specific details, i.e. the bass you are using, the amp you are using, any particular tone of a certain metal bassist of a certain song you might like to achieve. i'm no metalhead, but i think with all the chugga chugga guitar riffs and the double pedalling, mids boosting would be vital to be even heard in the mix

 

[ahkiatt]

We'll need more information, what bass are you using? What kind of tone do you like?

But heck, I just boost my mids most of the time.

 

[Musicluv]

tone

Usually, how do your tune your bass amp to get a nice rock/metal tone.
Eg. the treble, middle and bass.

Hey punk'd, i'm more than happy to share with you, after all , its a bass forum and we ought to share our thoughts...

To be honest, i think everyone is looking for their tone no matter how long they have been playing as they're always looking to better their tone...i think its a life's quest...haha.. and to me there no right or wrong to it...its all a matter of trying out and preferences...

for a start, which bassist do you like most or fancy? (well the idea here is not to copy entirely but to try and get the nearest tone that u fancy and work urself from there..then listen to other bassists as well...

just to share what i normally do but yes it defers from time to time n situations.

1. flat the eq on the bass amp and flat ur controls on ur bass as well...( from here u wanna listen to the tone that is coming out from the amp...(then make changes accordingly after step 2... i would say make changes from your bass first)

2. my best bet for you, what i would do to get that rock metal tone thingy, i would lean or tweak more towards my bridge pick up on the pick up balancer...wanna get that rockish tone or for me i would say a more tighter tone...then from here adjust your eq on your bass ( i presume its an active bass)...listen to whats lacking...try cutting first rather than boosting your eq...say u feel it lacks the bite or that metal twang, try cutting the bass first..then work on ur treble..a little goes really far sometimes..do everything in moderation... and really listen... to all the changes in tone..

3. i love playing with the mids actually coz i feel sometimes it helps me cut through the band alittle..usually i boost alittle on the 500hz..

these are just a little reference on frequencies i found on the net...use it if u think it helps...


Bass Guitar
60-120Hz Weight
200-400Hz Boomy sound
2-6KHz Detail/definition

Ending note
hey i hope it helps a little and like i said these are just my methods that im sharing...doesnt mean its the right method... it works for me and i guess u'll have to find something that works for you...

cheers buddy and have a good time playing the bass

 

[punk'd]

Hey punk'd, i'm more than happy to share with you, after all , its a bass forum and we ought to share our thoughts...

Thanks for sharing man! Appreciate it.
Well, i am still trying to find my own tone. I just need some advice.

 

[Musicluv]

Thanks for sharing man! Appreciate it.
Well, i am still trying to find my own tone. I just need some advice.

hey no probs man..i am still trying to find a better tone too..everyone always has something special in them that others dont... u might have something that i dont..do share with me too if u find anything useful yea

 

[anonpersona]

I am also looking for my tone but I just can't hear the very very subtle differences from the EQ changes. Maybe something wrong with my ears.

 

[engz]

well u have to know what you're looking for b4 u look for it. otherwise it might b quite difficult to just go looking and experimenting out there w/o a reference =]

are u looking for super bass boom @ reggae?
are u looking for over the top treble clarity?
are u looking for a super versatile bass that can give u multiple tones u like?
are u looking for the typical metal mid scoop?

all these will help in ur quest for ur tone. for boom and bottom generally precision split and musicman humbucker pickups do the job the best. take not i say generally =] and i'm also talking here about just the bass. the amp, is another story

versatility goes to dual jazz pickups imho. basses with active preamps/eq also tend to b more versatile than passive basses with no preamps/eq.

as for me. at the end of the day. after reading forums, surfing sites and all that research u do b4 u get a bass or tone, nothing says it simpler (or more meaningless to other people) then "what tone i wan ar? the tone i like lor" =D

 

[lester_music]

Best is develop your ears for tone, cause every amp, every venue you played will have different settings....

Those info given above just a general guide, you have to adjust to according what you are using at that moment to your ears,

Also,what you hear on stage may also not be what the audience may hear, so if there are no "front of house speakers" which means direct...always get someone to listen for you or someone to play, then you go to the audience side to listen....

It is thru experience, theory plays a part but feel/experience + theory is the best...

 

[scylla019]

i keep the high on low, and the mid and low up high. cant stand it if your bass sounds like the low e string on the guitar.

i hate bright sounding strings though, so mine are more warm and dull.

 

[anonpersona]

While jamming at Boon studio the other night, the previous bassist had set the amp EQ and left it as is (something like / / on a 8 band eq). When I plugged in my bass with the existing setting, my sound was really tight, clear and nice. I thought most people usually set either the smiling or inverted smiling curve but this setting sure looks pretty unique. I think I might want to try this setting again the next time.



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[rayson]

While jamming at Boon studio the other night, the previous bassist had set the amp EQ and left it as is (something like / / on a 8 band eq). When I plugged in my bass with the existing setting, my sound was really tight, clear and nice. I thought most people usually set either the smiling or inverted smiling curve but this setting sure looks pretty unique. I think I might want to try this setting again the next time.



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Might be me. I usually do it something like that lol..

 

[anonpersona]

Thanks for leaving that setting on, which allowed me to get a new sound

 

[rayson]

Thanks for leaving that setting on, which allowed me to get a new sound

Hey no problem! It's boosting the low-mids and presence. I need to be heard through my band without sounding boomy and that's where boosting the low-mids come in. I like the presence and need it when i slap & pop. ^^

I'm currently using an MIM Fender Jazz Bass V, with SD Basslines quarterpounders, Audere 3-Band, and Sadowsky Black Label strings, and I usually play with the settings flat, but when I need a little more definition, I turn down the treble on my bass just a little - seems to place more emphasis on the mids when I do that. =)

 

[evanize]

Get an EQ pedal and the tone would be nearly the same which ever amp i used!
Well it works for me, but maybe my tone still is crap.
I love boosting the higher mids for a nicer pick tone, and lowering the higher lows cos my tone gets muddy there ):

 

[alanchia]

my personal tone is mid-scooped using yamaha ne-1.

 

[rayson]

i use a sansamp bddi live, but sometimes, i wish i had an mxr 10-band - heard it works well on bass. or a phil jones bass buddy. but all that comes secondary to getting a new bass from carvin.