Bongo Settings

[danny-79]

So I’m new to the Bongo world, no going back now ! It’s all I’ve been playing since I got it, still feeling it out. Just a question what are your favourite eq settings (4H). Mine just wants to kill everything! Eq set flat volume 7-8 so not dimed and everything is in the red. Wireless is clipping, compressor is having a breakdown! Seriously have had to change all my settings on everything from how they were with a stingray and I don’t mean by a little bit !

 

[Zen]

Yep, The Bongo runs really hot with the 18v electronics and will require some tweaks to other gear if it’s 9v you tend to use and even more so if it’s passive. A lot of times depending on the room I need to cut a little on the bass side and use a bit on the mids to still cut through in the mix. One thing I will say is that the electronics are really powerful so a little goes a long way. This is based on using a HH and I tend to use both pickups or sometimes slight bias towards the bridge.

 

[Mu5icM@n]

The bongo has a very hot output. Thankfully the preamp is also really good, so you can just run your volume knob lower.

 

[danny-79]

Yep, The Bongo runs really hot with the 18v electronics and will require some tweaks to other gear if it’s 9v you tend to use and even more so if it’s passive. A lot of times depending on the room I need to cut a little on the bass side and use a bit on the mids to still cut through in the mix. One thing I will say is that the electronics are really powerful so a little goes a long way. This is based on using a HH and I tend to use both pickups or sometimes slight bias towards the bridge.

Both of my Stingrays are 9v and my 7azz is 18v but I think that that is 9v per pickup so still technically 9v. Either way the Stingray is a lot higher output than the 7azz and the Bongo is a beast!
Cutting is new to me. I typically run my stingrays, Volume and Bass = full. Mid on centre dent and Tone just ever so slight of the dent in the plus.
Bongo, I’m still working on it but not need to boost anything yet !

The bongo has a very hot output. Thankfully the preamp is also really good, so you can just run your volume knob lower.

Its virtually impossible to run the volume on the Bongo full.
I was having a front room writing session, there is a tiny 10w very old sounds terrible but does the job practice amp there, it even sounds good through that !

 

[MaxKlein40]

http://forums.ernieball.com/ernie-ball-music-man-basses/68684-project-advice.html

check this thread. I had the same issue and made a passive volume attenuator to go on my strap before the wireless pack to address the issue. Works like a charm. PM me if you have any questions/need a wiring diagram its very simple if you have a soldering iron.

 

[five7]

Ran my bongo on full volume, adjusted my amp. Was also able to boost low mids and highs. Usually ran lows flat and cut high mids.

 

[danny-79]

http://forums.ernieball.com/ernie-ball-music-man-basses/68684-project-advice.html

check this thread. I had the same issue and made a passive volume attenuator to go on my strap before the wireless pack to address the issue. Works like a charm. PM me if you have any questions/need a wiring diagram its very simple if you have a soldering iron.

Yeah I do remember your thread. I’ll send you a pm. Stingray and 7azz settings are very similar on amp and effects but no way can just straight swap, plug my Bongo in. Completely new set of settings needed. Can’t do that on the fly

Ran my bongo on full volume, adjusted my amp. Was also able to boost low mids and highs. Usually ran lows flat and cut high mids.

Still exploring it. It’s judt permanently set to kill !!! I love it !

 

[tadawson]

Most wireless gear (well, the decent stuff anyhow) has an input level adjustment, so just set it for your Bongo . . . I've never had a problem running mine dimed into anything . . .

 

[danny-79]

Most wireless gear (well, the decent stuff anyhow) has an input level adjustment, so just set it for your Bongo . . . I've never had a problem running mine dimed into anything . . .

I’ve got more than enough room to move in my wireless. The input settings will go from +20 to -20, easily done on the fly (7azz is -2. Stingray -6. Bongo -13ish, still figuring it out)
Turning the volume down on the bass is just the easiest route to keeping the same amp and pedal settings on the fly although it does sound a whole lot better with its own personal settings.
There is a lot of tape on my amps at present

 

[tadawson]

Different schools of thought I guess . . . I make a point of setting a gain structure that cannot be overdriven, otherwise, one small oops on the vol, and your sound goes into 'instacrap' mode. And you did say 'almost impossible', which I was taking exception to . . .

 

[danny-79]

Different schools of thought I guess . . . I make a point of setting a gain structure that cannot be overdriven, otherwise, one small oops on the vol, and your sound goes into 'instacrap' mode. And you did say 'am]lmost impossible', which I was taking exception to . . .

It’s just a completely different beast from what I’m used to and taking a bit of time to find the sweet spots

 

[stu42]

It’s just a completely different beast from what I’m used to and taking a bit of time to find the sweet spots

Yeah...the Bongo single H has super high output - substantially more than the HH or HS in my experience. I initially had the same problem - the output was clipping the input of my pedals and amp. So...my solution is just to never turn the volume knob up more than about 1/2 way-ish.

Unlike on a passive instrument, the tone doesn't change as a result of lowering the volume knob so you can do it without fear of compromising the sound of your bass.

In reading some comments from other Single-H players on the forum I found at least a few of them also tend to cut the treble and mids as well so I experimented with that and found that I like that. So, for several years now I run the bass knob flat or very slightly bumped and I cut the treble and mids about equally - usually around 20%.

 

[Karl]

Yeah...the Bongo single H has super high output - substantially more than the HH or HS in my experience. I initially had the same problem - the output was clipping the input of my pedals and amp. So...my solution is just to never turn the volume knob up more than about 1/2 way-ish.

Unlike on a passive instrument, the tone doesn't change as a result of lowering the volume knob so you can do it without fear of compromising the sound of your bass.

In reading some comments from other Single-H players on the forum I found at least a few of them also tend to cut the treble and mids as well so I experimented with that and found that I like that. So, for several years now I run the bass knob flat or very slightly bumped and I cut the treble and mids about equally - usually around 20%.

You really should be boosting your Mids, especially the Low Mids!

 

[Big Poppa]

One key thing is to make sure that the factory height of the pickup hasnt been raised. After all these years of explaining the benefits of the preamp we still have people sho first thing raise the pickup (cause thats what they did on their passive basses) Next the dime all controls.... volume and four bands of boost. The very best way to get the most out of an active bass is to start no more than 80% on volume and flat on the eq tweak from there. On my last CD I used a single h bongo one with flats and one with roundwounds. On most of the tunes my treble is all the way off....

 

[bovinehost]

.On my last CD I used a single h bongo one with flats and one with roundwounds. On most of the tunes my treble is all the way off....

I did exactly that on the first coWpilot album, although I cheated on a couple of tunes and used a Big Al 5H. Well, and no rounds, but that's just me.

 

[danny-79]

Thank you everyone who had commented with advice. Regarding pickup height one of the first things I did to it was lower the pup while giving it a full set up then lowered it a little more when at rehearsal. Regarding EQ starting flat mid is centre dent, treble slight cut and bass slight boost, volume 70% ish that’s been about best for me.
It’s one hell of a tool that’s for sure it’s everything I expected and a whole lot more! I’m finding myself in the wrong playing position a couple of times due to the full two octave neck but that’s just user error

10/10 on that one BP!

 

[danny-79]

So I did some recording last weekend and decided to take the Bongo along. The sound guys first question was, “ what kind of bass is that ?” .....
So after explaining it to him he says “well I don’t like Musicman basses they don’t track well, what’s in the other case?”..... how rude !!!!

Anyways to cut a long story short I used the Bongo all day, got the bass parts to four tracks finished and he ended up having to apologise cause it sounds great and was apparently surprisingly easy to track. The EQ is still flat but if it doesn’t need a boost or cut, leave it alone