Interesting conversation with a young bassist

[corrosiontrav]

I went to catch some local bands last night at a club my band (The Rebel Senators) plays at often in Appleton, and while there I start talking to the bass player of the first band, the usual at first (equip, influences, band woes) then I notice him warming up and tell him that's a great soloed tone, but you're going to get lost in the mix. The band was a four piece with two guiar players (one of which was singing and was HORRIBLE), The drummer had some of the largest toms I've seen in a while so I could tell his drum tone was going to be very bass heavy, and the bass player was taking a lot of mids out of his tone and boosting the bass and treble a bit.

I tried explaining that Mids is where the cut comes form, and he told me he hates the way mids sound, I told him a great solo tone doesn't necessarily mean that its great int he mix of the band, and that I've never liked my tone when it is soloed off by itself, but in a band I'm heard. Well we go back and forth for awhile and he leaves his tone controls where he had them, the band starts and there is no bass plyer to be heard, between songs I convinced him to boost up the mids and he did, and suddenly the bass player was back, and the whole band could tell, in fact the drummer said for the first time he could here the bass.

Before the young bassist left he told me he still doesn't like mids in his tone.

 

[bovinehost]

Blame that idiot fiELdY or whatever his name is.

I have never quite understood the attraction of that mids-sucked-out tone. A friend of mine describes it as "throwing tic-tacs down a stairwell".

Mids and low mids are my breakfast, lunch and dinner. My late night snack. I live for those mids (which is why I love the Bongo so much).

Or maybe I'm just old and cranky?

 

[Randracula]

Blame that idiot fiELdY or whatever his name is.

I have never quite understood the attraction of that mids-sucked-out tone. A friend of mine describes it as "throwing tic-tacs down a stairwell".

"Shoes In A Dryer"

 

[Moose308]

Or maybe I'm just old and cranky?

Probably.

But that shouldn't mean that you can't also love mids. You are both old, cranky, and a mid lover. Rejoice. Life is good.

 

[strummer]

My mission in a band setting isn't making a bass sound I like. That's it...

 

[Rano Bass]

Many players just love to see that classic smiling eq curve, don't care how it sounds, they just set the smiling eq but they're never heard over the drums.
Yes, i also blame Fieldy for that.

 

[lovechick]

Isn't this just a rookie thing? Way before Korn came along, I remember killing all the mids on my amp and running the "V" shape for everything it was worth. And yes, I got a decent bedroom sound doing this. Took a while to figure out why I wasn't hearing myself live. I also play guitar, and the bassist in one of my bands does the same to this day, not only on his amp and bass, but on his TV, car stereo, home stereo, etc. I was real excited when he bought a Kubicki bass, which has a pre-shaped V eq setting built into the controls. Sure as hell, first rehearsals and gigs with this thing, and I can't hear any bass. It's true that guitarists want to hear bass, as it's real tough to play with the "glue" that the bass provides. Well, I was able to ride him enough to get him to (1) stop using that setting, and (2) add some mids to his amp. It's better now, but I still hate watching TV at his house. Ironically, my p.o.s. bass amp has no knob for adding mid, just lows and highs. That's why I gig my EB SR more than the '77 - the mid control on the 3 band eq kicks serious butt.

 

[RockinRayDuke]

Rookie thing?

I agree. The kid'll come around one of these days when he matures as a player and sees there's more to tone than he knows.

 

[maddog]

If you're in a band, it is all about fitting in. You can add your own flavor but you still gotta fit in.

 

[hankSRay]

I said it once and I'll say it again. Midrange is your friend.

 

[tombboy]

I love a nice deep end to my tone... plus some 'twang'!! I used to make the mistake of boosting the treble to get the twang and lost all the bottom feel. of the SR!!!
The trick is to back off on all the eq...... sounds harsh but do it, and then boost the master to compensate. add touch to where you feel the whole sounds needs it. Always cut first and then boost where required!!