using the bass EQ

[Jim-Bass]

I'm a long time player but new to the MM with a 3 band on board EQ. Soon I will be rehearsing, later gigging, but wondering how you guys use the EQ. I'm guessing an idea would be to set them all flat and set the amp to get a good sound ... so when playing I only need to use the knobs on the bass to adjust sound instead of turning around to the amp (which is what I'm use to having played passive basses). Anyone got any tips?

 

[adouglas]

In general….

Avoid extreme settings… a little goes a long way. Don't dime anything.

 

[shakinbacon]

what adouglas said plus

start flat and volume knob 75%

this will give you room to boost volume if you cut any of the frequencies

if you boost any of the frequencies you may need to turn the volume down

however, if you are a "set it and forget it" kind of guy regarding EQ, keeping the volume close to max (with a little room to boost should you need it during a gig) is not a bad way to go.

Generally speaking:
The bass knob tends to muddy up the sound in a busy mix (I find it most useful when using the bridge pickup), the mids tend to give depth and allow the bass to cut through a busy mix, treble tends to add note articulation (along with some fret noise and hiss)

I keep my amp flat, and eq at the instrument for the sound I want. For me, the eq on the amp is to deal with room acoustics and I don't mess with it much at all.

In the end, you need to experiment and find what works for you. But let me give you a hint that took me years to appreciate - the mids are critical in a mix (will sound "honky and nasally" playing solo)

best of luck and welcome aboard

 

[T Alan]

The above advice is excellent. The flatter I keep my eq, the fewer issues I have during the performance.

 

[toomanyslurpees]

I've always tended to tweak the bass and mid up a tad and the treble down a tad, that's just me though. I agree with the not using extreem EQ adjustments, I find I tend to keep my amp pretty flat too, just make adjustments if I need to. An interesting thing was a gig awhile back at a place we're regulars at, for some reason I was just sounding muddy and just not getting my normal sound with the same gear I usually use. Since it's a small place I bring my 100W tube pignose head and a 212 cab, it's a great sounding amp in the right situation but it's EQ is almost totally useless, you can sweep the EQ knobs thru their full travel and be hard pressed to hear any difference. The guy doing sound told me to rotate the cab a bit, and I did, only by a couple of degrees, and there it was! got my sound back... Funny thing that phase cancelation or what ever that was, will do. Anyway, I've filled that little trick away incase it comes in handy.

 

[five7]

I run the bass almost all the way up, cut the mids all the way and back the highs down about half way. Unless I have new strings on and then I cut the highs almost all the way off. That is the tone for rock and rockabilly that I like. All other types of music I start flat and boost lows up half way.

 

[keko]

I usually before live gigs, during the sound check, do as follows:

Bass EQ set flat, amp head EQ set flat, PA support mixing console channel set flat!

Rise just volume pot at PA mix-console bass channel, rise volume of bass preamp, switch a little bit between pickups, but mostly finish at switch position 1, H serial at sweetspot
Adjust gain controls properly and than adjust bass preamp according the place we play, until I decide that my bass is clear and cuts through the empty space!
Important: in every room, chamber, hall...etc., I adjust different bass preamp settings! It's really depends of space, well mostly!

Just when I finish with PA sound, than rise a little bit bass amp master volume, just to hear myself on the stage!

Finally at the end of all this above, I call my drummer to play with me, than in communication with my singer (sound man too), we make some slight corrections on kick drum and my bass settings!

At the end, whole band starts playing and even than I have to slightly correct some preamp setting, ...and yes, when audience come into the place we play, ...some more corrections in overall sound, lucky me have my buddy singer, he walk through the giggin' place with his wireless mic for a few more songs to make a final sound check!

Ugh, it's too long, but I couldn't use less words, sorry!

 

[syciprider]

My Bongo and 3eq SR:
Treb and bass boosted 1/3 past flat.

Mids wide open for regular playing. Flat if I want to disappear into the rhythm section.

 

[Jim-Bass]

thanks guys, this is all good stuff, appreciate it

 

[oli@bass]

I generally use it this way:

- Bass EQ to shape the bass sound I want, which can even change between songs
- Amp EQ to compensate for room acoustics