Preamp question

[HowieBass]

Yeah I think that's worthwhile, I've noticed with my Cort B4FL that boosting the bass can muddy up the sound and you can actually get better results cutting rather than adding tone with active basses.

[skej21]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1406624521' post='2513028']

the nonsense you just posted about the fives being pointless unless you amplify those frequencies will confuse people more What amps have you got then and what are the cut off frequencies set at?
[/quote]

I actually stated that the five strings are useless to you (personally) as you said you can't hear below 45hz.

[discreet]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1406634113' post='2513192']
...boosting the bass can muddy up the sound and you can actually get better results cutting rather than adding tone with active basses.
[/quote]

Same with amp EQ too. It's almost always a mistake to boost bass at a gig. It just washes around the stage ruining the atmos, sucking up bandwidth and going up your trousers like a sonic ferret.*

It [i]is[/i] good for vibrating the air spaces in human bodies and organs, however. So it depends what your objectives are really.

Edit: *That's a great band name and I claim it for myself.

Edited July 29, 2014 by discreet

[HowieBass]

'Sonic Ferret' - now that's a band I'd go to see!

[discreet]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1406638711' post='2513269']
'Sonic Ferret' - now that's a band I'd go to see!
[/quote]

I also came up with 'Zombie Tit-Fire' but it was voted out.

[Prime_BASS]

Never read so much diatribe in a thread that has nought to do with the OPs question.

I would find the ccorrect frequencies you want to boost before buying a unit that may not do it. And stay away from anything that cheap, it will no doubt be about as usefull as a chocolate fireguard.

[discreet]

[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1406640641' post='2513305']
I would find the ccorrect frequencies you want to boost before buying a unit that may not do it. And stay away from anything that cheap, it will no doubt be about as usefull as a chocolate fireguard.
[/quote]

Mmm... chocolate.

[Painy]

Mmmm... Fireguard. Err.... Hey, wot?!?

[Painy]

[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1406640641' post='2513305']
Never read so much diatribe in a thread that has nought to do with the OPs question.

I would find the ccorrect frequencies you want to boost before buying a unit that may not do it. And stay away from anything that cheap, it will no doubt be about as usefull as a chocolate fireguard.
[/quote]

Was kind of thinking, set everything flat then boost each frequency on the graphic one at a time and see which frequency best fills the gap in the sound that I'm looking for (bearing in mind of course that each frequency will have an effect on the others) and take it from there.
To be honest I've moved away from the really cheap idea and found what looks like a decent preamp on ebay for a reasonable but not stupidly cheap price that also has some really good reviews online (mainly on talkbass). Just remains to check if the frequencies available well be what I'm looking for i guess.

[Bolo]

Try cutting before you boost anything

[Painy]

Just an update. After last night's gig and a bit of experimentation by setting everything flat to start off with then going from there, I think I've got it sorted!
I know everyone extoles the virtues of lots of mids to cut through but I guess I just like that scooped sound. when I rolled off the mids a bit, it really let the fat bottom end come through and with the treble boosted a touch it gave it a nice bite too. Bearing in mind it was an outdoor gig (with around 300 people in the crowd) the bass sounded like thunder but clear, defined and punchy without trying to compete in the same frequencies as the guitars!
Really glad I tried a fresh approach to setting my eq before messing with my bass. Thanks all for the advice!

[Bolo]

Great that it worked out for you!

[fingerz]

It's not the pickups or something is it? Being too far away from the strings? To have not enough low end on anything is quite unusual - the 'character' of that low end varies, but often in my experience, lower priced stuff is all low end and nothing else!! I don't think there is a problem with Cort basses, great value and consistent build quality. Again IME. Maybe something is going on or the string is choking etc etc. I highly recommend John East preamps if you are looking for a change. But it's the sum of all parts so it's hard to say what you will like. I do know that the Aggi bass frequency is quite savage, so sometimes it can be hard to get the tone right, but this huge amount of low end might be what you are after.