ikay Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 (edited) I'm experiencing problems with excessive noise/thump from my plucking finger coming to rest on the string below with an amplified DB. It's not too noticeable at low amplified volumes but at rehearsal this week I had to crank it a bit to keep up with the drums and the thump was very noticeable. Sounded very clunky and messy. I have an acoustic DB fitted with a bridge wing piezo (KK BassMax) and a Yamaha SLB-200 with an under bridge piezo. I get the same problem with both basses. At higher amplified volumes everything in the playing area (strings/fingerboard/bridge) is very sensitive to the slightest knock or bump. I've played around with EQ on the amp (eg. cutting highs which helps a little bit) but the noise is a combination of clack and thump. Trying to EQ it out at both ends takes away definition and body and just leaves it sounding thin and anaemic. Is this a common problem with amplified DBs? Do you have to somehow adjust plucking technique to avoid coming to rest on the string below (awkward)? Would appreciate any advice or guidance on how to minimise this issue. Thanks Edited February 5, 2016 by ikay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJ Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Are you using a preamp or some other device to help the piezo pickups? Also, does your speaker have a tweeter that is on? I sometimes need to eq pretty hard at higher volumes, and I usually turn my tweeter right down. Do you have an audio interface that you can use to hear your bass with headphones? Might be worth a listen that way too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted February 6, 2016 Author Share Posted February 6, 2016 (edited) Thanks for replying TPJ. The SLB-200 has an onboard preamp so piezo is buffered etc. The KK BassMax goes direct to the amp which works fine. The output level is about the same as the SLB and the unbuffered signal is full and well balanced (not scratchy or clacky). The amp is a GK 200MB, 1 x 12" no tweeter. I haven't tested it through my MarkBass/Bergantino rig. Will do that larger today for comparison but I don't think the amp is the problem. The main issue seems to be that the piezo pickups are very sensitive - they pick up every bit of finger noise or knock and bump. Plucking and coming to rest on the string below generates a noticeable thump/clunk a fraction after the note. I've watched various youtube clips of people playing amplified uprights but it all sounds nice and clean (even when plucking with rest strokes). How can this be, what wizardry are they using to avoid the amplified after-thump or other extraneous piezo noise?! I'm fairly new to amplified upright. If this isn't a common problem then I guess it's just me but I don't know what I'm doing wrong or can do differently to get a cleaner sound. Edited February 6, 2016 by ikay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted February 6, 2016 Author Share Posted February 6, 2016 (edited) Update for anyone who's interested (probably no one lol) - after a bit more experimenting I tried raising the string height on the SLB which has made a difference. Flattening the plucking angle and softening the attack has also helped. Maybe it's just down to technique and playing with a softer touch when amplified. Edited February 6, 2016 by ikay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonky2 Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Im interested buddy, knowledge is evrything and there are far to many threads we search on that tell tou about a problem wuth great detail but often have little in regard to problem solving or resolution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeEvans Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 It depends how you normally pluck - do you use one finger at a time as on an electric bass, two fingers together, or index finger pointing downwards? I find that if I use a bass-guitar-style technique, snapping the plucking finger onto the string below, I get quite a bit of unwanted thump even playing unamplified. I've adjust my technique to either pull the string up for a softer attack, or kind of pressing it down and across with two fingers then letting it twang free, for a somewhat brighter, harder attack. I shy away from the index-finger-pointing-downwards technique because I find it harder to switch to alternating first two fingers for faster passages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jaywalker Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 [quote name='ikay' timestamp='1454703414' post='2972322'] I'm experiencing problems with excessive noise/thump from my plucking finger coming to rest on the string below with an amplified DB. It's not too noticeable at low amplified volumes but at rehearsal this week I had to crank it a bit to keep up with the drums and the thump was very noticeable. Sounded very clunky and messy. I have an acoustic DB fitted with a bridge wing piezo (KK BassMax) and a Yamaha SLB-200 with an under bridge piezo. I get the same problem with both basses. At higher amplified volumes everything in the playing area (strings/fingerboard/bridge) is very sensitive to the slightest knock or bump. I've played around with EQ on the amp (eg. cutting highs which helps a little bit) but the noise is a combination of clack and thump. Trying to EQ it out at both ends takes away definition and body and just leaves it sounding thin and anaemic. Is this a common problem with amplified DBs? Do you have to somehow adjust plucking technique to avoid coming to rest on the string below (awkward)? Would appreciate any advice or guidance on how to minimise this issue. Thanks [/quote] As someone else suggested, a preamp to ensure good impedance matching etc can usually help with the thin highs which accentuate finger noise. How do you eq your DB? That can have an impact on unwanted noise. Also, you mentioned the sound as being thin and lacking body when you try and eq the noise out - where are you standing in relation to your amp when you perceive this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 JoeEvans - I mainly use the index finger pointing down technique, coming to rest on the string below. Occasionally swapping to alternating fingers. After more experimenting it's clear that my right hand technique is causing the problem. It's difficult not to hit the string below but I'm trying different ways to minimise it. Will give your method a try as well, thanks for that. Jaywalker - The piezo sound is full and strong, no impedance matching issues. The thin sound was only when cutting eq at both ends a bit too enthusiatically. The amp was down by my ankles so agree I wasn't hearing the projected sound. I'll experiment with standing away from the amp to get a better idea of how it really sounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jaywalker Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Yeah, there's no option but to come to rest on the string below to some degree or other; that's simply correct technique. One possible contributing factor could be how effective your right hand technique is. If you use BG technique, IE all finger strength then the sound will be clacky etc. Are you using arm weight to produce notes and control the attack or is this maybe something to work on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 Re effective RH technique, yes I'm using finger movement more than arm weight so that's definitely something for me to work on. Too many years playing BG, old habits die hard. DB really does demand a very different technique, as I'm steadily discovering on a daily basis! Effective use of weight in both left and right hand being a really big one which I'm finding quite hard to master. Skilled players make it all look so effortless, which I can only assume is the result of selling ones soul to the devil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburstjazz1967 Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 I like to embrace some of these nuances that the elec bass does not have, some of the greats get a finger click when playing the E string as their fingers come off the edge of the board, Ray Brown makes some horrific clanks and clicks, rattles etc, sounds fabulous!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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