dave_bass5

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1460195663' post='3023405'] Yeah I get where your coming from, but a small boost of those frequencies may help your out front definition/punch, surely worth a try at least I would have thought. [/quote] I have done that already but I do admit I can spend a bit more time on it. The only thing I don't want to do is change the tone too much. As I'm standing faily close that's the tone I want, adding more high mid will make things a bit too harsh IME.

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1460150775' post='3023197'] You could try dialing in a bit of upper mid boost in the EQ around say 4-5khz - this would essentially emulate a typical "voiced" bass cab. [/quote] Cheers. Yes but my issue isnt being able to get a good tone, it's getting the good tone I have out in to the room.

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1460149668' post='3023190'] You've only go tot listen to some of the solo'd big-name bass stuff out there on YT to hear that some bass tones that work very well in a live mix sound very harsh solo'd. Geddy and JE spring to mind instantly, but there are others. I've routinely fired my rig up at home the following day after a gig where I've had to EQ a bit and winced at the sound I ended up with, but which sounded great in that room with the band. [/quote] Yep, that's what I was going to say. A mix can certainly cover up the true tone of the bass. John, I do agree with you, I've got my tone just how I like it, but need the audience to hear it. I'm happy to tweak the amp a bit to help project this tone, but as I've been playing for a long time I won't be in a position where the gear dictates that I change my playing style. It's worked with every rig I've owned, I'd expect it to with my current rig. I'm going to try a few of the suggestions in this thread at next weeks rehearsal, they may well be the solution. As this is probably the flattest sounding cab I've ever owned it could well be I do need to adjust my amp in a slightly different way. I have no issue with hearing myself, nor being heard, it's just that I want what I hear to be close to what the audience hear. Maybe as Alex said, I just need to turn it up a bit more.

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1460129025' post='3022918'] Be careful, I've never made it out of there without a huge dent in my wallet! I know Mark and Marcus both speak very highly of the Vanderkley stuff, and they are both very knowledgeable chaps. [/quote] I'm very much GAS free at the moment, other than intrigued by these cabs, but as we know, GAS can hit at any time.

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1460128516' post='3022907'] Please do. Alex was right in his first post. If the sound changes from in front of to 10 feet in front of the cab, it's nothing to do with the amp: it's a dispersion problem. [/quote] Yeah, that made sense expect I know I'm louder than I have even been in the past, even in the rehearsal room, as things are falling off the amp. I'll try moving the amp as far back from me as I can at the next rehearsal and see if that helps. I do normally do try and get it further back but then I stand close to it. Maybe I also need to shut my drummer up a bit. It's him that dictates the ovall volume we play at, but let's not go there in this thread :-)

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1460128093' post='3022890'] I would agree with your two advisors that a cab with a midrange driver could solve your problem. Personally, I'd never consider a cab without one. I've no experience of the Vanderkley, but I would certainly give it a try. I thought Barefaced made one, but I've just checked and it must be discontinued. [/quote] Yeah, whatever happens with the BB2 I do intend to try one out. Might have to go on a road trip to Bass Direct.

That all makes perfect sense, and it agree, what works well in isolation doesn't always work well in a live mix. When I got my Darkglass VMT I was horrified at the loss of top end (compared to my VTBass) and the middy tone It produced, but it a band context this actually helped me with getting heard and the tone became more focused. I play mostly with a pick, but am trying to play more finger style. I do find things sound better with fingers, there seems to be more substance to the notes. I think your's and the other comments have made me realise I need to put a bit more effort in and try and sort this out without spending more money, or maybe I should get a Big Twin II instead :-)

[quote name='SubsonicSimpleton' timestamp='1460120670' post='3022786'] Suppose it depends on what sort of colouration you want - some speakers really add a lot to the sound when they start to get to the cone breakup stage, you can never really get that from any sort of EQ. If you want particular dips and peaks in the frequency response, that's a whole different ballgame, and how the EQ bands line up with the cab response anomalies can be great, or in some circumstances just unworkable because you can't adjust the offending frequency sufficiently or end up messing somethin else up. If you haven't already tried it, maybe try going into the FX return and experiment with the different amp/cab sims on your 60B - the frequency responses of the zoom sims is well documented, and if you find something you particularly like it might be useful to point you in the direction of what you are looking for (or might offer you a solution you like with what you have already). [/quote] Thanks again. I dont use my 60B live anymore but it's a good suggestion. I do think I have a great tone already, it's just that it's not really translating out in to the room. I really can't turn up any louder as its getting painful. Maybe it is just an EQ issue, or bloody drummer issue, but I can't boost the mids anymore at this volume. When I started this thread I was really asking about the 15MN6. It's a cab that interests me and although it might not be any sort of cure, I'd like to get some impressions on it. Even if I didn't have any of these issues I'd like to give one of these a go at some point.

[quote name='funkle' timestamp='1460118715' post='3022754'] Alex and Subsonic offer reasonable advice. What goes into a BB2 is largely what comes out of it, at least IMO when I tried one. About as pure a cab as ever I have heard. If you stand further out front and fiddle the mid EQ a lot, you may get the punch you need. I don't want to teach you to suck eggs, you probably have already done this, but the EQ you have available may be the limiting factor. [/quote] Cheers. I do admit there are many things I haven't tried, and I'm in no rush to change cabs, but I would like to explore other brands as well.

Thanks. The two amps I've used are a Markbass F1, with and without VTBass/DG VMTD, and my new GKMB800, with and without VTBass and Darkglass VMT. I stopped using the 1212L around Aug last year, so i don't have that tone in my head anymore, I only brought it up as I had been using it in the same studios as the BB2 without the same effect. I know the 1212L is like a sledgehammer when it comes to mids, and doesn't sound as smooth or as deep as the BB2 I've seen those GK figures, although I thought it was 11 o'clock on the treble and bass for the MB800, and I do find I use the low mid a lot more than the low knob. I don't use the contour as I don't like scooped tones anyway, and I'm certainly not hearing a scooped tone when up close. Maybe it's the fact that the BB2 is quite neutral, maybe for me a more coloured cab will work better. This is not a reflection on the BB2, just a personal preference. In the 20 odd years Ive been gigging I've not gone through too many cabs, but if something isn't quite working it's just time to move on.

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1460115144' post='3022704'] EQ is a personal thing - it depends on the player, the bass, the amp, the cab, the venue, etc etc. Where the knobs are pointing is irrelevant (same with the gain/volume knobs). If your tone is right in the context of the mix then it'll be right out front. If you judge your tone in the context of being much closer to your cab than to everyone else's amps, you'll be hearing yourself much louder in the mix than you'll be out front, which means you're more likely to tend towards a tone that sounds great soloed but may not be appropriate for sitting correctly in a properly balanced mix. One of the best things any bassist can do for their sound and the band's sound is to stand further from their cab, so they can judge their tone in the mix more accurately. [/quote] Thanks, yes I see what you are getting at. My problem is I'm too loud where I'm standing and sometimes can't stand any further away.

Thanks Alex. I understand point 2 but not point 1. Do you mean the EQ is set wrong? I tend to use an almost flat EQ, with The lows backed off slightly, as I find the BB2 has a lovely low end but can overpower the mids. As far as turning up, I'm now at volume levels where my wireless receiver is falling off the rig. In 13 years off gigging this hasn't happened until recently where I have been turning up. You could be right though, maybe I just need to go louder and stand further way.

There is a discussion about that video over on Talkbass. A lot of people think it's pretty meaningless.

This is true, but id suggest that some cabs do what they do better, or in a more pleasing way than others, even the the less coloured cabs. Ive found over the years that it is indeed the cab that can make the biggest difference to the final tone. Edited to say, rather than make the biggest difference, maybe its more stopping achieving the tone you have in your head.

Im looking at replacing my BB2 with a Vanderkley 1x15 (maybe, its first on the list). Ive never found any cab or rig to sound bad at low levels, even turned up in a shop. For me the only test worth doing is with a band. Once the drummer starts i then gauge how well things are working. So yes, recommendations are good but you cant beat a real test to see how things work. I find a lot of recommendations are also based on low level playing, or with PA support. Not always helpful to those needing a cab to do it all, although better than nothing.

I stand by my comments, i just thought my post didn't really add to the original topic much.

Sorry, I've decided to delete this post (I know it's been seen already though). I thought about it and don't think it added anything to the original topic. Let's just say I don't think BF is for me after all, and living proof that not everyone who buys one keeps it.

Ive had my BB2 for a few months, and its been the best sounding cab ive ever owned. Recently ive started to notice the tone when up close is way more punchy and articulate than, say 10ft and over from the cab. This is in rehearsal rooms as well as gigs. I was very used to my old 1212L, and although tone wise that wasn't up to the BB2 it had more out front punch. Volume isnt an issue, in fact for the first time in my playing life things are falling off the top of my rig, but i feel im still missing something overall. Its not a complaint of the cab, i love it, but i think i have to keep moving on and trying other cabs. The 15MN6 has been recommended to me now by two people, so thats probably next on the list. Adding a second cab is not going to happen, as ill have to sell the BB2 to fund another cab anyway. I dont want this thread turning in in to a BF pro/against thread, i have no real complaints with this cab, its just probably not quite the thing i was looking for when i started a thread last year. i really want to know more about the 15MN6 and how it compares to the BB2 at gig volumes, without PA support if possible. Cheers.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1459766196' post='3019266'] It's not a pad, they're expecting different impedances. As I wrote above. Active basses have low output impedance across all frequencies, but passive basses will have differing impedances depending on the pickups and frequencies. [/quote] Yeah, i meant it has the effect of adding a pad.

[quote name='peted' timestamp='1459756577' post='3019144'] If you're clipping and distorting the input stage of the amp switch to the 'active' input. This doesn't relate to whether your guitar is passive of active, though if active and you do a lot of boosted tone shaping in your guitar you're more likely to need the active input of the amp. [/quote] [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]We dont know if it was clipping or just not a good tone, but if it was clipping im at a loss to figure out how the passive input was fine but the active (assuming its a pad) wasnt.[/font]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1459713962' post='3018927'] Eh? [/quote] Over in the USA the laws of physics don't seem to apply. Let's just say some people tend to exaggerate over on TB, a lot more than they do here.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1459706245' post='3018791'] Would it keep up with a shed-building drummer..? [/quote] Only if you are Talk bass ;-)

[quote name='Tony p' timestamp='1459677826' post='3018503'] Hi , I played a festival last night, turned up, plugged my active bass into the active input of the supplied bass amp and it sounded like a bag of spanners, sound guy comes over and says plug it into the passive input, did that and it sounded like a bass again Can someone more enlightened than me explain what the effect of active into passive is? Ps we only had 20 mins in between bands so I didn't have time to play about with settings etc as I had my semi accoustic guitar to sort aswell..... Cheers. [/quote] I'm not sure what a bag of spanners sounds like when referred to bass, but to me it sounds like the input might have been buggered. As others have said, it's normally a pad, so should give you a lower volume. As the passive input seemed ok I'd say your bass wasn't putting out a hot signal. Can't think of any other reason.

Ok, I think I know the cause, as the iPad isn't grounded and neither is the PSU I'm using for my VMT. Touching the stings or hardware cures it but that's not ideal. So, can anyone suggest the cheapest option to earth this set up? It's only for occasion bedroom practice through headphones, so buying or using a small desk isn't an option. I do have an old DI box (and a VTBass DI) but I have a feeling that would fit need to be hooked up to something else to be effective? To be honest I'm not bothered about using the VMT, i might never do it again (with the iPad), but I'd like to know if it's something very easy to sort out.

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Ive just gone back to using a Darkglass VMT, although ill never get rid of my VTBass DI.[/font] [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Although ive not used it at gig volume yet im hoping the VMT will be a bit more versatile than the VTBass, due to how the Era and drive knobs can be tweaked without a jump in output level. To me this is a killer feature, and one i missed immediately when i sold my VMTD last year. I dont need full on distortion, nor really over drive, but i like how the VMT can change the overall character of an amp. I want warm and tick, but also thinner and more articulate during my sets. It does have a character of its own, and if im honest i prefer the VTBass with my Markbass head, but the MB800 is cleaner and punchier and i feel it can take a small hit on the brightness scale. To my ears the VTBass is just a bit too lively with the MB800 for what i want.[/font]