SimonK

My instruments have scars that prove not all stands are equal. Currently I'm using one of these and apart from once when I put a bass on too quickly and it didn't grab it properly, not had any problems:

Yes not a bad thought - so the bass needs to be a bit more scooped with an acoustic guitar in the mix whereas a low-mid boost works better when it doesn't clash with the guitar - but quite a big change achieved entirely due to EQ which makes me wonder why we spend so much on different amps etc. when the EQ makes the biggest difference - although I suppose that's why everyone has started raving about IEM and ampless setups.

...tis a mystery... same drummer but only keys plus vocals this week (so not guitar) which certainly gave me more space in the mix. I have a Genzler Magellan preamp pedal that I bought specifically as it has two curve (EQ) presets that you can toggle between, meaning I can sweep them relatively quickly to find what works (perfect for the zero set up time at church). Three weeks ago "Curve A" at 3/4 sounded great, this morning "Curve B" at 3/4 which is a whole different profile seemed to work, along with cutting around 250Hz on my graphic EQ. But no rhyme or reason! CURVE A (Blue): Provides a variable pre-shaped curve that boosts lows and highs while simultaneously cutting mids. The slopes are fairly gentle which keep the tone shaping very musical. This curve covers a wide range of sounds from flat to classic to modern depending on the position of the independent CURVE A control. CURVE B (Amber): Provides a variable pre-shaped curve with attenuated high-mids and highs, a low-mid bump, and a slight roll-off of the lowest bass frequencies. Again, the slopes are fairly gentle which keep the tone shaping very musical. This curve is intended to provide sounds in the range of vintage amps and vintage cabinets that do not have tweeters. An independent CURVE B control is provided for this filter.

Why is it that you can use exactly the same kit in exactly the same place with almost the same number of people in the room on two separate Sundays and it sounds totally different? Luckily I have lots of EQ options to fiddle with but sometimes I just don't get it... humidity, air pressure??

Back to bass this week!

...and then irritatingly last night I used exactly the same cabs and amp in exactly the same room as three weeks ago, and they sounded all boomy and horrible despite the fact the same set up was fine last time! I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that multiple EQ options make more of a difference than anything else...

...I can't remember which youtuber it was but I was watching a bass video the other day about EQ'ing bass, and in making the point about nonsense spouted on the internet they showed some posts from basschat...

Music isn't a competition, but certainly Charles Berthoud has taken Bass to new places and made some very enjoyable youtube videos in the process (and his upcoming tour looks awesome). But my point was that for me "better" is having more fun.

This one looks interesting - probably neither a rescue or restore as it looks in excellent condition, mind you I wouldn't pay much more than the £200 it's already at (and that would also assume I was near enough to get it which I'm not!).

I think the answer to "Who's better" is almost always Charles Berthoud! As for the rest of us it's more about what individuals enjoy doing: "better" in my books is simply one and the same with "more fun"!

I could see taking this analogy too far 🙂!

Oh I'm very jealous of that!!

Music is like sex - far more fun and you learn more when playing with others - while the internet's just for porn!

Been doing some pedal re-arranging this morning and couldn't help but photograph: