First outing with the EUB yesterday

[Les]

Took my new, to me, Stagg EUB to yesterdays gig, used it on 4 numbers, had a blast and it lends a nice visual impact to the band, but...

singing- apart from finding myself 4 feet away from my mic stand when I should have been singing and no way to get there in time , I guess I'm used to just walking up to it with my bass round my neck, I found it quite awkward.

It's probably just practise and finding a position that suits but it seemed to be in the way and I ended up singing into the side of my mic. Am I missing anything obvious or do I just need to keep jigging about till I find something that works ?

Sound- not good enough. I'm using an Ashdown 180 15'' combo with a Trace 2 x 10 extension cab DI'ed into the PA (post eq, there's no option) and I like the sound I get with my Mustang, I chucked the EUB into it and couldn't really get a sound I was happy with without altering everything, and I don't really want to do that cos' the EUB is a "feature" not the bands main bass supplier.

I know it's not a double bass and I'm not expecting to emulate one, just a decent bass kind of sound will suffice.

The options I have without altering the knobs are 3 buttons, deep, bright and eq in or out (took the eq out and it was better). There is a passive and active input, the Mustang goes into the passive and I though the Stagg might be ok if I chucked it into the active input cos' it's quite a decent signal, but it wasn't hot enough.

I've scavenged a 6band eq pedal from the singer and I'm going to try that out, it also has a level slider on it, but I'm unsure if this will boost signal if required or it just cuts,

I have the option of DI'ing the EUB into the desk cos' we have enough channels, but I'd have to monitor it thru my rig and that is also DI'ed so I'm not sure of the ramifications of doing this.

Lastly , am I right in thinking I can plug into the effects return and bypass the amps tone controls ?

How do you guy's who are doubling with a bass guitar do it ?

Many thanks

Les

[bremen]

I've been gigging with EUB and fretless and the only way I've been able to get a good sound on each has been to use a separate preamp for each (SVP Pro for fretless, Peavey somethingorother for Stagg) and switch between them.

Probably not what you wanted to hear, sorry! I've been using the fretless less and less in favour of the upright though, and next gig we do I probably will only take the Stagg.

Edited September 17, 2012 by bremen

[Les]

Thanks for your input Bremen, not averse to chucking a bit of money at a decent preamp if thats gonna do the trick, it's monitoring without bringing another rig that seems to be the problem,

[Doddy]

When I'm doubling I run my my Upright into some form of preamp or EQ (I actually like the Aphex Bass Exciter for this) and
then both basses go into a Boss LS2 for easy switching and volume matching.I go out of that into an Ernie Ball
Volume pedal for overall control,and then out to my amp (with a tuner in the Tuner output of the volume pedal).
I generally leave the amp flat with maybe a hint of mid boost,so I control most things from either the onboard
EQ of the Electric or from whatever preamp/EQ I'm using with the Upright.
I use the same set up when I double on Electric and Synth bass too.

[franzbassist]

I have had a similar situation for a few years now, as I both play electric and EUB at virtually every gig.

Switching pedal and EQ is definitely the way to do, and my two options have been:
i) Radial Bassbone, which is a great all in one unit
ii) Radial i/o for the switching with a separate programmable eq pedal to give me four preshapes on the fly

Both work well, but I am just in the process of selling off the i/o and eq pedal to go back to a Bassbone.

Cheers

Gareth

[bremen]

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1347889075' post='1806163']
When I'm doubling I run my my Upright into some form of preamp or EQ (I actually like the Aphex Bass Exciter for this)
[/quote]

I'm happy to hear that, cos I just got an Aphex in the post

[Les]

Thank you all for your ideas and experience. I'll have a squint at the gadgets you suggested. In the meantime does my idea of using the eq pedal and chucking it into the effects return on my amp not hold water ?? I have a gig on Friday and I'm not going to have time to do anything else before then.

[Doddy]

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1347899204' post='1806370']
Thank you all for your ideas and experience. I'll have a squint at the gadgets you suggested. In the meantime does my idea of using the eq pedal and chucking it into the effects return on my amp not hold water ?? I have a gig on Friday and I'm not going to have time to do anything else before then.
[/quote]
I suppose you could do that,but personally I wouldn't.I'd try to get an A/B box and run through that. Something
like this http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Belcat-ABS-520-Dual-Input-A-B-Box-True-Bypass/FY4 will do
the job and is inexpensive.Plus,you should get it before before your gig.

[Les]

Thanks Doddy, that looks useful and won't break the bank while I'm pondering. Will get one ordered and try both methods on Friday. Any particular reason you don't think straight into the fx return is a good idea ? I've googled it and it seems to be an accepted way of just using the amps power module.

[bremen]

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1347929726' post='1806885']
Thanks Doddy, that looks useful and won't break the bank while I'm pondering. Will get one ordered and try both methods on Friday. Any particular reason you don't think straight into the fx return is a good idea ? I've googled it and it seems to be an accepted way of just using the amps power module.
[/quote]

It's the way I get the output of my SVP into the Peavey preamp (which incorporates an active EQ) and then into the power amp, so yes.

[Les]

Awsesome, thanks Bremen, was just about to pull the trigger on Doddy's reccomendation but I'll try the fx return method first.

Actually have a Trace Elliot rig in my living room so will experiment on that,
again, much obliged to you all for your help.