EQ

[Kevin Dean]

I use a MB with Little mark Rocker NY604 & NY121 cabs & a Shuker JJB bass , Ive played with the EQ & can get some great tones when playing on my own .But when playing with the band I just leave everything flat as the sound really punches through . [email="I@ve"]I've[/email] noticed that a few local bands I've seen may be making this mistake of keeping the EQ they have come up with when playing solo but with a band the sound gets lost .Does anyone else leave their EQ flat ?

[JTUK]

Yes...for the most part but then most of my amps have 4 band para and enhance/tinmbre mappings. so whilst you can say
the EQ is 'falt' as far as that amp is concerned, you have a LOT of control with the other two dials.

My sound is clean and most gigs I just turn up to the required volume with both basses.
Where I get any problems is if I have gunky strings ...so I very rarely let the sound get that bad.
Gunky means unresponsive, dull and inarticulate and whilst many can get that to work, it isn't for me.

The one thing I try and avoid is a fight with EQ..just makes everything so much harder

If yoir sound gets lost, then you have to respond to that.... but if the guy have cloth ears, then there isn't much hope.

[thumperbob 2002]

I like the sound of my bass so would love to leave the EQ flat- but then no amp is truly flat in any event. Does not matter one jot where the knobs are, its what the sound is like. People that cant be heard in a band environment most likely will either-

Be too quiet ( Go Figure!! )

Have a scooped EQ- almost all the local bands I have seen do this- what sounds good in your bedroom does not work live( scooped EQ )

Have other band members in their frequency range- keys- guitars- drums mostly.

My Markbass through a schroeder1212L had all the knobs straight up with a Jazz bass- sounded great and cut through- though that rig itself was mid heavy.

[Lozz196]

I use a Markbass Mini CMD121P combo, with NY121 ext cab, and on the amp, all eq is at midday, with the VPF on virtually full. This is a scooped sound, but with my Precision, which of course has a fair few mids of its own, I have no trouble being heard in either of my bands. This said, I would always advise people to deal with the mids, either up or down, to get their sound, but for my style, this scooped sound just works.

[Kevin Dean]

Scooped , that was the word I was thinking of yes sounds great in a music shop or bed room .

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1360574905' post='1972371']
I use a MB with Little mark Rocker NY604 & NY121 cabs & a Shuker JJB bass , Ive played with the EQ & can get some great tones when playing on my own .But when playing with the band I just leave everything flat as the sound really punches through . [email="I@ve"]I've[/email] noticed that a few local bands I've seen may be making this mistake of keeping the EQ they have come up with when playing solo but with a band the sound gets lost .Does anyone else leave their EQ flat ?
[/quote]

Yes. Using EQ to get a "sound" is completely illogical to me since you are cutting or boosting different parts of different notes. I always have the tone controls on my active bass in the center positions too. I alter the tone of my basses by pickup selection and mix only (and technique of course).

Infact it drives me nuts when people feel that they absolutely have to fiddle with EQ just because its there - even singers seem to insist on completely irrational random settings on the PA graphic.

Edited February 11, 2013 by bassman7755