Finding your sound...

[tonyquipment]

Then after a while you decide to change it...

Has this happened to you before?

You spend ages and lots of money experimenting and messing around with effects and amps and cabs to find your sound, you are happy for a while but then decide to change it all up..

??

I went from distortion rage to clean and octave then a synth blend octave then back to distortion and synth together... I'm happy now but when will it end? Is it constant gas or what? Or am I just OCBD?

I just read that last bit as octave blues driver ..gaaaahhhh..

[tonyquipment]

Obsessive compulsive bass distortion..

[Billy Apple]

I was all no pedals into british hand made valve. Now I'm all compressed octaver/phase into solid. but here's the rub, out of all my basses the Thunderbird sounds the best. One trick pony rock-bass?.. go figure.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

I stumbled across 2 sounds if gigging. Both wouldbe clean, but effects with 2 songs.
First great sound was eden nemesis combo.( bright and powerful).
Then my present setup , Aguilar head/cab (no tweeter. Deep and boomy).

The stuff used previously (Trace Elliot&oyhers) were p;ss poor in comparison.
Having saidall that, i still havent got 1 sound only)

[Damonjames]

If I am honest, and I don't know if this applies to everyone but if money was no object I think I could have got my dream tone straight away! The trouble is most of us have to compromise for one reason or another, and then try and tweak as circumstances allow. I know exactly how you feel, I am "happy" with my tone right now but am trying to "tweak" it 😈

[EssentialTension]

Stop worrying about some imaginary elusive tone. Set the EQ flat. Get on with it. Worrying about tone is a distraction from playing music.

[Billy Apple]

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1370123689' post='2096810']

Then my present setup , Aguilar head/cab (no tweeter. Deep and boomy).


[/quote]

Which Aggie head.. been thinking about the TH500?

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1370124367' post='2096822']


Which Aggie head.. been thinking about the TH500?
[/quote]

Ag500sc;) truly awesome. One on ebay at the moment

[BassTractor]

Now I'm a noob as well as an ex-keyboardist, and what follows should probably be understood in that light.

To me, the whole concept of "my sound" sounds like an alien one. For me there's just a composition, and there's the sounds that fit it. That, or you just play and use your technique without being bothered, and have a great time.
Mind you, I'm not criticising the search, but have not yet understood what drives bassists to start the search. Hoping to find out at some point in time though.

best,
bert

[Conan]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1370125577' post='2096840']To me, the whole concept of "my sound" sounds like an alien one.
[/quote]

I agree. The style may sound like you, but most bassists use a number of different "sounds" in every track - they just don't realise it!

[WalMan]

I [i]think[/i] I have my sound sorted now after all these years. Dispensed with effects pedals & down to bass -> amp ->cab and the current rig is just hitting all the buttons for me [u]whatever[/u] bass I plug in Did a gig today , open air on a big stage & thought I was going to lose the bass, but it was there solid as, but with a nice bite to it. I am currently the proverbial pig in sh1t

I really ought to start selling some of the mass of pedals I have, but perhaps we'll see ... you never know

[Pembo]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1370124174' post='2096819']
Stop worrying about some imaginary elusive tone. Set the EQ flat. Get on with it. Worrying about tone is a distraction from playing music.
[/quote]

....Nail....head.... So wish i could live with that concept, because i think it's smack on. Unfortunately, I keep thinking that if another human being could achieve 'THAT' tone, then so can I.

[Billy Apple]

I'm less concerned with tone now-a-days. I'm getting into the whole concept of how my cabs breathe. Put it this way, you might have a fine set of vocal chords and lungs, but if your nose is blocked, you're going to sound sh*t

[Lowender]

Whatever you decide to use (and like) is your sound. What's the problem? It all comes down to what you play.

[xgsjx]

My sound is what fits the song. Some songs call for clean bass on the Neck or Bridge pick up, some call for a little dirt or chorus & some need plenty of fx.
It's all just tools to use with the band to make our sound.

[merlin]

I have been looking for years for that me sound,never found it.Have spent a fortune on all types of amp cab,but never been into pedals always been straight into amp,the sound I have at the noment,Im quite happy with,suits the band,they love the tone, if they like it must be ok,its also the cheepest rig ever..amp £129.00 two 4x12 cabs £90.00.

[xilddx]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1370124174' post='2096819']
Stop worrying about some imaginary elusive tone. Set the EQ flat. Get on with it. Worrying about tone is a distraction from playing music.
[/quote]

Mmm, I've never understood this approach at all. Music is infinitely more than notes. The timbres of the instruments are vitally important to give the music character. You may need many different timbres for your bass even in a single song, but whatever, your sounds are very important to the overall character of the music and how you express it.

I spend a fair bit of time on my sound, and I greatly enjoy doing it. Probably because using a POD and no amp or cab means the possibilities are almost endless. In fact I spent hours on one patch a last week (especially the eq which I tweaked while playing to bass-less versions of some of Kit's songs), for my general sound from which I work out variations in effects, eq, volume, etc. I was soundchecking at a gig with Kit a couple of nights ago and she straightaway turned around and said 'Wow! Great sound, Nige!', the drummer really liked it too. So your tones do (or should) get noticed by your band, engineers, producers, etc. If they don't, I'd wonder why not.

Edited June 2, 2013 by xilddx

[JTUK]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1370124174' post='2096819']
Stop worrying about some imaginary elusive tone. Set the EQ flat. Get on with it. Worrying about tone is a distraction from playing music.
[/quote]

Kind of.... IMO. As long as the sound is good... you should be able to handle a few nuances.
The problems tends to get on top when you are continually searching and not quite sure...or satisfied...or not quite sure, or..

Start with a good core sound and build on it...fixing a fix is never a good position, I think..

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='Pembo' timestamp='1370128105' post='2096870']
....Nail....head.... So wish i could live with that concept, because i think it's smack on. Unfortunately, I keep thinking that if another human being could achieve 'THAT' tone, then so can I.
[/quote]

My experience of people looking for who obsessively cycle through gear in the search for "that" sound is that even when they do stumble on great sounds they arn't able to recognise them.

I've long thought that there are some psychological factors at work (in addition to the acoustic ones I've already mentioned) i.e. that we simply perceive our own playing and tone differently to other peoples. My rational for this is that as experienced players we tend to internally "hear" what we are about to play and that therefore the "tone" we are perceiving is actually some mix of our imagination and what actually comes in through the ears.

The many anecdotes on here and in my personal experience of people not realising how good their kit sounded until they heard someone else play it, bear this out.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1370172343' post='2097140']
Mmm, I've never understood this approach at all. Music is infinitely more than notes. The timbres of the instruments are vitally important to give the music character. You may need many different timbres for your bass even in a single song, but whatever, your sounds are very important to the overall character of the music and how you express it.

I spend a fair bit of time on my sound, and I greatly enjoy doing it. Probably because using a POD and no amp or cab means the possibilities are almost endless. In fact I spent hours on one patch a last week (especially the eq which I tweaked while playing to bass-less versions of some of Kit's songs), for my general sound from which I work out variations in effects, eq, volume, etc. I was soundchecking at a gig with Kit a couple of nights ago and she straightaway turned around and said 'Wow! Great sound, Nige!', the drummer really liked it too. So your tones do (or should) get noticed by your band, engineers, producers, etc. If they don't, I'd wonder why not.
[/quote]
Fair enough Nige, but that's not really my experience.

It's not that I would never roll the treble off, or never move my plucking hand nearer the neck or nearer the bridge, or never boost the mids a little or whatever. It's just that I start from 'plug in and play' and rarely wander far from it. That is 'my sound' or would be if I actually believed in the concept of 'my sound'. It doesn't stop people, in the band or out of it, saying 'great sound' or whatever. I wouldn't know because what I hear on stage is not what everyone else hears anyway.

I might be a little more sympathetic to the idea that a particular tone matters to or helps a particular song/arrangement but I still wouldn't see it as a big deal.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1370175469' post='2097200']
My experience of people looking for who obsessively cycle through gear in the search for "that" sound is that even when they do stumble on great sounds they arn't able to recognise them.

I've long thought that there are some psychological factors at work (in addition to the acoustic ones I've already mentioned) i.e. that we simply perceive our own playing and tone differently to other peoples. My rational for this is that as experienced players we tend to internally "hear" what we are about to play and that therefore the "tone" we are perceiving is actually some mix of our imagination and what actually comes in through the ears.

The many anecdotes on here and in my personal experience of people not realising how good their kit sounded until they heard someone else play it, bear this out.
[/quote]

In recent years I've played regularly through ...

Ashdown
Ampeg
Mesa
Phil Jones
Markbass
Ibanez

... usually playing a Fender but sometimes ...

Squier
Guild
Takamine
G&L
Aria
Lakland

...

and they all sounded great.

They were all better at doing their job than me.

[xilddx]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1370175670' post='2097204']
Fair enough Nige, but that's not really my experience.

It's not that I would never roll the treble off, or never move my plucking hand nearer the neck or nearer the bridge, or never boost the mids a little or whatever. It's just that I start from 'plug in and play' and rarely wander far from it. That is 'my sound' or would be if I actually believed in the concept of 'my sound'. It doesn't stop people, in the band or out of it, saying 'great sound' or whatever. I wouldn't know because what I hear on stage is not what everyone else hears anyway.

I might be a little more sympathetic to the idea that a particular tone matters to or helps a particular song/arrangement but I still wouldn't see it as a big deal.
[/quote]

Yeah, that's cool, depends on the music dunnit. I find much pleasure in crafting tones, and I often play for hours during and after, I get a kick out of it

[AntLockyer]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1370176268' post='2097212']
In recent years I've played regularly through ...

Ashdown
Ampeg
Mesa
Phil Jones
Markbass
Ibanez

... usually playing a Fender but sometimes ...

Squier
Guild
Takamine
G&L
Aria
Lakland

...

and they all sounded great.

They were all better at doing their job than me.
[/quote]

I'm with you, there are just a lot of times where it doesn't matter what your starting point is as long as it is within the realms of a certain quality. i.e covering the frequencies it needs to.

A good example of this is different versions of blue songs. Some guys on ultra modern active basses with super deep Nate East type tone others on a P with the most chicken grease laden flats. Given an adequate amount of talent both can sound amazing and relevant.

[Roger2611]

I don't think it is possible to "find your sound" ocassionally you will set up somewhere plug in and think wow that is the sound I have been hunting for since year dot, now move you amp to another room / venue and the same amp / bass will sound a million miles from what you loved in the other room.

My favoured set up at the moment is my Little Mark head, Mark Bass 2x10 and, what surprises me most here, my Precision Lyte, that seems to be the closest I have come to my perfect tone, but that tone is only perfect at about 25% of the places I use it, and still then only perfect to me where I am standing.

I guess what I am trying to say is that it is probably impossible to achieve your perfect tone everytime but if you can find one you are happy with you perhaps have to trust that most of that sound will still be present at times where you don't feel it is sounding as good

[xilddx]

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1370188434' post='2097339']
I don't think it is possible to "find your sound" ocassionally you will set up somewhere plug in and think wow that is the sound I have been hunting for since year dot, now move you amp to another room / venue and the same amp / bass will sound a million miles from what you loved in the other room.

My favoured set up at the moment is my Little Mark head, Mark Bass 2x10 and, what surprises me most here, my Precision Lyte, that seems to be the closest I have come to my perfect tone, but that tone is only perfect at about 25% of the places I use it, and still then only perfect to me where I am standing.

I guess what I am trying to say is that it is probably impossible to achieve your perfect tone everytime but if you can find one you are happy with you perhaps have to trust that most of that sound will still be present at times where you don't feel it is sounding as good
[/quote]

This is why I never use and amp and cab. My tones are created on the POD X3 LIVE at home through my own studio monitors and good headphones, always with band songs on. Those patches go into the PA and I use whatever monitors are available at the gig to have a band mix with a bit extra bass and vocal.