Tone for band? Tone for home?

[ChunkyMunky]

When playing in a band, in comparison to your tone at home, do you change your amp settings to accommodate for various external factors such as the tone of the kick drum, the venue and all sorts? I'm trying to find the best sound that compliments that rest of the band. I always find myself asking the drummer to play 4 to the floor on the kick to change my tone that makes us as a rhythmic duo sound better, even if it's a sound I'm not amazingly fond of when I'm playing on my own. Anyone else like that at all?

[Low End Bee]

My band sound is horrible on its own but works with very little eq fiddling in a gig or rehearsal mix. My plonking away at home sound is very pleasant to the ears but gets lost and doesn't work in a band mix.
I just accept it.

[JTUK]

Nope.... it is the same. That is the whole point of it, IMO.

[Jazzneck]

I adjust slightly to compensate for room / stage dynamics and the [b]BASS DRUM[/b] sound.
(Our drummer doesn't kick his BASS DRUM, he plays it by stamping on a levered pedal which beats the BASS DRUM accordingly, if we're lucky. )

[PaulWarning]

I don't listen to the bass drum at all, just make sure I'm in time with the song, but I'm that sort of bass player, sort of rhythm guitar on one string probably because I play with just one guitarist, as for the sound at home I don't bother too much, mainly plug straight into my computer and use headphones (the dog is a lot happier) practising is to learn the bass parts not sound good, with the band I just try and make sure I'm cutting through without booming all over the place

[Lozz196]

I prefer bass to be warm and rounded, so that`s the tone I have at home - usually flat on the amp. Whereas with the band it`s gnarly and gainy, with much more highs than I actually like, but it`s the tone that suits the band. I don`t play the bands basslines at home, so don`t need the bands tone at home.

[JTUK]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1439659457' post='2844778']
I prefer bass to be warm and rounded, so that`s the tone I have at home - usually flat on the amp. Whereas with the band it`s gnarly and gainy, with much more highs than I actually like, but it`s the tone that suits the band. I don`t play the bands basslines at home, so don`t need the bands tone at home.
[/quote]

But, by the same token, everything I do at home, I'll likely look to throw in on the gig...I do what I do and what I work on, when I feel like it.
The trick is to have taste and know when or if you're going to do it...
I'm always listening to everything and I hear everything. Of course, you have to filter but I hear the bum notes.

I think I've got it right as I am quite a 'flashy' player, but people (bookers) think I'm a groove player first and foremost... which makes me smile.

[Guest bassman7755]

Over the years my perception of what "good" sound is has been shaped by what sounds good in bands so thats the tone I tend to dial in by default, however I also do most of my practice unplugged just hearing the bass acoustically.

[JapanAxe]

Not much difference except the volume! The home sound works against the music I am practising to, it just gets scaled up on the gig.

[xgsjx]

I think there may be more than a couple of bassists that have gotten a great sound at home, joined their first band & totally disappeared in the sound.
I found that the best thing to do at home when finding new sounds was to put a track on & play along to it. It's too easy to increase the lows at low volume when you're mucking about at home.

[chris_b]

When I play at home it's to run through a part for the band so the sound doesn't matter.

[JTUK]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1439679375' post='2845011']
I think there may be more than a couple of bassists that have gotten a great sound at home, joined their first band & totally disappeared in the sound.
I found that the best thing to do at home when finding new sounds was to put a track on & play along to it. It's too easy to increase the lows at low volume when you're mucking about at home.
[/quote]

If they disappear in the band mix..then that is a collective band problem.
If this happens with a simple gtr, bass drums format, you have real problems.

There really is no excuse whatsoever, IMO, for a bass not to be heard in that sort of line-up
Those problems are personell changers IMV.

[xgsjx]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1439717260' post='2845133']
If they disappear in the band mix..then that is a collective band problem.
If this happens with a simple gtr, bass drums format, you have real problems.

There really is no excuse whatsoever, IMO, for a bass not to be heard in that sort of line-up
Those problems are personell changers IMV.
[/quote]
I agree.
It can be as simple as not having enough mids on the bass.
Having the bass turned up too far at home can result in not getting loud enough in the band mix due to the driver limits. Decreasing the low end or turning up the mids makes a big difference.
Then take that sound home, turn the volume down & it might not sound as pleasing to the ears as before.
The other issue is that if the rig can handle those lows, they might overpower the band's sound.

This is going on the assumption that you use the same rig at home as you do in the band.

[BigRedX]

I'm lucky because my band is simply one vocal, one guitar, drums and theremin and we have spent a fair amount of time getting each instrument to it comfortably in its own sonic space, the bass sound I use with the band sounds pretty good on its own too.

In my last serious band we used a lot of synth and sample backing which I was responsible for putting together, so even when practicing at home I was doing it with probably 50% of the band sound and the bass sounds I used were an integral part of that backing. Once again there was no need to use anything other than the sounds I would use on the various songs for home practice.

[JTUK]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1439718928' post='2845144']
I agree.
It can be as simple as not having enough mids on the bass.
Having the bass turned up too far at home can result in not getting loud enough in the band mix due to the driver limits. Decreasing the low end or turning up the mids makes a big difference.
Then take that sound home, turn the volume down & it might not sound as pleasing to the ears as before.
The other issue is that if the rig can handle those lows, they might overpower the band's sound.

This is going on the assumption that you use the same rig at home as you do in the band.
[/quote]

The only difference is..once I set up the amp, is that gigs have more level. I very rarely need to touch EQ... but with an enhancer, that was more an option. Now, none of my gigging amps have enhance or filters..

The only goal I set is that I want to hear the sound of the bass... not the sound of the amp influencing it too much.
That way amp sound is consistant even when I change amps..the only thing that is different is the slam..but that is OT class D territory.

[Oopsdabassist]

I learn songs at home plugged into a 30w fender practice amp, as long as I can hear myself over the backing track I have no care what it sounds like. My band sound is what sounds good with the guys, probably nothing like the flat eq I use at home.

[KevB]

^ This, except mine's a 25w Marshall.

Edited August 16, 2015 by KevB

[machinehead]

I find that scooped sounds are great at home but less so on a gig.

My own experience would tell me that what sounds good at home sounds fairly different and not so suitable on a gig.

Another interesting thing is that what you hear on stage often bears little resemblence to what the audience are hearing, making it even more complicated.

Frank.

[JTUK]

[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1439757579' post='2845582']
I find that scooped sounds are great at home but less so on a gig.

My own experience would tell me that what sounds good at home sounds fairly different and not so suitable on a gig.

Another interesting thing is that what you hear on stage often bears little resemblence to what the audience are hearing, making it even more complicated.

Frank.
[/quote]

All my tapes suggest different in our regards.

The mix is good..we aren't quiet and we get very good comments about the sound.
My bass sound is the way I set it up at home.
We've worked it out and apart from the gtr knowing that he has to cut out some bass on his signal..
that is all we've really had to do. We've had deps in and it has suffered a bit but that just re-enforces
that we are doing it right with the full band.
A simple 5 min sound check and we know.
And that is with a pub P.A with kick and keys in the tops..

Some of the worse mixes... evidenced by my little Zoom player ..have been when we've hired the P.A in.

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1439818419' post='2845993']


Some of the worse mixes... ..have been when we've hired the P.A in.
[/quote]yep, especially on multi band gigs

[Muzz]

It depends on what sort of sound you like to hear soloed, but for me, it can be pretty different, depending on the song and the arrangement. We use keys for some songs, we use two loud guitars for others, we use mandolin and acoustic for others, and the same bass sound won't cut it for them all. I even change the basic sound (I'm not including pedals here, which I don't use, because that's a whole different and interesting kettle of fish) between verse and chorus in some songs - Don't Stop Believing, for example, needs some honky mids for the signature, erm, honk in the choruses, but less in the verses. I have superb active EQ (East U-Retro) on all my basses, so I can do this from the bass without touching the amp.

Sure, I could get away with one sound, but in my main band we'd expect the guitarist to have several different sounds for different songs, ditto the keyboards, and I don't consider myself a special case.

[JTUK]

But I'd say for me to do what I do..and not limit myself in anyway, I need a sound that does indeed do it all.

For example, a P bass with flats sound would force me to play one way... and I'd find that un-necessarily limiting.
Not saying I don't like that sound..just that is just one facet of how I play... so I cop all those tones of off one sound, pretty much.

And since I'm not chopping and changing, I don't have to re-EQ...

I think you can do this with a passive bass, but it is easier on a an active. The trick is not to have people know you are active, IMO.

Most amps and pre are over engineered in terms of EQ options... and that is a road to nowhere if you get caught up on it.

Slight tangent, but hey..!!

[hairychris]

2 different beasts, IMO.

My amp/cab/pedalboard lives at rehearsal studio, at home I run into an old Boss digital recorder with amp sims & a desk with monitors. Ditto with guitar.

My home set-up is for the technical side of playing. I don't care, ultimately, what the tone is. Do I need it to learn the notes or write riffs? Nope. I am also in a flat with volume constraints.

My live/studio set-up is for work with the band. There's 2 guitars, vocals and a drummer to deal with, plus effects for texture when required. From having played guitar in bands for many years I am well aware that what sounds good in isolation often sucks in a band situation, and what works in a band situation often sounds a bit off on it's own.

[Muzz]

All good if your setlist doesn't require you to chop and change...horses for courses.

I think a lot of people like a mid-scooped solo sound, and that can go walkies in some band setups, which is where the OP was coming from...

[Adrenochrome]

No, bedroom tone is often pants in a band setting - as has been pointed out above, an unscooped, middy tone often works well with a band.