SaxyBassist Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 (edited) Hi all, I have a tc electronic RH450 head and 2 2x10 speaker cabs. I've not had any problems until I was house bassist at a jam yesterday and when a jammer played through my rig and it was too over powering, loud and raw, (he had jazz bass - I have an Ibanez SR300) we fiddled with the settings and got it a bit better but still the sound "felt uncomfortable" to me in the audience. I'm not very good at working all the settings, I have the gain set at about 10 oclock and the volume at about 12 oclock, I did have the bass at about 4 oclock, the lo and mid around 2 oclock, and the tubetone at about 9 oclock. The compression is at around 9 oclock. I was reasonably happy with this until yesterday. Is there anyway I can get a more "velvety bassy" tone without the uncomfortable vibes? strange because I've been house bassist before and not noticed it with anyone else but now I'm obsessed with it! thanks in advance for any advice Edited December 21, 2015 by SaxyBassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 First off I`d say back off on those lows. Take everything back to zero (12 o`clock) on bass, mids and highs. From there, whatever you don`t like too much, cut out rather than add in to compensate. I`ve found that a nasally/scratchy/middy on-stage sound equates to a nice warm sound out front (unless the highs are really pushed). Whereas a nice warm rounded on-stage sound is just lows out front. From having had a Classic 450 your compression and tubetone settings sound fine to me, it`s more those boosted lows than anything that I reckon contributed to this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewisK1975 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 What Lozz said - go back to flat and start again. This was a revelation to me a few years ago. I now very rarely make any EQ changes beyond 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock. (maybe 10:30 and 1:30 ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaxyBassist Posted December 21, 2015 Author Share Posted December 21, 2015 Thanks for your help, I'll try that. Also I was wondering what the dial at the back is for? I have that set about half way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewisK1975 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 (edited) Not sure what you mean? Don't see a dial on the back..unless you mean the cover for the digital out socket, that looks a bit like a volume knob I suppose.. [attachment=207711:rh450 rear.JPG] Edited December 21, 2015 by LewisK1975 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Yeah as above really Bass at four o'clock is quite a large boost. I just run my EQ flat unless I have a problem with boominess in a certain venue then I'll tweak acordingly but only a fraction of a turn. I would think that if you have to use a huge amount of EQ there is perhaps something wrong with the source sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaxyBassist Posted December 21, 2015 Author Share Posted December 21, 2015 [quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1450714362' post='2935123'] Not sure what you mean? Don't see a dial on the back..unless you mean the cover for the digital out socket, that looks a bit like a volume knob I suppose.. [attachment=207711:rh450 rear.JPG] [/quote] The dial on the back of the speakers :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewisK1975 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 [quote name='SaxyBassist' timestamp='1450714528' post='2935128'] The dial on the back of the speakers :-) [/quote] Haha OK then I guess that's the tweeter / HF level in which case halfway / 12 o'clock shouldn't cause you any problems like you describe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaxyBassist Posted December 21, 2015 Author Share Posted December 21, 2015 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1450714492' post='2935127'] Yeah as above really Bass at four o'clock is quite a large boost. I just run my EQ flat unless I have a problem with boominess in a certain venue then I'll tweak acordingly but only a fraction of a turn. I would think that if you have to use a huge amount of EQ there is perhaps something wrong with the source sound? [/quote] Yes I think I've been adjusting them to what sounds good to me not realising how it can be quite different to the audience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaxyBassist Posted December 21, 2015 Author Share Posted December 21, 2015 [quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1450714689' post='2935131'] Haha OK then I guess that's the tweeter / HF level in which case halfway / 12 o'clock shouldn't cause you any problems like you describe... [/quote] Ah right! (I should be blonde really! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmachine2112 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Turn the tweeters down or off. I use cabs with no tweeters and don,t miss them. +1 on turning everything back,it might sound weird standing in front of them but let the sound swell out front and you will be surprised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaxyBassist Posted December 21, 2015 Author Share Posted December 21, 2015 [quote name='bassmachine2112' timestamp='1450715867' post='2935150'] Turn the tweeters down or off. I use cabs with no tweeters and don,t miss them. +1 on turning everything back,it might sound weird standing in front of them but let the sound swell out front and you will be surprised. [/quote] Okay will do - I don't like a lot of treble anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 [quote name='SaxyBassist' timestamp='1450714528' post='2935128'] The dial on the back of the speakers :-) [/quote] That will be for turbo sound. 4 is waaaaaayyyy too high on the amp.... I doubt it will sound that good but it wont be doing the cabs much good either at a jam night with randoms all over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaxyBassist Posted December 21, 2015 Author Share Posted December 21, 2015 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1450718870' post='2935198'] That will be for turbo sound. 4 is waaaaaayyyy too high on the amp.... I doubt it will sound that good but it wont be doing the cabs much good either at a jam night with randoms all over it. [/quote] Lol it's not making me play any faster Ive had it set like that doing gigs and jams for about 6 months! - every time I ask if it sounds okay all the band and random audience say it sounds fine, the couple of times I've stepped away from it with the bass to listen I've thought I don't like the sound of it but didn't know what to do about it..... Anyway I've just been and set it all to 12 oclock and stood away as far as I could get (into the hall!) and I actually really like the tone - best so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironside1966 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Different people sound completely different using the same gear, never mind adding a different bass to the equation. If your jam night is full of experienced musicians and they all say it sounds fine trust them and take how other players sound through your gear with a pinch of salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironside1966 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 [size=4][font=Arial, sans-serif]Room acoustics and cab placement also play a large part[/font][/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaxyBassist Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 So having tweaked my settings, I think I'm beginning to understand how to manipulate my sound to get a smoother, lest grating more textured sound, but I have another question since hearing a recording (DI'd into mixer) - my E string sounds bassier/boomier than my other strings, is this to do with compression? I have it set on about 9oclock...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzodog Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 [quote name='SaxyBassist' timestamp='1452938486' post='2954825'] So having tweaked my settings, I think I'm beginning to understand how to manipulate my sound to get a smoother, lest grating more textured sound, but I have another question since hearing a recording (DI'd into mixer) - my E string sounds bassier/boomier than my other strings, is this to do with compression? I have it set on about 9oclock...... [/quote] Could be string height? Is the E string closer to the pickups than the others. You could try raising the E string a bit to see if that makes a difference Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Compression should even it all out a bit rather than making it boomier so yes I`d say pickup height/saddle height adjustment is a good place to start. If you like the action as it is, just do a half-turn clockwise on the pickup screw at the E string side, see if that works. If it`s getting there but still needs more, then try a half-turn counter-clockwise on the saddle height adjusters on the E string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 [quote name='bonzodog' timestamp='1452939764' post='2954851'] Could be string height? Is the E string closer to the pickups than the others. You could try raising the E string a bit to see if that makes a difference [/quote] Or lowering the pickup on the e side a small amount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaxyBassist Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 [quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1452942415' post='2954878'] Or lowering the pickup on the e side a small amount. [/quote] The strings look perfectly even, and if anything the E string is further away as the pickups are curved away from the E and G string Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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