After 21 years, finally happy with my sound!

[Painy]

I've had a complete change of gear over the last 6-12 months for 2 main reasons: I've gone lighter and more compact with my amp to save my back and I've gone from active 'coffee table' basses to passive P and J basses simply because my tastes have changed.
Unfortunately I have been struggling to get a sound I'm really happy with (although truthfully that has been the case since I got rid of my old Trace rig over 10 years ago and I'm not going that heavy again or looking for that sounds anymore anyway). With the arrival of a new compressor I decided to get it sorted properly and spend a bit of time working on my sound. Over the last couple of weeks I drove my wife (and probably my neighbors too) crazy by setting my full rig up in the kitchen, gathering my collection of pedals together and cranking the amp up to gig volume to experiment.
We'll at last nights gig it all paid off. Various 'effects' aside, signal chain for the core sound is Squier VM P5, Palmer Deepressor, Aphex bass Xciter, Tech21 VT Bass, Aguilar AG500 head into 2 x DB112 cabs.
I'd say the result was something like the punch and bite of Billy Gould's tone on The Real Thing album but with a meatier bottom end which is pretty much the description I'd have used if you'd asked me what my ideal tone would be.
Can't wait for the next gig now although typically we've got next weekend off!

[Lozz196]

That`s always the way, get the exact tone you want, band has a week off so you`re left hanging.

[spectoremg]

[attachment=217254:Nosferatu.jpg]
Deny GAS at your peril

[DiMarco]

I have been playing since 1990. Whenever I seem to have found my tone, the week after it seems to sound WAY different with the same settings. I think my ears just respond differently depending on the local air pressure.

Since switching to a 2x12 (Barefaced) cab fron 2x15 things seem to have improved though.

Signal chain: bass -> Aguilar TLC comp -> Darkglass B7K Ultra -> Mesa Bass Prodigy amp -> Barefaced BT2 gen.3.

[Painy]

[quote name='DiMarco' timestamp='1460959930' post='3030055']
Whenever I seem to have found my tone, the week after it seems to sound WAY different with the same settings.
[/quote]

That's what I'm afraid of! Fingers crossed though.

[Pukie]

Just curious, perhaps you guys (or anyone else who cares to post their signal chain) can elaborate... as to what each element of the chain bring to the party?
I mean a compressor compresses Ok, but the Tech21 shapes the tone, but doesn't the amp do that as well? . Or again, the darkglass adds tube tone but the Mesa has those anyway?

[PaulWarning]

whenever I've found 'my' tone, I've changed my mind a week later

[DiMarco]

[quote name='Pukie' timestamp='1460983072' post='3030348']
Just curious, perhaps you guys (or anyone else who cares to post their signal chain) can elaborate... as to what each element of the chain bring to the party?
I mean a compressor compresses Ok, but the Tech21 shapes the tone, but doesn't the amp do that as well? . Or again, the darkglass adds tube tone but the Mesa has those anyway?
[/quote]

The compressor brings extra beef and punch, and raises the output level for the Darkglass to use. On the Darkglass I shape most of my tone, it has a D.I. out that sends my now pleasant tone to FOH if there is one. Then finally the EQ on the amp is set up to work well with on stage or room acoustics.

This way I am very flexible and can adjust both stage and FOH tone separately.

[Painy]

I'd also add that, while you can shape your sound to a certain extent just on your amp, there will always be certain sounds that it can't do on its own (after all, if an amp could do every possible sound we'd all be using the same one.
It's not just about adding more bass or mids or whatever either. The VT Bass for example gives a really aggressive punch which is more to do with how it responds to your attack and the way the note then decays than to do with any kind of EQ.
This YouTube video shows the difference it can make pretty well (whether it's to your personal taste or not obviously).

http://youtu.be/ZBKxMaWSKuU

[Pukie]

[quote name='Painy' timestamp='1461008349' post='3030636']
... if an amp could do every possible sound we'd all be using the same one...
[/quote]
Crumbs , all these years and I've never thought of that....still in my younger gigging days all you did was buy the loudest HH ,Peavey, Marshall or an Ampeg depending on what you could afford.

I have been trying to avoid You Tube in case it gave me GAS for effects... I know if I get some , in a given hours practice I'll spend 50 mins knob twiddling(!)
I'd never get my own sound as I'd be too busy trying to imitate everybody else's.

[Lord Sausage]

21 years and I've never really give a sh*t about my sound. I just plug in eq it for a min or two until it's workable. Then played.

[Marty Forrer]

Taken me 35 years to get it right. No more GAS.
Upright German carved bass, Deuce bridge, > cable > GK MB800 head > 2 x Barefaced One10 cabs. Sometimes a P with TI Flats into same rig. No effects, no compression.

[xgsjx]

[quote name='Painy' timestamp='1460895863' post='3029570']
I'd say the result was something like the punch and bite of Billy Gould's tone on The Real Thing album but with a meatier bottom end which is pretty much the description I'd have used if you'd asked me what my ideal tone would be.
[/quote]
I think turning your amp's "bass" dial 1 notch from right down would give you a meatier bottom end!
As brilliant an album as that is, I think Matt Wallace used a pair of PA subs to master it on.

Edited April 21, 2016 by xgsjx

[Painy]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1461221060' post='3032498']

I think turning your amp's "bass" dial 1 notch from right down would give you a meatier bottom end!
As brilliant an album as that is, I think Matt Wallace used a pair of PA subs to master it on.
[/quote]

Yeah I guess I could actual have just said "like Billy Gould's tone but with some bottom end".
I actually had a listen to some of the isolated bass tracks on YouTube recently expecting to hear all the low end that I assumed was buried in the mix somewhere but no, there just isn't any!!

Edited April 21, 2016 by Painy

[blue]

I'm good on tone, my fingers provide that.

However, I struggle with my sound at every gig. I can never get a proper balance of good low end bottom and high end presence to cut through the mix.

I've even turned the bass all the way off on my amp and I still hear that mushy undefined low end and not enough treble.

Years ago when I had an old school SVT I never had this problem.

Blue

Edited April 22, 2016 by blue

[xgsjx]

[quote name='Painy' timestamp='1461259804' post='3033068']
Yeah I guess I could actual have just said "like Billy Gould's tone but with some bottom end".
I actually had a listen to some of the isolated bass tracks on YouTube recently expecting to hear all the low end that I assumed was buried in the mix somewhere but no, there just isn't any!!
[/quote]
Come to think of it, Introduce Yourself has the same low end on the bass. Maybe Mr Gould was inspired by Billy Sheehan's "Talas" tone & thought "I can go one better!"?

[FuNkShUi]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1461290896' post='3033395']
I'm good on tone, my fingers provide that.

However, I struggle with my sound at every gig. I can never get a proper balance of good low end bottom and high end presence to cut through the mix.

I've even turned the bass all the way off on my amp and I still hear that mushy undefined low end and not enough treble.

Years ago when I had an old school SVT I never had this problem.

Blue
[/quote]

What is your gigging rig at the moment Blue?

[PaulWarning]

of course another consideration is as you get older the hearing goes, usually the treble, so what you think it sounds like and what it actually does may not be the same thing, I know when I got my hearing aids I it took me a year before I accepted that I really was missing that much treble, even now I set my sound with the hearing aids in then take them out to put ear plugs in (which cuts even more treble) and it takes a lot of willpower to stop messing about with the EQ

[blue]

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1461308896' post='3033440']


What is your gigging rig at the moment Blue?
[/quote]

I have several amps, however I've been gigging with my GK combo with one 15 and a horn. The horn is always off, I don't think our board likes it. And there's my pedals, I don't know if that could be part of my oroblem.

Blue

Edited April 22, 2016 by blue

[blue]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1461314780' post='3033528']
of course another consideration is as you get older the hearing goes, usually the treble, so what you think it sounds like and what it actually does may not be the same thing, I know when I got my hearing aids I it took me a year before I accepted that I really was missing that much treble, even now I set my sound with the hearing aids in then take them out to put ear plugs in (which cuts even more treble) and it takes a lot of willpower to stop messing about with the EQ
[/quote]

Now that you mention It, that could very well be the major part of this problem.

Even people voices sound muffled to me now.

Blue

Edited April 22, 2016 by blue