Boosting EQ sounding better?

[SwamiRob]

Perhaps it's just the controls lying where I need them on most of the amps I've owned, but I've always found that pretty much most amps I've used (and actually liked) have sounded better by boosting the EQ pretty much across the board from a little to alot, and compensating by having less gain. I'm aware that as a general rule of thumb you should be cutting out the bits you don't want and having more gain, but there always seems to be more life to my tone when I do the opposite.

Does anyone else find this to be the case? If - even on a wide ranging 7 band EQ or something, the EQ controls are at frequencies I happen to like the sound at - is it in effect creating peaks in places that make my tone sound better to me? Or is it a matter of the EQ creating subtle distortion that could sound good? In any case I very rarely cut anything unless it's on an amp I don't particularly like and I'm trying to dig out the bits that are causing it to sound so offensive, i.e. mega highs on a very scoopy amp or something.

Also, from an engineering perspective, on nearly all high quality gear, apart from stuff with passive tone stacks or whatever, nearly all EQ circuitry has the option to boost as well as cut, so there must be a useful function to boosting frequencies, as opposed to cutting out bits you don't like?

[BassBus]

You said it. If you can boost a frequency it must be there for a reason. I don't think there are any shoulds or shouldn'ts when it comes to tone. You do what you want, if you like it go with it. I know of a bass player who boosts the bass and treble on his bass to maximum. Not what I would choose but he likes it even though it goes against all the "rules". Other players and sound engineers seem to like it too so I think that throws the rule book out the window.

[Lozz196]

Do whatever fits the bands sound the best. I do the Basschat-Sin of scooping the mids, yet I don`t think anyone hearing my band would describe my sound as not having any definition or not cutting through. It`s all dependent on the bass/amp/cab, and then of course all of the other instruments in the band as well.

[skychaserhigh]

If it sounds good then it is good.
Don't worry about 'rules' , do what works for you.

[SwamiRob]

Yeah that's what I thought, was wondering if anyone could give any explanation, but I'm probably not gonna be told otherwise because no matter how many times I've tried it's never sounded as good.

Also if you wanna scoop, scoop, sometimes it does actually fit very well depending how you do it and what for, obviously it does also sound god awful and in totally the wrong situation and it comes out as a in audible harsh mess, but if you actually cut out the bits of midrange with a bit of thought then it can sound good. You don't always have to cut through a mix, sometimes it sounds better to sit behind it, and intact its makes the bass more audible to do so, instead of fighting with the guitars for different mid frequencies.

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='SwamiRob' timestamp='1465764566' post='3070853']
Perhaps it's just the controls lying where I need them on most of the amps I've owned, but I've always found that pretty much most amps I've used (and actually liked) have sounded better by boosting the EQ pretty much across the board from a little to alot, and compensating by having less gain. I'm aware that as a general rule of thumb you should be cutting out the bits you don't want and having more gain, but there always seems to be more life to my tone when I do the opposite.
[/quote]

The net effect of doing this is likely to be rolling off the lows below the center frequency of the bass control (since your likely to be boosting everything else) so you might get the same effect from using some sort of HPF like the thumpinator.

Edited June 13, 2016 by bassman7755

[ras52]

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1465805352' post='3071023']
The net effect of doing this is likely to be rolling off the lows below the center frequency of the bass control (since your likely to be boosting everything else) so you might get the same effect from using some sort of HPF like the thumpinator.
[/quote]

Aren't bass and treble typically shelf EQs rather than filters? Which case boosting the bass would boost the ultra-low frequencies that a HPF would suppress.

In mixing there's a definite cut-rather-than-boost consensus, but - issues of headroom aside - this is because cutting is less likely to impose a "flavour" on the tone: but if you like the flavour that boosting gives, then boost away!

[PaulWarning]

I've found that it's very easy for something to sound better when boosting EQ simply because it's louder, louder nearly always sounds better that's another reason why it's better to cut the frequencies you don't want rather than boost the ones you do. So for instance if you're after a scooped sound just cut the centre frequencies more and leave the others flat

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1465806609' post='3071039']
Aren't bass and treble typically shelf EQs rather than filters? Which case boosting the bass would boost the ultra-low frequencies that a HPF would suppress.
[/quote]

Your right to some extent, but if your boosting everything then your still effectively cutting things outside the eq range even if its shelving albeit not as much as if it were a filter style rolloff. E.g. if you dial up 10db boost on all your tone controls [b]and then turn down the gain to volume compensate[/b] your going to be left with an effective 10db cut in the bass frequencies well below the center of the bass.

Edited June 13, 2016 by bassman7755

[Painy]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1465808765' post='3071066']
I've found that it's very easy for something to sound better when boosting EQ simply because it's louder, louder nearly always sounds better that's another reason why it's better to cut the frequencies you don't want rather than boost the ones you do. So for instance if you're after a scooped sound just cut the centre frequencies more and leave the others flat
[/quote]

Very much this. I've been spending a lot of time working on my tone recently after a complete change in gear. Kept adding a bit here and a bit there but eventually it started to sound all muddy and mushy. The problem then was when I turned the eq back down it sounded a bit weedy in comparison even though it was clearer. Simply pushing the volume up a bit to get to the same level as it had been with all the boosts in the eq soon had it sounding big and beefy again but retaining the clarity.

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1465808765' post='3071066']
I've found that it's very easy for something to sound better when boosting EQ simply because it's louder, louder nearly always sounds better that's another reason why it's better to cut the frequencies you don't want rather than boost the ones you do. So for instance if you're after a scooped sound just cut the centre frequencies more and leave the others flat
[/quote]

I think the same applies to adding more speakers of the same type, it sounds louder at the same control settings and hence sounds "better" has more heft, blah blah. I've owned a few identical cab stacks in my time and never noticed any actual sonic improvement other than the extra volume.

[project_c]

Fully context-dependent, but in general, if you boost, you are muscling in on sonic space which may already be filled by other instruments, whereas if you reduce certain frequencies, you are creating more space for everything else in the room.

In the studio, you always cut first, which allows room for everything else to fit in. This is also the reason why your tone can sound great in isolation, but disappear in a mix. When everything is pushed, and trying to occupy the same small space, the result is always terrible.

It's like trying to fit 4 fat men with luggage into a small lift. 4 thin men with minimum luggage will have far more breathing space, and a much better time generally. Losing some sonic fat and excess luggage is a good thing.

[JTUK]

Tone is one thing, gain is another so as long as you have enough gain in hand, I'm not a fan of pushing EQ..and certainly not from a graphic type set up.

IIRC, on my amps, all controls are between 10-2 as per a clock dial, with bass at 10, and treble andmids betweek 1 and 2.

This could be regarded as very peaky and bright and it probably is...but that depends on the amp.

What I practice at home with wont likely survive at a gig, but it wont be that far off.. and I enjoy the 'discipline'

[SwamiRob]

Cheers for the response, just to be clear I don't universally boost everything a lot, and will also cut a little in a frequency or two that might cause issues. If anything for the kind of loud stuff I play it seems to sit better with some boosting going on, when I cut and leave the stuff I want more of flat, I get a really dull sound, and end up having to be even louder. I seem to get more depth and transparency the way I've got used to, and can hear guitars and drums much better. Very open to trying out new stuff though, just cutting and boosting my gain hasn't really worked out for me at any point with pretty much any EQing as a general rule of thumb.