High pass filter with my EUB

[JimmyN2]

Here’s a question: Would an HPF be of benefit in my signal chain?  I use an Ibanez WUB804 and Mark Bass CMD121P. 
 

[NickA]

The markbass already has a fixed hpf built in.  An external one might be more tweakable, but unlikely to make much difference.  If you're suffering from "boom" move the amp away from any walls and maybe raise it up a bit..and there's always the bass knob of the eq to turn down.

 

[JimmyN2]

Thanks Nick. I didn’t realise that the MarkBass II had an HPF built in. I was looking in the instructions but couldn’t see it referenced in the specifications.  So away from the wall and perhaps on a chair.  I usually have the bass eq at 10, the low mid at 11 and the high mid and treble at 1 o’clock. 

[Jakester]

17 hours ago, NickA said:

The markbass already has a fixed hpf built in.  An external one might be more tweakable, but unlikely to make much difference.  If you're suffering from "boom" move the amp away from any walls and maybe raise it up a bit..and there's always the bass knob of the eq to turn down.

 

I have the same amp. A Thumpinator made a lot of difference.

[Downunderwonder]

I haven't played any amp that didn't sound better for my HPF, and moreso with EUBs that seem to have prodigious lows.

 

Generally speaking a HPF gives a far better tailoring to the low end because the bass EQ is free from needing cutting.

 

You might find your bass knob winds up at 12 or even 1pm with a far more even tone than you could ever get without HPF.

[JimmyN2]

On 22/04/2023 at 16:01, Jakester said:

I have the same amp. A Thumpinator made a lot of difference.

Thinking of ordering one, so please tell a bit or lot more.

 

cheers

Jim

[NickA]

On 22/04/2023 at 07:22, JimmyN2 said:

I didn’t realise that the MarkBass II had an HPF built in.

Whole threads on this topic.  EG:

 

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/456879-heads-with-built-in-high-pass-filters/page/1/

 

A lot of double bass players use some kind of pre-pre ( eg that Stan Clarke EBS jobbie), they have nice features like a moveable notch filter that will eliminate an annoying room resonance and so on ..plus acting as a DI box and having a guaranteed piezo friendly input impedance.  Bit of a Swiss army knife for sound tweaking.

 

I've not bothered... Checked my pjb flight case's spec sheet and found it has 4.7MOhm input and a 40Hz HPF already... but the notch filter might be useful. 

 

Basically, you don't need one but might like one if feeling a bit tweaky.

[Jakester]

4 hours ago, JimmyN2 said:

Thinking of ordering one, so please tell a bit or lot more.

 

cheers

Jim

Here’s my thread - I was using it to reduce feedback on a DB:

 

 

 

However, the Thumpinator has a pretty aggressive and complex filter compared to something like a Broughton HPF - the sfx is 36db/octave, and the Broughton 12db. 
 

For me, it really reduced stage rumble which was causing feedback. For an EUB, it may not have that benefit because there’s little to no acoustic feedback. However, it will still tighten up the sound generally and potentially give you more headroom by reducing very low/muddy frequencies which eat up your amp’s power. 

[Downunderwonder]

Thumpinator is very limited in its functionality. You are way better off with a proper adjusting knee filter like FDeck. 

[JimmyN2]

Thanks chaps, plenty to mull over.
I think that given the volume our sax players provide and the drummer with a loud kick drum, despite being dampened, I will continue to hear over extension of my speaker (flapping) when playing hard. 
I’ll buy British and get a Thumpinator. 
 

Have a good day!

[Jakester]

17 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

Thumpinator is very limited in its functionality. You are way better off with a proper adjusting knee filter like FDeck. 

Fdecks aren’t available in the UK. 

[Mottlefeeder]

I've heard that some members of Talkbass are happy to buy kit for you in the US and ship it here as a 'present'. 

The alternatives are the Vong kit, now out of production, or a home brew build of the FDeck - there is a stripboard layout for that on the web 

David

[Downunderwonder]

1 hour ago, Jakester said:

Fdecks aren’t available in the UK. 

They are if you get one built or build one yourself from the free schematic or get one from the saint on talkbass who does a free middleman service. Or there are other similar products.

[BreadBin]

Is this any use?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125715736717

 

Or this?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175575162404

Edited April 25, 2023 by BreadBin

[JimmyN2]

1 hour ago, BreadBin said:

Is this any use?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125715736717

 

Or this?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175575162404

Thanks BreadBin, I did look at those as well as the Broughton.  

However, I have ordered a Thumpinator and will let you all know how I get on. Like my Cali76 it’s British made and that’s important for me.

[Jakester]

2 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

They are if you get one built or build one yourself from the free schematic or get one from the saint on talkbass who does a free middleman service. Or there are other similar products.

Like a Thumpinator…🙄

[Downunderwonder]

4 hours ago, Jakester said:

Like a Thumpinator…🙄

Thunpinator only takes out 30hz and below. Not the same thing at all. Depending on the room my HPF is working at 70hz sometimes.

[Beer of the Bass]

Yeah, they're aiming to do a slightly different job. The Thumpinator is intended to take out the literal subsonic content below the fundamental frequency of the notes. But double bass piezo pickups also put out more low end in the audible bass range than the bass does acoustically, and a more gently sloping HPF set higher is a useful tool to control that.

[TheRev]

5 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

Thunpinator only takes out 30hz and below. Not the same thing at all. Depending on the room my HPF is working at 70hz sometimes.

On big stages, I usualy start at 80Hz and turn it down only if I'm really missing the low end.  I send a pre-HPF signal to the FOH, so it's just my onstage monitoring that gets the HPF treatment.

 

The Rafferty unit is probably based on the FDeck, but it doesn't say what the imput impedance is, which is critical for piezo pickups.

[BreadBin]

1 hour ago, TheRev said:

On big stages, I usualy start at 80Hz and turn it down only if I'm really missing the low end.  I send a pre-HPF signal to the FOH, so it's just my onstage monitoring that gets the HPF treatment.

 

The Rafferty unit is probably based on the FDeck, but it doesn't say what the imput impedance is, which is critical for piezo pickups.

Rafferty have a group page on FB, I'm going to join and ask some questions I think.

[JimmyN2]

My Thumpinator 2 arrived Friday morning in time for me to try it out at a charity gig in the early afternoon. I wasn’t aware of any difference whilst playing but the recording I made showed what a game changer it is. No longer is my EUB muddied out by the kick drum. 
 

The Thumpinator is clearly superior to the amp’s inbuilt HPF, and if makes that much difference to an EUB I’d imagine a huge difference to a DB. 
 

Thanks everyone for your helpful thoughts. 
 

Jimmy

[JPJ]

I’m a huge Thumpinator fan. Cleans up the sound without ‘changing’ the sound if you know what I mean. Mines the last pedal on my board before my amp, and I use it with electric bass, fretless bass, EUB, and acoustic bass. 

[fleabag]

Mine's first in the chain, so none of my pedals get that low unwanted Hz first off.