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I'm fed up


chris_b
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Last night for the first time I took the A team to the jam, Thunderfunk and Bergantino cabs, and had to sit there watching while this 20 something kid got about a 500% better tone out of my rig that I've ever got!

This has really bugged me! I've been depressed ever since.

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Sometimes my guitarist has a jam on my bass (its a fair swap, I have a bash on his guitar and make everyone have a laugh at my expense) he always sounds better but I think its a point of view thing. For example the age old penis size conundrum where it looks smaller from the wielders point of view. You get to stand back an listen to your amp from the audience point of view.

Nowadays I get the drummer to adjust my tone in sound checks because I can't get the sonic perspective right when I'm trying to play and twiddle knobs at the same time.

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[quote name='El Bajo' post='797700' date='Apr 6 2010, 04:08 PM']For example the age old penis size conundrum where it looks smaller from the wielders point of view.[/quote]

:)

I read this as 'it looks smaller from the welders point of view'. WTF!?

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[quote name='discreet' post='797703' date='Apr 6 2010, 04:12 PM']This! Like hearing your voice on tape for the first time... it's not the same.[/quote]



Yep, that's it!

I did a gig with my old Hartke rig ages ago and couldn't get a sound i liked on stage, did the gig regardless and got compliments off 2 good bass players in the audience. Apparently it sounded huge 20ft away yet was muffled on stage, there's me trying about 500 eq settings and looking like a fussy idiot!

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Yeah, I know we all sound different out front. I even had people coming up to me at the end last night complementing me on my sound. I would be one really happy bunny if I sounded as good as this other player though!

He was using a Musicman SR5 something, don't know what, but he had a huge, I mean huge, sound. A bigger sound that I ever got out my old SR5! My cabs have never worked so hard, but wow did they sound good. He might have had the piezo model but I don't know.

I guess one thing that shook me up was that I now realise I've been resting on my laurels for too long. I need to be looking over my shoulder, checking out what these youngsters are up to!!

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Recently I got one of those Line 6 wireless jobbies as I was fed up getting my feet tangled in leads on stage. This allowed me to go right out front during soundchecks to check out the balance of the band and I have to say it was a revelation to standing up on stage. The way the bass sat in the mix was a little overpowering so I have since dialled out some lows and in some lower mids which has worked wonders - but on stage I thought the old sound was better.

Edited by alanbass1
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[quote name='alanbass1' post='797880' date='Apr 6 2010, 06:43 PM']Recently I got one of those Line 6 wireless jobbies as I was fed up getting my feet tangled in leads on stage. This allowed me to go right out front during soundchecks to check out the balance of the band and I have to say it was a revelation to standing up on stage. The way the bass sat in the mix was a little overpowering so I have since dialled out some lows and in some lower mids which has worked wonders - but on stage I thought the old sound was better.[/quote]

I say go wireless too! I bought a fairly cheap wireless kit just for using at soundchecks, really helps with finding out how the whole band sounds, not just the bass.

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Yep, this old conundrum. I get fed up twiddling my EQ for what seems to be ages, thinking I've nailed it, then standing out front and realising I sould like crap. What follows then is 20 minutes of me walking to and from my amp, twisting everyone up in my leads as I go, trying in vain to guess what to adjust. I wish someone would do a remote control for a bass amp EQ! Can't be that hard, surely? Would allow me to stand way back and fiddle around whilst the band played, hence I could get it spot on! What really annoys me about this whole process, is that the gig venues seem to have more of a variation on the sound of my bass than any of the other instruments in the band. The others usually just need to toy with their level a bit, whilst I'm tearing my hair out trying to get 'that sound'. Carpet, no carpet, high ceilings, low ceilings, wood floor, slate floor, stage, how many people are in the audience..... the variables are huge.

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I used to just set everything flat.... now I dial in a little bit of mid but I don't know why. To be honest I have no idea what I'm doing. The best sound is to be had by pressing the button on my Ashdown amp that cuts out all the EQ and dials in some fixed preset thing. It's just a bass... the point is to make things shake :)

I have no idea why nobody makes amps with two knobs... input gain and master volume. That and one of those Precisions with only a volume knob... perfect!!

Edited by thepurpleblob
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[quote name='cameltoe' post='798017' date='Apr 6 2010, 08:59 PM']The others usually just need to toy with their level a bit, whilst I'm tearing my hair out trying to get 'that sound'. Carpet, no carpet, high ceilings, low ceilings, wood floor, slate floor, stage, how many people are in the audience..... the variables are huge.[/quote]

I *think* the issue is that bass wavelengths are much nearer the size of a room, so weird interference patterns, resonances and suchlike are much more pronounced than higher frequency instruments. Could be talking bollox mind you!

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[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='798035' date='Apr 6 2010, 09:09 PM']I *think* the issue is that bass wavelengths are much nearer the size of a room, so weird interference patterns, resonances and suchlike are much more pronounced than higher frequency instruments. Could be talking bollox mind you![/quote]


Well said Professor Blob- b.m.a, a.a., b.d.s, r.a.c.

Jez- t.i.t.

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[quote name='jezzaboy' post='798042' date='Apr 6 2010, 09:14 PM']Well said Professor Blob- b.m.a, a.a., b.d.s, r.a.c.

Jez- t.i.t.[/quote]

I'm never entirely sure if you're taking the p*ss or not :) I was going to say that we'd need to go for a beer some time then I remembered I don't drink!! I'll need to come and see your band then!

H.

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On a similar vien. A few weeks ago we had a dep drummer and he was brilliant! He told us the last time he depped, the bands usual drummer was at a rehersal to tell him how to play the parts. The dep started to play and right away it was obvious to everyone that he was much better than the band`s drummer.

After playing a couple of songs, the guitarist turned and said to the usual drummer, "ever felt that someone has just shag*ed your wife?"

Jez :)

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[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='798035' date='Apr 6 2010, 09:09 PM']I *think* the issue is that bass wavelengths are much nearer the size of a room, so weird interference patterns, resonances and suchlike are much more pronounced than higher frequency instruments. Could be talking bollox mind you![/quote]


A1+. Room size plays a big part on how you or the audience perceive the sound. Together with where you place your cab.

As an example go listen to a good church organ, (pipe or electric). Stand near the pipes or speakers and you wonder where the lows have gone. If you can get 32 feet away from it, it all comes together. OK I know we don't have the low 32ft pipe in our hands but the principle is the same.

BASS NEEDS SPACE.

If you don't have a good sound man do as suggested earlier in the thread and use wireless to get some distance away for your sound check

Edited by gelfin
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Chris, I wonder where you thought the problem might reside...?

Better bass tone..? as the amp & cabs is the same. And things can't be bad if people are often complementing you on your sound..maybe they mean your playing..??
Did he use different EQ on the amp...?

FWIW, I always had a very defined tone on my old regular bass and I thought it could be very good at times...but it could be hard work getting it and often a bit hit and miss.
Now, I have two new basses, ( new to me, that is ) that just plug in and go... I don't have to do much. I might want to change the sound for something more suitable and to my tastes for that gig, but the core tone on both is excellent.
I bought one of them on the strenght of plugging straight into an amp in the shop..and I was pretty well hooked. I needed to get the playing action to suit, but the sound is just there. Funnily enough both my basses run East retro deluxe thingey pre's..but sound quite different. They sound good passive as well...but the pre is something else..
I think people complement me now for the sound..but say, great playing...?? means the same thing to them, maybe.
This has prompted me to get rid of a custom build I've had for 17 odd years or so...??????

Time to look at the core sound of your bass IMV.. it isn't likely to be your rig... unless he did something fundementally different. IMO..

Edited by JTUK
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[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='798028' date='Apr 6 2010, 09:04 PM']I have no idea why nobody makes amps with two knobs... input gain and master volume. That and one of those Precisions with only a volume knob... perfect!![/quote]

Like a bass version of this then?

[url="http://www.bonnersmusic.co.uk/buy/Epiphone/Valve_Junior_Amplifier_Head"]http://www.bonnersmusic.co.uk/buy/Epiphone..._Amplifier_Head[/url]

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[quote name='allighatt0r' post='798949' date='Apr 7 2010, 04:57 PM']Like a bass version of this then?

[url="http://www.bonnersmusic.co.uk/buy/Epiphone/Valve_Junior_Amplifier_Head"]http://www.bonnersmusic.co.uk/buy/Epiphone..._Amplifier_Head[/url][/quote]

Brilliant.... don't you think the on/off switch is a bit indulgent though??

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