Note Tone in my Bass

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Wulf Forrester-Barker on December 23, 2010 at 8:11am

A Bass Pod will have plenty of options for perfecting the sound. I used to use the SABDDI unit Bull mentioned all the time but, since getting the Bass Pod, it now only comes out if I need a DI.

 

Wulf

Permalink Reply by Toni on December 25, 2010 at 2:54pm

Interesting. My suggestion would be to ditch the POD unless you're very sure you can set it up correctly (the fact that you've asked this question suggests that you are having problems in this area).

Permalink Reply by Wayne Pau on December 26, 2010 at 7:19am

But he could plug some headphones into the Bass POD and compare it to what is coming out of the FOH. It could be a set-up, wiring issue. Maybe the church mains can't take the low-end or the cross-overs are shot. Maybe the EQ on the mainboard is out or signal is not hot enough, etc.

 

Sure it's one more thing that could go wrong, but it's another spot in the signal change you can insepect. That's harder to do with just a DI.

Permalink Reply by Ben Aguilar on December 26, 2010 at 2:26pm

would an active bass also help with the sound 

 

Permalink Reply by Wayne Pau on December 26, 2010 at 5:32pm

Ben, yes it *could*, depending on the root problem, but I don't think you should go that route yet. If you have 4 string Jazz, I've heard more than enough great music live and recorded with that combination.

 

Maybe not as famous as James Jamerson's P-Bass sound, but it's pretty "standard" configuration. Adam Clayton, Flea, Mark Hoppus, John Paul Jones, Geddy Lee, Sting, Jaco Pastorius, etc etc all have used that configuration at one time on a famous recording.

 

The root of the matter is you probably have a little technique issue, an AV guy issue or signal line issue (or maybe a little of all 3). You should nail down what it is, before you make any changes.

 

The actives will be hotter. However many of my "good" Bass-player friends still carry a P-bass in their arsenal because they love the 'raw-ness'. You can get some great dyanmics with passives-single coils.

 

We used to have a saying "garbage-in", "garbage-out". However I don't think it's the bass that's the issue. (Unless it's a set-up). Nail down what the issue is now, and if you still want actives, then you can do it later.

 

;) If actives were the answer, don't you think everyone would have them. (There is a a genre of music that puts EMG in everything... but aside from them...)

Permalink Reply by Ben Aguilar on December 27, 2010 at 12:23am

ok thnks Wayne

Permalink Reply by Mike Fleming on December 23, 2010 at 8:22am

I recommend that you ask your worship leader and your soundman to work with you and help you to refine the sound. After all, they're the ones that have a problem with your tone, so they should be the ones to help you fix it.

Permalink Reply by Jon Wolske on January 19, 2011 at 3:39am

In this case, I would recommend the scientific method be applied. Change ONE thing at a time and see what the end result is. 

 

This is what I would do:

Bass into direct box into mixer.

Set EQ on mixer channel FLAT. 

Play with the tone knob on your bass and see what it sounds like through the system. 

 

In my experience, most basses (even a cheapo passive 5 string I used as my main axe for years) sound decent direct into a PA, providing that the PA is set up correctly (to reproduce sounds without a whole lot of coloration). 

 

If that sounds decent, then add the POD and see if that is the issue. I've found that the POD can produce some very good tones, but can also be a nasty little bugger if anything is adjusted too much. 

If it's the POD sound that needs a tweak, I would:

 

Go to your favorite setting.

Set the EQ flat (everything on 5) and work from there

A little tiny bump in the Low can add body, but a slight boost in the Mid (may have to work to find the right frequency to sit in the mix - if that is an option) 

It's my opinion that a Jazz shouldn't need too much of a bump in the Highs, but I also know from recording experience that a tone that sounds a little too zingy to my ears often sounds nice and clear on tape or live in a band setting.

 

If it's there, dump the smiley face (on the sound system or bass rig), it doesn't do any good anywhere (Home stereos are often set up to have a natural response curve that is a smiley, so people think that boosted bass and highs must be right for everything....)

 

I recently spent some time with my praise teams bassist to dial in a sound that works (similar instance, was very muddy) and it has helped a lot!

 

Permalink Reply by Dave Longenecker on July 12, 2011 at 1:33pm

Hi Ben,

 

Have you had any luck getting the problem resolved?

 

Another thought is that the issue might just simply be a problem with the acoustics of your church.

I have a major problem with the acoustics at my church: the overall highs, mids and low mids of the total sound spectrum of the Worship Team in the church is excellent, BUT - the bass frequencies of the church produce nothing but a boomy, inarticulate drone with a long decay. VERY FRUSTRATING!   I find that I often have to play much simpler, and put a lot of spaces in my bass lines.  I am one of two bassists in our Worship Teams (we have two WTs) and I listen to the other bassist play - he is an amazing player, but when a bassline gets complicated, it sounds great up close, or even a few yards away, but it gets completely muddied and indecipherable from about halfway down the church to the back.  Bass lines that sound good up close just sound like a truck shifting gears from the back of the church.  MAN!!!  But, I have noticed that long notes on ballads actually work very well in this acoustic. The 'droning' effect seems to actually add weight to the sound of a long note in a ballad, whereas it muddies anything else.

 

Hmm... a lot of venting - sorry about that - but anyway - possibly the problem is just the acoustics of your church and you can do something about that with slight adjustments to your playing.

Permalink Reply by Ben Aguilar on July 13, 2011 at 2:07pm

true but i just got a presision bass and it sounds amazing!!!

 

Permalink Reply by Toni on July 13, 2011 at 2:29pm

I've just started using a budget P type fitted with a decent pickup and flats recently. It's all about the fat, growly lower-mids now, and less clanky than a Jazz. Picking position makes a huge difference too.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page