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Post subject: amp vs instrument boost/cut settings
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 4:59 pm
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A general question for active instrument players. I recently bought my first amp to have boost/cut settings (treble/mid/lo-mid/bass). I have an active jazz and the amp has a dedicated active input so my question is: What are the pros/cons of using the bass vs the amp for eq settings. What I've done so far is set the amp fairly flat and use the 3-band eq on the bass to control things. But is this the best approach? The amp is a GK (which I'm loving so far), in case it matters.


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Post subject: Re: amp vs instrument boost/cut settings
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 6:20 pm
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Play around with both, whichever comes out the best to you should be your choice...I set the eq on my amp, then set the bass flat.

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Post subject: Re: amp vs instrument boost/cut settings
Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 10:21 am
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My setup is to leave the Bassman 250-210 amp controls alone after a good country sound is obtained using one of my P-Basses. Then I use the controls on the Fender Power Jazz Bass Special to tailor the sound through the amp for Smooth Jazz or Christian Rock sounds using the Ibanez Soundgear GSR200. Since the PJBS and GSR200 are both active, my only change on the amp is to hit the active/passive reduction button.

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Post subject: Re: amp vs instrument boost/cut settings
Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 11:09 am
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Here's my suggestion. It's a little complex but here it goes.

Set you bass tone controls either flat or bass and treble booster. Set your amp tone controls where you like them. My thought behind this is that it's easy for knobs to be bumped and then you'll have to find where they were set again with is kind of a pain. Then set your amp for a tone that you like. Since I have training as an audio engineer this is where things get odd. I'd run a Semi-perimetric EQ through your amp's effect loop. I'd start with that set flat then starting at the lowest band I would crank the boost then while playing run through the range of frequencies. There will be some that sound good. Ignore them. When you find the area that sounds bad find the center of that set of frewuencies and cut it. Then do the same with the other 3 bands.

The idea behind this is to compensate for any boomyness or thinness in the sound of the room combined with the sound of your bass to make your sound at least good no matter where you are playing.

I hope that wasn't too complex.

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Post subject: Re: amp vs instrument boost/cut settings
Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 7:58 am
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i leave the control on my head fairly flat -voice circuits off, mid flat, treble slightly cut, bass slightly bumped.... then i use the tone settings on my bass when on stage.... if i find i am getting lost in the mix a bit, or if i find my G string just doesnt cut through, then i can reach down and adjust while playing.... something i couldn't do if i had to walk over to my amp and start playing with knobs.... as we all know... it's tough to be a one-handed bassist....

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Post subject: Re: amp vs instrument boost/cut settings
Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 10:49 am
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I tend to keep the eg fairly flat on my amp. Maybe boost the low or hi mids depending on the room. Everything else I control from my bass, so I do not have to go back and forth fiddling with the amp.

With my current gig I need to go from finger style to slap. On my Sadowsky basses, the EG is boost only. So I keep the treble flat and boost the bass just a bit. Everything else I control using the VTC (Vintage Tone Control) which is a passive treble roll off. So for finger style I roll of the the treble using the VTC, for slap I add hi end back in. Again, doing everything from bass, not the amp.

For my '72 Jazz which is passive, I sort of do the same thing. For finger style I have the bridge PU slightly boosted more then the neck PU, and I roll off the treble. For slap, both PUs equal and I roll in treble as needed. Again, doing everything from the bass not the amp.

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Post subject: Re: amp vs instrument boost/cut settings
Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 12:26 pm
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I think Amps will always win over the boost. More power and adjustability.


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Post subject: Re: amp vs instrument boost/cut settings
Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 6:08 pm
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I am just an old sound guy who has mixed so many basses in the last 40 years that I see them in my sleep. And that is a good thing since I play bass too. But what I normally do with a guy who hasn't had much experience with an active guitar is to tell him to get both of them flat as possible first. Then we start adjusting. And we always leave the compressor OFF until his next show. That way the next sound guy can deal with that nightmare. (The story of the compressor is best left for another day)
But when you start with both guitar & amp flat, you have a clean signal path. Generally, I will try to get the player to make small adjustments to the amp by cutting the EQ. This will keep the amp input clean. Then when we are fairly happy with this as a starting point, he can go to experimenting with the guitar controls. I would much rather hear him boost signals at the guitar than at the amp. The IM distortion will be less offensive that way. And you can make the axe growl without making the amp puke. Of course, you might like it the other way. In which case, ROCK ON!


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Post subject: Re: amp vs instrument boost/cut settings
Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:10 am
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For my 2 cents, the manual with my Ampeg SVT 6-Pro said to turn everything wide open on the guitar and make all adjustments on the amp head. It has considerably more tone shaping capability anyway. That's how i do it.


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Post subject: Re: amp vs instrument boost/cut settings
Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 8:41 am
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Essentially, a passive bass is flat and 0db when the controls are set at full since a passive bass doesn't boost anything. An active instrument will have boost capability and all too often they are boosted into pretty severe intermodulation distortion. It is the seasoned player who has found his sound at a more reasonable EQ setting.

I love old SVT's. And the new ones ain't so bad either. My old black face Bassman is sweet too.


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