Flat EQ

[mikebass84]

I turn the eq off on my Ashdown EB head. I set my eq on my Zoom b9.1ut. This way I can always get my sound or as close to my sound as possible.
ASometimes I will adjust the eq depending on venue but for the most part it's fine

[neepheid]

Never. When the dials on my Red Sub claim to be flat, the sound is so mid heavy it sounds awful. I always, ALWAYS use the Contour control to scoop them out to a degree, the Contour is usually around half way round just to sound "normal" to me. Then I have the graphic EQ putting selected mids back in for flavour. And the Starcaster always needs a bit extra high end help, bless its old school thumpy cotton socks

Short answer: no, I never play with "flat" EQ.

[cheddatom]

[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1395776901' post='2406216']
[attachment=158592:MOMark.jpg] This has no EQ
[/quote]


Ahhh, I see, in that case I guess it will sound great in a studio, and at a portion of venues. There will be some venues where it doesn't work. Depending on whether or not you have PA support you may or may not need an EQ pedal or the like, to tailor the sound to the room

[discreet]

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1395820103' post='2406584']
GK MB500 into BF Super 12 V. As a starting point I use contour 12 o'clock, treble and high mid, cut at 10 o'clock, low mid and bass, cut at 11 o'clock. Then I set for room. I have had a year with this rig to come to this starting point. A few frustrations in that year
[/quote]

Ahh... I have an MB Fusion into a Schroeder 1212L... I think it would sound the business through a S12 too. Slightly different preamp of course, but I have contour at 10:00, treble, hi-mid, lo-mid and bass all at 12:00 for starters.
I've yet to get the master anywhere near 10:00!

Edited March 26, 2014 by discreet

[warwickhunt]

My Thunderfunk is flat 95% of the time BUT I do use the 'timbre' and 'enhance' dials which are to all intents are EQ controls but they again tweaked left/right by small increments depending on the room. However, I do tend to play with my instrument 'active' bass/treble controls boosted (effectively a mid-cut I suppose).

[ubit]

Its all down to taste isn't it? I prefer a flat EQ with the mids pushed slightly. That way I cut through the rest of the band nicely without getting boomy bass. I do admit that in my practise room, scooped mids sounds great. I just find that for a nice balance, mids have to be pushed

[Beer of the Bass]

I do wonder how many amps are close to flat even at their nominally flat settings. For a while I had both an Acoustic Image Clarus and a Markbass LM250 head, both of which are claimed to be flat with the EQ centred, and they sounded wildly different from one another.

[barkin]

I just twiddle the knobs 'til it sounds good...which usually means leaving things as they were last time I used it, and just get on with playing.

I couldn't give a rats if it's 'flat' or something else.

[Kevin Dean]

Thanks for the comments , I asked because I did a sound check with the full PA & using my wireless I went for a walk out front & couldn't believe how bad it sounded compared to when I was quite close to the rig , it sounded much better leaving everything flat .

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1395838881' post='2406885']
Thanks for the comments , I asked because I did a sound check with the full PA & using my wireless I went for a walk out front & couldn't believe how bad it sounded compared to when I was quite close to the rig , it sounded much better leaving everything flat .
[/quote]

Same has happened to me. Got a sound that sounds great on-stage, went right out front, horrible boomy sludgy mess. Now the formula is get a sound that`s twangy and middy on-stage, out front sounds great in the mix.

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1395821749' post='2406597']
This. Everything in your signal chain from how you pluck the strings to where you place the speakers in the room colours the final sound. Worrying about the position of the EQ controls on your amp is pointless.
[/quote]

Its not quite as simple as that. Yes, where you pluck the string and your pickup config is a big contributor to the overall effective EQ of the sound but unlike externally applied EQ (e.g. the amp) they effect all notes more or less equally. In other words if say you pluck the string nearer the bridge then all notes will get a high harmonic content boost whereas if you add treble at amp you will end up boosting the upper content of low notes and mid harmonics of high notes.

Hence I think a lot of people can benefit trying to get the basics of their tone "at source" from the fingers/string/pickup rather than trying to beat the tone into submission using extreme EQ settings on the amp.

[lee4]

[quote name='PTB' timestamp='1395771584' post='2406108']
I also use a MarkBass head with a Barefaced S12 and leave the eq knobs at noon and the filters mostly off.

As others have said, I doubt that is truly flat: instead, it's the signature sound of the amp & I like it. I also appreciate the lack of fiddling involved in getting a good sound.
[/quote]
MB head through a Zoot 2x12.The EQ is flat as Norfolk,with just a cut in the high mids.

[icastle]

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1395782719' post='2406348']
Ditto. I also switch the bass I take out with me; depending on the band, the type of venue, colour of shirt I'm wearing or any other whim.
[/quote]

I'll switch basses, but only depending on band - I have slightly less fashion sense than someone without any at all.

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1395782719' post='2406348']
Sometimes I run out of EQ 'fiddle time' or just get bored and stop doing it. No one ever seems to notice anyway.
[/quote]

I don't usually get that problem as I pretty much have a 'one sound fits all' sort of approach with any tweaks being done using the bass tone controls and playing position.

[VTypeV4]

There's pretty much always EQ going on with my setup. On the Trace I use both the pre-shape and graphic in conjunction with each other. On the Ashton, I use the Yamaha NE-1 before the amp. I might use the EQ on the Warwick to make subtle changes but that normally stays flat..

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1395838881' post='2406885']
Thanks for the comments , I asked because I did a sound check with the full PA & using my wireless I went for a walk out front & couldn't believe how bad it sounded compared to when I was quite close to the rig , it sounded much better leaving everything flat .
[/quote]

Your amp probably won't be totally flat- even if it were it doesn't really matter as your speaker cab won't be. Even if it was... it wouldn't be the moment you went off axis.
Put the bass through a PA too and you've got the Eq on the desk and the sound of the speakers to think about.
Haven't even mentioned the room.

[Bolo]

I keep the Aural Enhancer on the SWR at 11:00, Gain at 13:00, Master as needed and the rest at noon.

The pedal preamp is there for taste, so scoop or bump to taste. Buttons are fun, try them!

[Conan]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1395781403' post='2406318']
Just because the amp has an EQ bypass or no EQ controls at all doesn't mean the circuitry in it isn't adding some"colour" to your sound. And anyone who thinks it isn't is somewhat naïve.
[/quote]

I'm not sure "naive" is fair.

Before I joined Basschat, I didn't know this - and there are lots of gigging and non-gigging bassists who are not members here. How would they know?

There are lots of things I don't know, but that doesn't make me "naive".

I set my Hartke LH500 at what is supposed to be a fairly flat response (bass at 2, mids on full and treble at 2), which doesn't leave me any room to boost mids. So I bought an EQ pedal to add the mids that a J bass seems to need when both pickups are on full (my prefered setting).

But I don't fiddle with my EQ much, to be honest.

[Bolo]

Roll back the bass and treble: viola! Mid boost!

[ubit]

[quote name='Bolo' timestamp='1395911375' post='2407767']
Roll back the bass and treble: viola! Mid boost!
[/quote]

Totally! I have found since getting my Barefaced super twin, I have had to pull back slightly on the bass as the cab has a much fuller sound than I had with my older cab. What you hear whilst standing next to your cab is not what the people out front are going to hear. Just take a walk next time you play and you will be amazed/dismayed at what is coming out front

[cheddatom]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1395910548' post='2407753']
How would they know?
[/quote]

If you've ever tried more than one amp without adjusting the EQ you would know

[TimR]

Loads of waffle here as usual.

Flat - all the controls set at their neutral point.
Transparent or natural - an amplifier and speaker setup that changes nothing of the tone of the original source.

All amps can be set flat. If you set it flat it is flat.

Very few bass amps and cabs are transparent by their very nature.

Let's at least agree the terminology.

[JellyKnees]

I've got a little mark tube going into a barefaced bigun and it sounds best with no eq... i have the mix biased 60% towards the valve preamp so there is obviouly some colouration going on, but I've experimented with the eq/contour controls a fair bit and it definitely works best for me with no eq.

Back in the 'good' old days (which is the 80s for me), I don't recall being able to do this with any of the various bass amps I owned - they all needed some serious twidling to get a good sound out of them. Modern gear is just so much better IMHO, arguments about transparency etc. not withstanding.

[Conan]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1395912103' post='2407781']
If you've ever tried more than one amp without adjusting the EQ you would know
[/quote]

Or used more than one cab with the same amp.

I noticed this particularly when changing from a Barefaced Compact (which, to my ears, has quite a "middly" sound) to a TKS H115, which sounds a lot more "scooped" in comparison. More mid-boost needed from the bass and/or amp and/or graphic pedal.

Next cab = Barefaced Big One, which is kind of half way between the two. Hey presto - graphic pedal no longer required.

Sound is a funny thing...

[cheddatom]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1395914208' post='2407800']
Or used more than one cab with the same amp.

I noticed this particularly when changing from a Barefaced Compact (which, to my ears, has quite a "middly" sound) to a TKS H115, which sounds a lot more "scooped" in comparison. More mid-boost needed from the bass and/or amp and/or graphic pedal.

Next cab = Barefaced Big One, which is kind of half way between the two. Hey presto - graphic pedal no longer required.

Sound is a funny thing...
[/quote]

Very funny indeed! Don't chuck away your EQ just yet, you might need it to adjust to specific rooms

More than just the room changing, even your mood can change. I remember (back when I used to get to play the bass!) I would leave my amp and pedals all set the same for every practise. Sometimes it would sound amazing, sometimes it would sound rubbish. I guess sometimes you're just in the mood for it?

[ubit]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1395914208' post='2407800']

Sound is a funny thing...
[/quote]

Nothing truer mate. I have seen me with a superb sound and as the night goes on, I find I can't hear it, but your ears are funny things too because as the night progresses, your ears block out certain frequencies, so the sound you worked so painfully to achieve, has disappeared to be replaced with mud!