Conan Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 [quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1395914527' post='2407808'] 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? [/quote] Totally! If I have a bit of a cold, or hay fever symptoms I find that I have to boost the top end significantly to be able to hear it. I wouldn't do this at a gig, as it would obviously affect the out-front sound (we rarely play through a big PA) but at a rehearsal it helps me to be able to hear myself clearly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 (edited) [quote name='JellyKnees' timestamp='1395913181' post='2407789'] 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. [/quote] Yes. I think my first amp had bass and treble. The second had 4 frequency eq. Then I bought a Trace GP7 which has 7 band graphic, two 'shapes' and compression as far as I can remember. My Warwick is 4 band with bass boost and treble boost buttons. The compression is just a level control with on/off switch. It's usually set flat but I'll push one of the mids under certain room conditions. The compression is about 3. My active bass also sometimes sees the mid pushed a touch. But usually everything is flat. But then I have tweeter control which I dial back completely on one cab when I'm using both the 2x10s and just a touch when using one cab. The bass boost you get when adding the second cab doesn't really need anything done to. Edited March 27, 2014 by TimR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1395912759' post='2407784'] 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. [/quote] Yes! Thank you for being sensible....all amps even those with no EQ have bass mid and treble. Set these at the mid point and voila! A flat setting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skychaserhigh Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Don't get sucked into the flat eq thing , It's nonsense. If you want to hear your bass with flat eq then don't plug it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 [quote name='skychaserhigh' timestamp='1395995011' post='2408664'] Don't get sucked into the flat eq thing , It's nonsense.[/quote] Really? In what way is it "nonsense"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skychaserhigh Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Because as soon as you plug it into something It's affected by circuitry , speakers etc etc so It's no longer flat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 [quote name='skychaserhigh' timestamp='1395997062' post='2408699'] Because as soon as you plug it into something It's affected by circuitry , speakers etc etc so It's no longer flat. [/quote] Sorry mate, but are you not being a bit picky here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dincz Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 [quote name='Bolo' timestamp='1395911375' post='2407767'] Roll back the bass and treble: viola! Mid boost! [/quote] Doesn't sound anything like a viola! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skychaserhigh Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 [quote name='ubit' timestamp='1395997316' post='2408704'] Sorry mate, but are you not being a bit picky here [/quote]I'm not the one being picky ! I'm saying your bass isn't flat plugged in. I turn the knobs until I get the sound I like and that works. Imagine if sound engineers didn't use eq at live gigs or on recordings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 (edited) [quote name='skychaserhigh' timestamp='1395997626' post='2408709'] I'm not the one being picky ! I'm saying your bass isn't flat plugged in. I turn the knobs until I get the sound I like and that works. Imagine if sound engineers didn't use eq at live gigs or on recordings. [/quote] Read my post above. It's flat. You're talking about transparent. They're entirely different things. Edited March 28, 2014 by TimR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skychaserhigh Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Call it what you like but if it doesn't sound good then It's pointless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 [quote name='skychaserhigh' timestamp='1395998948' post='2408743'] Call it what you like but if it doesn't sound good then It's pointless. [/quote] It's not 'what I like', they're industry standard terms. Go looking for a mixer with 'flat' preamps and see how far you get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skychaserhigh Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1395999260' post='2408750'] It's not 'what I like', they're industry standard terms. Go looking for a mixer with 'flat' preamps and see how far you get. [/quote] Yes I know that , I've already pointed out I don't agree with the flat eq thing and about sound engineers etc . Read my post on previous page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 [quote name='dincz' timestamp='1395997341' post='2408705'] Doesn't sound anything like a viola! [/quote] Aaargh! caught out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 [quote name='skychaserhigh' timestamp='1395997626' post='2408709'] I'm not the one being picky ! I'm saying your bass isn't flat plugged in. I turn the knobs until I get the sound I like and that works. Imagine if sound engineers didn't use eq at live gigs or on recordings. [/quote] Yeah but that same sound engineer could slide all his sliders to the centre detent and that is a flat eq. I.E. no bias on bass or treble. I can't see what we are disagreeing about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skychaserhigh Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 And if the sound engineer set his sliders flat at a gig how would it sound ? Pretty terrible I'd imagine ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Yes, but what we are saying is you set your BASS amp EQ as flat and that gives you more pronounced mids and therefore a better sound for being heard in the mix. I used your sound engineer as an example. I see what you are saying that your amp will colour your sound as soon as its plugged in, but you can alter that sound by setting your EQ to flat which I do. It gives me a much better sound than I used to have years ago when I had a scooped mids EQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 (edited) - Edited February 19, 2022 by Jus Lukin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1395997866' post='2408716'] Read my post above. It's flat. You're talking about transparent. They're entirely different things. [/quote] No. Flat means no EQ applied. That isn't the same as setting all the EQ controls to their centre positions. For a start on a passive system the position with the least effect will be with the control at one end of its travel, and secondly the rest of the amp circuitry will be applying tonal changes to the signal. If it didn't all amps would sound the same and there would be no point in choosing one amp over another other than you preferred the look of it. Finally "transparent" when it comes to audio circuits is even more meaningless as even single competent added into the signal chain affects the sound in some way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Ok, I take on board what you are saying but the op was about flat EQ which is a different term to flat signal. We all know what someone means when they sat flat EQ, so I can't for the life of me understand what all the fuss is about. I think maybe we should look to my profile pic to put this in perspective Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 [quote name='ubit' timestamp='1396002112' post='2408798'] Ok, I take on board what you are saying but the op was about flat EQ which is a different term to flat signal. [b]We all know what someone means when they sat flat EQ[/b], so I can't for the life of me understand what all the fuss is about. I think maybe we should look to my profile pic to put this in perspective [/quote] Yes, they mean "I put the controls on my amp to their centre positions", which is a fairly meaningless concept. Plug your bass into an SVT and put the controls to the centre position. Have a listen. Then plug the same bass into a Hartke LH500 and put the controls to the centre position. The end results will sound completely and utterly different. "Flat EQ" on Amp A sounds different to "Flat EQ" on Amp B. Its what it sounds like that matters, not what arbitrary position you've set the controls to. A more correct question would be "who has found an amp whose default tonestack suits you?". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Yes I understand that, but what I am saying, and I think the op is, is that amp A, say an Ampeg, will get a different sound with flat eq than it will with scooped mids. Amp B, the Hartke, will also, whilst giving a different original sound, have a different sound with flat EQ and with scooped mids. No one is saying a flat EQ will give you the same sound through the board no matter what amp you are using. Any amp will cut through the mix better with an EQ set to a flat setting or even with pushed mids. The traditional happy face setting is great on its own, but try that in a loud band situation and you will get mud out front Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Thirty all. Skychaserhigh to serve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 New balls, please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Is there really any point in going over and over this anyway? I like a flat EQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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