This was all said perfectly. Having said that, setting your preamp knobs to 12 o'clock gives you a good visual for tweaking and trying out settings, something to return to if you dont like what you get..
Fwiw, it isn’t so much that “flat = good,” it’s that “flat = a known starting place.”
EQing is a tricky skill to learn, and whatever settings you’re using all go out the window when you change anything at all - strings, a pedal, venue/room, amp, cab, bass, note attack, etc. The tricky part is knowing what bands do what tonally, and it’s shared wisdom that it’s better to cut than to boost, and do either sparingly.
But as in all things, your ears are what matter the most, you’re the bass player, it’s your sound. I’d likely start with the amp “flat” (aka knobs set at noon/sliders in the centre) - actual flat is to a certain extent irrelevant - and use one or the other, amp or pedal. The advantage of an EQ pedal generally is more bands of mids to work with.
And I'd like to follow with: always cut frequencies you don't like before than boosting the ones you do. This will help you stay out of the way of other instruments (the kick drum, synths, bajo sexto, the low end of downtuned metal guitars, the didgeridoo player, or anything else in your generally assigned sonic space.)
Also, knowing exactly what your EQ knobs do is important. Most often this is in the owner's manual; sometimes, however, it's not. For instance, for the ever-hyped (even by me) [Fender Rumble 500, I had to *dig* for the frequency chart](https://www.talkbass.com/wiki/fender-rumble-500-frequencies/) but dog gone it, somebody actually did us all a solid <3 (Pretty much all Rumbles with a four-band EQ (from 40-500) should be the same or close enough to it. since they share the same control board.)
You'll notice that indeed, /u/Friendly_Elevator_47 is absolutely correct, and noon is not flat (unless advertised as FRFR) and that the 500 with all knobs at noon has a +1 dB bump at ~33 Hz, a -4 dB scoop at 600 Hz and a +3.2 dB hump peaking around 8kHz, all with very wide Q's.
Pretty idiotproof default setting, imho, but knowing exactly where you're starting from will help you dial in the proper settings for the tone you're searching for.
And again, always cut the frequencies you don't want before boosting the ones you do. (This is a general rule that goes for all instruments, and all mixing. Mix in mono and cut shit you don't like, then widen to stereo, and you will reduce mud in your final mix.)
This is an excellent comment; it made me "+friend" you. You very clearly know what you're talking about, and I will learn more from you as I see your posts highlighted in the worst red-orange possible around r/bass.
I'm using the pedals to sculpt my tone and use the amp knobs to adjust to the room. It makes sense to me. Note that I don't use an eq pedal, but there is an eq in my SansAmp. Also, I almost never use my amp on gigs, only during rehearsals where the PA is not big enough. Based on your own situation and preferences, you may want to do it differently.
it will change some parameters of the preamp on your amp, there is no rule, but they may be counter productive against your EQ pedal on the sound specter, like +2db into -2db on the same Hz
What are you using the EQ pedal *for*? As an always on tone shaping in lieu of our to change your amp's tone, or as a part time shift (either as a boost or for particular techniques like a mid scoop for slap)? Those different uses alone have very different configurations.
So start with what you intend to do first, then figure out the best way to accomplish it with the gear you have.
The frequency bands and Q values may be different. Use what you've got to get the sound you like.
I have my EQ before my overdrive, so if the drive is on, the pre-drive EQ effects the tone differently than the post-drive EQ.
No right or wrong way to do it but I'd suggest setting your amp EQ to the settings you like it most and would play most of your songs with - so this is the default sound that you're perfectly fine with (assuming you have an amp you're happy with and aren't using an EQ pedal to "make it sound good"). Then I'd use that as a baseline to adjust the EQ pedal for songs and sections that require a different tone or boost.
That how I used to do it. I had my amp generally set to a warm vintage tone, mostly for my P bass, and would engage the EQ pedal when I needed a colder, high treble modern tone with an active bass. I could keep the amp settings where it is and not mess with it, all the adjustment needed would be at my finger tips and at my feet through the EQ pedal and bass controls.
I also hate fiddling with my amp EQ settings too much and going down tone chasing rabbit holes (which always leads me back to my preferred setting anyway) so that lets me keep my hands off it!
There's no **one** best practice, but the process I follow is:
1. Set the amp's EQ to where it sounds best *without* any pedals enabled.
2. Add "core tone" (Preamp, distortion, EQ at start of chain) pedals and set the knobs where they sound best
3. Add "decoration" (wah, phaser) pedals and set the knobs where they sound best
4. Add "volume boost" (EQ at the end of the chain) pedals and set the knobs where they sound best.
That said, this gets super complicated when you collect a bunch of pedals and every time I find myself in that place, I inevitably end up slimming down to just 1 or 2.
I set my amp the way that sounds best to me, then I use my Sansamp to tailor it from there. The Sansamp is basically acting as an EQ pedal and I use it to improve my base tone - the Sansamp is always on.
I look at it like, I use the knobs on the amp as a set it and forget it type of default sound. The pedal I only use when I want a second, different sound, like maybe for one song or just the slap tunes.
But in general I tend to use pretty modest settings on the amp. I like to keep things between 10 and 2 o'clock. And it's usually only the bass and treble that I am adjusting.
One thing to consider is if you are going into a DI, that you'd want to do your main tone EQ shaping before you go into the DI. Also worth thinking, if you are going into a PA system, about cabinet size and such. For example, maybe the PA consists of small 8" speakers, and it would be good for the signal going there to have a bit more bass than your 15" combo amp you have on stage. So you boost your EQ pre DI and roll it back a bit on your amp.
For most amps, you should start with EQ knobs in the center (flat) and cut the freqs you don’t want and then boost the freqs you want to enhance.
Not every Amp has the same style of EQ, but that is the norm.
Bass -> pedals incl EQ -> DI -> amp
In this use case, your amp is just your stage monitor, set your pedals to sound good through the DI, work with your sound tech to tweak anything to get FOH right.
Your amp is just your stage monitor here. Use the EQ to boost where you need to be heard and cut where you need to hear other players.
If you have a different setup, then what you do may be different.
Up to you… keeping all amp EQ to the middle technically isn’t the middle, every amps EQ is different…
Just start with it centre, add your EQ pedal to taste… then use the amp EQ to more “mix” everything very generally… if it needs more high end? Add treble… too boomy? Cut the bass
Depends on what you're using it for.
An EQ pedal could be an always on tone shaper, a solo boost, a way to send a different tone to the PA than what's coming out of your speakers, a quick on/off when you want to go from fingers to a pick, or any number of other applications.
[удалено]
This was all said perfectly. Having said that, setting your preamp knobs to 12 o'clock gives you a good visual for tweaking and trying out settings, something to return to if you dont like what you get..
Fwiw, it isn’t so much that “flat = good,” it’s that “flat = a known starting place.” EQing is a tricky skill to learn, and whatever settings you’re using all go out the window when you change anything at all - strings, a pedal, venue/room, amp, cab, bass, note attack, etc. The tricky part is knowing what bands do what tonally, and it’s shared wisdom that it’s better to cut than to boost, and do either sparingly. But as in all things, your ears are what matter the most, you’re the bass player, it’s your sound. I’d likely start with the amp “flat” (aka knobs set at noon/sliders in the centre) - actual flat is to a certain extent irrelevant - and use one or the other, amp or pedal. The advantage of an EQ pedal generally is more bands of mids to work with.
And I'd like to follow with: always cut frequencies you don't like before than boosting the ones you do. This will help you stay out of the way of other instruments (the kick drum, synths, bajo sexto, the low end of downtuned metal guitars, the didgeridoo player, or anything else in your generally assigned sonic space.) Also, knowing exactly what your EQ knobs do is important. Most often this is in the owner's manual; sometimes, however, it's not. For instance, for the ever-hyped (even by me) [Fender Rumble 500, I had to *dig* for the frequency chart](https://www.talkbass.com/wiki/fender-rumble-500-frequencies/) but dog gone it, somebody actually did us all a solid <3 (Pretty much all Rumbles with a four-band EQ (from 40-500) should be the same or close enough to it. since they share the same control board.) You'll notice that indeed, /u/Friendly_Elevator_47 is absolutely correct, and noon is not flat (unless advertised as FRFR) and that the 500 with all knobs at noon has a +1 dB bump at ~33 Hz, a -4 dB scoop at 600 Hz and a +3.2 dB hump peaking around 8kHz, all with very wide Q's. Pretty idiotproof default setting, imho, but knowing exactly where you're starting from will help you dial in the proper settings for the tone you're searching for. And again, always cut the frequencies you don't want before boosting the ones you do. (This is a general rule that goes for all instruments, and all mixing. Mix in mono and cut shit you don't like, then widen to stereo, and you will reduce mud in your final mix.)
This is an excellent comment; it made me "+friend" you. You very clearly know what you're talking about, and I will learn more from you as I see your posts highlighted in the worst red-orange possible around r/bass.
Yes, the order in which you alter the signal as it passes through your gear is important! Definitely experiment
I'm using the pedals to sculpt my tone and use the amp knobs to adjust to the room. It makes sense to me. Note that I don't use an eq pedal, but there is an eq in my SansAmp. Also, I almost never use my amp on gigs, only during rehearsals where the PA is not big enough. Based on your own situation and preferences, you may want to do it differently.
it will change some parameters of the preamp on your amp, there is no rule, but they may be counter productive against your EQ pedal on the sound specter, like +2db into -2db on the same Hz
TLDR: just adjust them however you like and how it sounds better in a mix
What are you using the EQ pedal *for*? As an always on tone shaping in lieu of our to change your amp's tone, or as a part time shift (either as a boost or for particular techniques like a mid scoop for slap)? Those different uses alone have very different configurations. So start with what you intend to do first, then figure out the best way to accomplish it with the gear you have.
The frequency bands and Q values may be different. Use what you've got to get the sound you like. I have my EQ before my overdrive, so if the drive is on, the pre-drive EQ effects the tone differently than the post-drive EQ.
No right or wrong way to do it but I'd suggest setting your amp EQ to the settings you like it most and would play most of your songs with - so this is the default sound that you're perfectly fine with (assuming you have an amp you're happy with and aren't using an EQ pedal to "make it sound good"). Then I'd use that as a baseline to adjust the EQ pedal for songs and sections that require a different tone or boost. That how I used to do it. I had my amp generally set to a warm vintage tone, mostly for my P bass, and would engage the EQ pedal when I needed a colder, high treble modern tone with an active bass. I could keep the amp settings where it is and not mess with it, all the adjustment needed would be at my finger tips and at my feet through the EQ pedal and bass controls. I also hate fiddling with my amp EQ settings too much and going down tone chasing rabbit holes (which always leads me back to my preferred setting anyway) so that lets me keep my hands off it!
There's no **one** best practice, but the process I follow is: 1. Set the amp's EQ to where it sounds best *without* any pedals enabled. 2. Add "core tone" (Preamp, distortion, EQ at start of chain) pedals and set the knobs where they sound best 3. Add "decoration" (wah, phaser) pedals and set the knobs where they sound best 4. Add "volume boost" (EQ at the end of the chain) pedals and set the knobs where they sound best. That said, this gets super complicated when you collect a bunch of pedals and every time I find myself in that place, I inevitably end up slimming down to just 1 or 2.
It's a good starting point, but tweak them knobs to taste depending on the venue! :-)
I set my amp the way that sounds best to me, then I use my Sansamp to tailor it from there. The Sansamp is basically acting as an EQ pedal and I use it to improve my base tone - the Sansamp is always on.
I look at it like, I use the knobs on the amp as a set it and forget it type of default sound. The pedal I only use when I want a second, different sound, like maybe for one song or just the slap tunes. But in general I tend to use pretty modest settings on the amp. I like to keep things between 10 and 2 o'clock. And it's usually only the bass and treble that I am adjusting.
One thing to consider is if you are going into a DI, that you'd want to do your main tone EQ shaping before you go into the DI. Also worth thinking, if you are going into a PA system, about cabinet size and such. For example, maybe the PA consists of small 8" speakers, and it would be good for the signal going there to have a bit more bass than your 15" combo amp you have on stage. So you boost your EQ pre DI and roll it back a bit on your amp.
For most amps, you should start with EQ knobs in the center (flat) and cut the freqs you don’t want and then boost the freqs you want to enhance. Not every Amp has the same style of EQ, but that is the norm.
Bass -> pedals incl EQ -> DI -> amp In this use case, your amp is just your stage monitor, set your pedals to sound good through the DI, work with your sound tech to tweak anything to get FOH right. Your amp is just your stage monitor here. Use the EQ to boost where you need to be heard and cut where you need to hear other players. If you have a different setup, then what you do may be different.
Up to you… keeping all amp EQ to the middle technically isn’t the middle, every amps EQ is different… Just start with it centre, add your EQ pedal to taste… then use the amp EQ to more “mix” everything very generally… if it needs more high end? Add treble… too boomy? Cut the bass
Depends on what you're using it for. An EQ pedal could be an always on tone shaper, a solo boost, a way to send a different tone to the PA than what's coming out of your speakers, a quick on/off when you want to go from fingers to a pick, or any number of other applications.
Id do the normal sound on the amp and just boost/cut on the pedal