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Sorry... so this reduces low frequencies?
When are you guys finding that is desirable?
That isn't sarcasm or criticism... honestly trying to learn. Never heard of this being a sought after tone for bass... lacking low bass depth is something i normally find in cheap pickups or bad bass amp designs.... where as popular industry standard bass pickups sometimes are specifically credited with adding a little more low bass tone without having it cutoff by design compromises.... such as active emg pickups.
So since this is something you folks want.... why?
I could guess maybe in a restaurant gig etc... but then you just turn down the bass control on your amp.
Does that sound naive? LoL
When are you guys finding that is desirable?
That isn't sarcasm or criticism... honestly trying to learn. Never heard of this being a sought after tone for bass... lacking low bass depth is something i normally find in cheap pickups or bad bass amp designs.... where as popular industry standard bass pickups sometimes are specifically credited with adding a little more low bass tone without having it cutoff by design compromises.... such as active emg pickups.
So since this is something you folks want.... why?
I could guess maybe in a restaurant gig etc... but then you just turn down the bass control on your amp.
Does that sound naive? LoL
An hpf eliminates the very low sub bass freqs that just cause mud and use a lot of your available power. Often one would roll off the very low and then counterintuitively boost the bass as needed. Sound engineers do this all the time.
It doesn't sound naive at all. Back in the days of turntables, we called high pass filters "rumble filters" and used them to cut mechanical noise caused by turntable and reel to reel motors. Such noise was a major cause of low frequency feedback in some home stereos. These days, it's rare not to have some sort of HPF built into a mixer's channel strip. In my "weekend warrior soundman" experience, I've always activated the mixer's HPF or low-cut on everything except keys.
A little over a year ago, when I was in full-tilt boogie mid-life crisis mode, I bought an old SWR SM-400. I played around with it a bit, and did a lot of reading. Contrary to popular belief, us old dogs can learn new tricks! It seems most bass amps, like mixers, have some sort of rudimentary HPF built in. The old classic SWR amps did not, and that was the source of many complaints about a seeming lack of power. Upon the recommendations of several folks here at TB, I picked up one of fdeck's basic "Series 1" HPF. I am very glad I did. The certain "flabbiness" of a low B that I'd come to accept as just the nature of the beast virtually disappeared. I won't even try to explain the "fundamental versus harmonic" science part of the discussion because it's above my pay grade. All I know is that, at least to my ears, the sound is tighter and punchier with an HPF. So much so that I regularly use mine regardless of the rig I'm playing through.
Sorry for my rambling...
While it’s not near the top of the list of reasons to own a Bergantino B|Amp, its programmable HPF and LPF work really well in my experience.
HPF is a standard ingredient in studio or live signal chains. The sound guy has probably been doing it to your signal for years, and just not telling you.
I went right to the website you'll get when you Google hpftechllc. To the best of my knowledge they are only available there and not through any type of retailer.
HPF is a standard ingredient in studio or live signal chains. The sound guy has probably been doing it to your signal for years, and just not telling you.
What's the typical cutoff frequency? If it's adjustable, what is your personal preference?
I remember having a 70's vintage Kenwood home stereo amp that had an HPF switch. It was visibly effective at reducing movement on a 12-inch woofer when playing vinyl.
Exactly this, Doc Blue - same applies to a stringed bass and speaker!!!
p.s. loved old Kenwood and still play vinyl <c:
I was having trouble hearing myself in boomy rooms. No matter how much I used my eq, it was frustrating. A fellow talkbass member recommend an Hpf. Total game changer.
I can dial out all the mess and hear my sound.
Best move I have made in 25 years of playing.
Hpf also helps to save your speakers lives. Reduces mechanical stress.
I can dial out all the mess and hear my sound.
Best move I have made in 25 years of playing.
Hpf also helps to save your speakers lives. Reduces mechanical stress.
Personally I like my Broughton HPF set to about 80hz (for 4 string bass).
No coincidence that 80hz is roughly the frequency below which an Ampeg SVT 810 cabinet starts to roll off. It's a great rock tone that fills a nice "frequency slot" between the guitars and the kick drum.
Also, Motown engineers used an 80hz HPF to record James Jamerson's bass parts.
My Radial has two settings, 80 and 150, usually use the 80, have only used the 150 in tough situations. I normally use the Radial for upright. My Messenger is variable and although it is not marked I'm probably lower, maybe 40 to 60. I use the Messenger exclusively for electric.
Most analog mixers I've seen have theirs set at between 75-100Hz with a 12-18dB/octave roll-off. My Yamaha is 80Hz, my old Carvin was 75Hz. I typicality have my fdeck set around 80.
Interesting.... i'm a rec. Engineer as well.... i haven't used lpf on a board for bass ever. But I've certainly eqd bass like crazy, along with multi stage compression.
Rumble filter on a turntable i know... today is my 50th birthday.
Yea i think most amps have a rumble filter of some kind.... but bass guitar gets down to 42Hz on a 4 string. 5 string somewhere in the 30s. Most amps, and even most stereo speakers and headphones, can't do too much at the fundamental frequencies.
Rumble filters are subsonic... inaudible. Different from hpf within audible range.
So i'm thinking that it's to avoid buildup of low frequencies in a boomy room.
I just don't really think it's something ive ever needed live that i couldn't get from tone controls on my amp... and in studio it's a very different situation.... not the bassist's concern.
Would one of these pedals give me maybe an advantage over adjusting the tone controls on my amp? Cuz it would be nice to keep my tone how i like it and still cut LF boom when needed... sorry fixed typos
Ah yea, i can imagine that might be the purpose.... if so, that's cool.
Rumble filter on a turntable i know... today is my 50th birthday.
Yea i think most amps have a rumble filter of some kind.... but bass guitar gets down to 42Hz on a 4 string. 5 string somewhere in the 30s. Most amps, and even most stereo speakers and headphones, can't do too much at the fundamental frequencies.
Rumble filters are subsonic... inaudible. Different from hpf within audible range.
So i'm thinking that it's to avoid buildup of low frequencies in a boomy room.
I just don't really think it's something ive ever needed live that i couldn't get from tone controls on my amp... and in studio it's a very different situation.... not the bassist's concern.
Would one of these pedals give me maybe an advantage over adjusting the tone controls on my amp? Cuz it would be nice to keep my tone how i like it and still cut LF boom when needed... sorry fixed typos
Ah yea, i can imagine that might be the purpose.... if so, that's cool.
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Personally I like my Broughton HPF set to about 80hz (for 4 string bass).
No coincidence that 80hz is roughly the frequency below which an Ampeg SVT 810 cabinet starts to roll off. It's a great rock tone that fills a nice "frequency slot" between the guitars and the kick drum.
Also, Motown engineers used an 80hz HPF to record James Jamerson's bass parts.
Thanks. Intuitively it seems 80 hz is on the high side for no good reason other than it cuts into some of the fundamentals. Practically, I have some attenuation set on my Rumble amp bass EQ knob. Just looked up the c/o freq: 80 hz.
Maybe there's hope for my ear yet.
