Your tips and tricks to cut through the mix?

[Shenron]

I guess this is a common situation: your bass sounds great while everybody else is silent, then as soon as everyone starts playing, you can't hear the bass much anymore.

How do you usually manage it? Occasionally, just messing up with my pickups and tone knobs helps, but I can't always say why as it depends on the song (and probably on what the others are playing with their instruments). I also have an active Ibanez with the "PHAT EQ" which if I understand correctly boosts the mids and that usually does the trick for me but it's essentially increasing my volume overall. I am contemplating using an equaliser in between, I have a Zoom B1Four for practicing that I could try put to some use for that.

But generally, the challenge seems to be how to keep up with the changes to the mix across different songs, as the guitarists change their own sounds with their pedals, so that when I find a setting that helps me on one song, it might not help on another.

Do you tend to stick to one equalisation setup all the time? If you change it between songs, do you remember what works best in each (or do you use patches on a pedal) or do you adjust it in the middle of a song?

 

[Michedelic]

I guess this is a common situation: your bass sounds great while everybody else is silent, then as soon as everyone starts playing, you can't hear the bass much anymore.

How do you usually manage it? Occasionally, just messing up with my pickups and tone knobs helps, but I can't always say why as it depends on the song (and probably on what the others are playing with their instruments). I also have an active Ibanez with the "PHAT EQ" which if I understand correctly boosts the mids and that usually does the trick for me but it's essentially increasing my volume overall. I am contemplating using an equaliser in between, I have a Zoom B1Four for practicing that I could try put to some use for that.

But generally, the challenge seems to be how to keep up with the changes to the mix across different songs, as the guitarists change their own sounds with their pedals, so that when I find a setting that helps me on one song, it might not help on another.

Do you tend to stick to one equalisation setup all the time? If you change it between songs, do you remember what works best in each (or do you use patches on a pedal) or do you adjust it in the middle of a song?

This is why I’m a fan of extensive EQ options on my amp; every room/stage is different, you can’t babysit the sound person if going through the PA, and any tone sculpting I do at either the bass or through pre-amps/pedals is to address the nature of any particular bass. As I use at least two basses, I employ an original Radial Bassbone which gives me the choice between two separate settings, which are employed in a subtle manner.

 

[SteveCS]

I guess this is a common situation: your bass sounds great while everybody else is silent, then as soon as everyone starts playing, you can't hear the bass much anymore.

How do you usually manage it? Occasionally, just messing up with my pickups and tone knobs helps, but I can't always say why as it depends on the song (and probably on what the others are playing with their instruments). I also have an active Ibanez with the "PHAT EQ" which if I understand correctly boosts the mids and that usually does the trick for me but it's essentially increasing my volume overall. I am contemplating using an equaliser in between, I have a Zoom B1Four for practicing that I could try put to some use for that.

But generally, the challenge seems to be how to keep up with the changes to the mix across different songs, as the guitarists change their own sounds with their pedals, so that when I find a setting that helps me on one song, it might not help on another.

Do you tend to stick to one equalisation setup all the time? If you change it between songs, do you remember what works best in each (or do you use patches on a pedal) or do you adjust it in the middle of a song?

Be sure not to confuse being 'present' in the FOH mix with hearing yourself on stage. I normally try to get a listen 'out front' as a sanity check then tweak my stage audibility through foldback monitors rather that changes to the amp (I don't do IEM). But they are two very different problems, IME.

 

[JRA]

How do you usually manage it?

you have to learn to "listen for it." of course, some moments are more challenging than others, and a lot depends on the situation/environment, but if you have the right equipment = it's there. if i keep the the volume consistent and low enough: everyone else will play/adjust to that.

 

[mambo4]

I only judge the sound of my bass in an ensemble. Alone, I tweak knobs as I like , but understanding that bedroom tone and band room tone are completely different animals. This is the reason I stopped using the active eq on my bass: I realized passive sounded better in the mix. If you have a bunch of bells and whistles for MY tone, try removing them selectively (in a full band setting) until you get some clarity back.

Also communicate with the band! A useable mix requires everyone to understand that OUR tone > MY tone. ( good luck with the guitarist … ) The best sounding live bands embrace this reality.

Every instrument has its place in the frequency spectrum, and nothing destroys that balance like an amateur trying to recreate their bedroom tone

Also realize that the modern , hip-hop and death metal influenced mixing aesthetic has placed bass guitar somewhere behind and beneath a subwoofer bass kick. I aim for a retro style mix from when the bass actually got heard

 

[Killing Floor]

Simple.

The “smiley face” EQ everyone on TalkBass recommends. Don’t do that. Your mids are more important for being heard between guitars and keys and vocals than your lows or highs. But for some weird anti-80s pop pushback TB will tell you to drop mids to the floor and you won’t cut through.

 

[ximun]

Add a jazz bridge pickup to your sound

 

[BGroovy]

mids mids mids mids.

Agree on the jazz bridge, those burpy mids CUT

 

[SteveCS]

The “smiley face” EQ everyone on TalkBass recommends.

Funny thing is this is one of the few places that , on balance, seems to know better and, rightly, does not recommend that awful scooped smiley-face 'bury-me-in-the-mix' approach.