Sound man problems with my bass

[d***@gmail.com]

I have an Ibenez 4 string bass and Eden WT amp with a DI out built in the amp. The sound man tells me my sound is too bassy, and boomy and cannot get rid of it. My amp is set flat and he tells me that the bass knob on his board is turn down all the way but still too boomy. Any ideal how too fix this, is it my set up or the sound guy does not know what to do.
Don

[BW]

Post by d***@gmail.com
I have an Ibenez 4 string bass and Eden WT amp with a DI out built in the amp. The sound man tells me my sound is too bassy, and boomy and cannot get rid of it. My amp is set flat and he tells me that the bass knob on his board is turn down all the way but still too boomy. Any ideal how too fix this, is it my set up or the sound guy does not know what to do.
Don

Has this ever happened before (to you and your gear)?
If you go through a DI (no Eden), does it still happen (trying to isolate the problem)?
If you put a different bass through the Eden, does it still happen (again, trying to isolate)?
This is circumstantial, of course, but I used to have an Eden and never had the problem. I suspect it has nothing to do with your gear, but that's a guess.

[benj]

Post by BW

Post by d***@gmail.com
I have an Ibenez 4 string bass and Eden WT amp with a DI out built in the amp. The sound man tells me my sound is too bassy, and boomy and cannot get rid of it. My amp is set flat and he tells me that the bass knob on his board is turn down all the way but still too boomy. Any ideal how too fix this, is it my set up or the sound guy does not know what to do.
Don

Has this ever happened before (to you and your gear)?
If you go through a DI (no Eden), does it still happen (trying to isolate the problem)?
If you put a different bass through the Eden, does it still happen (again, trying to isolate)?
This is circumstantial, of course, but I used to have an Eden and never had the problem. I suspect it has nothing to do with your gear, but that's a guess.

[benj]

Post by d***@gmail.com
I have an Ibenez 4 string bass and Eden WT amp with a DI out built
in the amp. The sound man tells me my sound is too bassy, and
boomy and cannot get rid of it. My amp is set flat and he tells me
that the bass knob on his board is turn down all the way but still
too boomy. Any ideal how too fix this, is it my set up or the
sound guy does not know what to do.
Don

Has this ever happened before (to you and your gear)? If you go
through a DI (no Eden), does it still happen (trying to isolate the
problem)? If you put a different bass through the Eden, does it still
happen (again, trying to isolate)? This is circumstantial, of course,
but I used to have an Eden and never had the problem. I suspect it
has nothing to do with your gear, but that's a guess.

Yes excellent advice. Try another DI. Bass control all the way down and
still too boomy shows a serious problem SOMEWHERE. The question is where.

I'm suspecting that either there is a problem with the sound board or
even perhaps some weird interaction between that sound board and your
Eden. Hence you have to sub things one by one to isolate just where the
problem is located. Good luck!

[d***@gmail.com]

Thank you all for your suggestion. The sound on stage coming from my nap is great, no problem there. It was the first time the sound guy work with us. I did lots of concerts before using the DI from the amp and it's never been a problem except one other time, where the sound guy wanted me to set my amp real sharp. If it happens again I will try some of your suggestion.
Thanks again everyone.
Keep playing those low notes and love it.
Don

[Steve Freides]

Post by d***@gmail.com
I have an Ibenez 4 string bass and Eden WT amp with a DI out built in
the amp. The sound man tells me my sound is too bassy, and boomy and
cannot get rid of it. My amp is set flat and he tells me that the
bass knob on his board is turn down all the way but still too boomy.
Any ideal how too fix this, is it my set up or the sound guy does not
know what to do.
Don

First guess is that it's a boomy room. Try moving your bass amp, and
try spots you thought would make the problem worse - sometimes, they
actually make it better. You never know until you try, and sometimes
just moving your amp a little makes a huge difference.

Second, it would be useful to know if your direct out is pre- or post-eq
and if you can control that. Not that it should matter since you said
you were set to flat, anyway, but always a good thing to know.

My money is on the interaction between your amp placement and the room.

-S-

[Pt]

Post by d***@gmail.com
I have an Ibenez 4 string bass and Eden WT amp with a DI out built in the amp. The sound man tells me my sound is too bassy, and boomy and cannot get rid of it. My amp is set flat and he tells me that the bass knob on his board is turn down all the way but still too boomy. Any ideal how too fix this, is it my set up or the sound guy does not know what to do.
Don

I had the same problem.
When I played through my 450 watt amp to a 4X10, 8 ohm cabinet it sounded very boomy.
When I added a 1x15, 8 ohm cabinet it sounded great.
Not sure what the problem was but it sounds much better through 2 cabinets at 4 ohms total load.

Pt

[Les Cargill]

Post by d***@gmail.com
I have an Ibenez 4 string bass and Eden WT amp with a DI out built in
the amp. The sound man tells me my sound is too bassy, and boomy and
cannot get rid of it. My amp is set flat and he tells me that the
bass knob on his board is turn down all the way but still too boomy.
Any ideal how too fix this, is it my set up or the sound guy does not
know what to do. Don

I can't tell what the problem is exactly. Not sure if serious.

This being said, pick or mix and match one of these:

1) Don't run the bass thru the PA. If I recognize that amp, it's close
to 1 kilowatt, like 800 watts.

2) Use the low EQ on the mixer to fix the boom.

3) Add a DI box between the bass and amp rather than using the one
out of the bass amp.

[Oci-One Kanubi]

Post by d***@gmail.com
I have an Ibenez 4 string bass and Eden WT amp with a DI out built in the amp. The sound man tells me my sound is too bassy, and boomy and cannot get rid of it. My amp is set flat and he tells me that the bass knob on his board is turn down all the way but still too boomy. Any ideal how too fix this, is it my set up or the sound guy does not know what to do.
Don

It might be helpful to know whether it is YOUR sound man (travels with your band; knows your equipment and his board [unless it is a new board], doesn't know the room) or a HOUSE sound man (knows the room and his board [one would hope]; doesn't know your equipment).

If it's YOUR sound man, does this happen every place you play, or are you in the process of forming a new unit and getting everything calibrated, and so have only played in a single rehearsal space so far?

So many variables, so little time... (^BD

-Richard, His Bassic Travesty

[e***@yahoo.com]

Post by d***@gmail.com
I have an Ibenez 4 string bass and Eden WT amp with a DI out built in the amp. The sound man tells me my sound is too bassy, and boomy and cannot get rid of it. My amp is set flat and he tells me that the bass knob on his board is turn down all the way but still too boomy. Any ideal how too fix this, is it my set up or the sound guy does not know what to do.
Don

Play more than the low E open !!! : ' ) - e

[d***@gmail.com]

Hehehe, but I like the Open E
Don

[e***@yahoo.com]

Post by d***@gmail.com
Hehehe, but I like the Open E
Don

ok, then palm mute a little now and then. It's not a low E sustain contest.. : ' ) - e

[BW]

Post by e***@yahoo.com

Post by d***@gmail.com
Hehehe, but I like the Open E
Don

ok, then palm mute a little now and then. It's not a low E sustain contest.. : ' ) - e

No, he shouldn't have to. The bassist in any entity should have the option of playing whatever notes the instrument is capable of (down to B). How and when the player uses those notes is what separates the good players from the not-so-good players, but they should all be available, all the time. The player gets to choose, not the sound crew (or their gear).

[Derek Tearne]

Post by BW
No, he shouldn't have to. The bassist in any entity should have the option
of playing whatever notes the instrument is capable of (down to B). How
and when the player uses those notes is what separates the good players
from the not-so-good players, but they should all be available, all the
time. The player gets to choose, not the sound crew (or their gear).

Although, if things start falling off the walls, and glasses start
walking across tables. The bar owner may have a valid reason for
suggesting the bass player dials back the bass a bit...

--- Derek

[BW]

Post by Derek Tearne
Although, if things start falling off the walls, and glasses start
walking across tables. The bar owner may have a valid reason for
suggesting the bass player dials back the bass a bit...
--- Derek

Yes, of course; that should be understood. (Although I once worked for a club owner who said to the band - yes, he really said this - "If I can hear you, you're too loud." And no, he wasn't in the next town at the time.

[e***@yahoo.com]

Post by BW

Post by e***@yahoo.com

Post by d***@gmail.com
Hehehe, but I like the Open E
Don

ok, then palm mute a little now and then. It's not a low E sustain contest.. : ' ) - e

No, he shouldn't have to. The bassist in any entity should have the option of playing whatever notes the instrument is capable of (down to B). How and when the player uses those notes is what separates the good players from the not-so-good players, but they should all be available, all the time. The player gets to choose, not the sound crew (or their gear).

Perhaps - a second opinion from someone Not on stage would be worth listening to...especially a "pro? soundman"..He may hear the total package better than the individual member. I know sometime when playing my guitar I like to use a tone we affectionately call the "Dentist Drill".. I love playing it, but when I record and listen back - yikes!!!... e

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Post by BW
No, he shouldn't have to. The bassist in any entity should have the option
of playing whatever notes the instrument is capable of (down to B). How
and when the player uses those notes is what separates the good players
from the not-so-good players, but they should all be available, all the
time. The player gets to choose, not the sound crew (or their gear).

Perhaps - a second opinion from someone Not on stage would be worth
listening to...especially a "pro? soundman"..He may hear the total package
better than the individual member. I know sometime when playing my guitar I
like to use a tone we affectionately call the "Dentist Drill".. I love
playing it, but when I record and listen back - yikes!!!... e
=====================\

"pro soundman" - that was funny.

[coreybenson]

Post by d***@gmail.com
I have an Ibenez 4 string bass and Eden WT amp with a DI out built in the amp. The sound man tells me my sound is too bassy, and boomy and cannot get rid of it. My amp is set flat and he tells me that the bass knob on his board is turn down all the way but still too boomy. Any ideal how too fix this, is it my set up or the sound guy does not know what to do.
Don

Hey, all! Been a while. <-- Seems like that's what I say every time I post, doesn't it?

A few suggestions/thoughts:

1. You say the EQ is flat on your amp, but you don't say what you've done with the bass EQ itself. Are you pushing the tone controls on the bass, or is it set flat as well?

2. Turn the output volume on the amp down, and see what the bass sounds like in the room. Is it still incredibly woofy?

3. Can you describe the system and the room? Have you played there before with the same system/bass/amp/band? If so, was the engineer the only complainer there?

I'm a bass guitarist who also owns a sound production company, and for almost a decade, a recording studio. There's a ton of interaction that can happen, and the posters above me pretty well nailed it.

There are times when the signal coming to the desk seems goofy. If it's something I can work around, I do, and never say a word to the artist. If it's not, I'll ask some leading questions... but at the end of the day, if you don't NEED to be in the PA, I won't put you there. Many a gig where I've brought in a massive system, capable of handling 1000+ people, only to find out I don't need a mic on the guitars at all. Or the keyboards. Or most of the drum kit, and certainly not the bass guitarist. So, Kick and Vocals in the PA all night. Cool with me! :-)

I'm a guy who used to run around with two Eden D410XLT's and a QSC PLX2402 power amp with an Eden Navigator preamp. If the sound guy complained about me not being in the PA, I'd ask if that was a problem in some way, and the answer was usually "Well no, but I don't have any control then!" No prob, unless I'm making it hard to hear something else... which I usually wasn't.

Anyway, long post to what sounds like a rare, isolated problem. Good luck sorting it out!

Corey Benson
Minneapolis, MN
MNWebsmith.com

[d***@gmail.com]

First of all thank you all for your suggestions. Just to let you all know, the problem was not my rig, it's was the sound guy, guess he did not have enought experience to handle the board or it could have been the room. I did a few shows since and there were no problem with boominess. Everything sounded great

Thanks again guys. Keep playing those low notes. It's the only way to go.

Don