Struggling to get usable bass tones

WalkerBass · Jan 9th 2018

Hi all,

Hope you can give me a bit of guidance as I'm really struggling to get usable bass tones from my setup.
I've read through the manuals (twice!), but I'm sure another bass player must have been through a similar thing.

My Kemper goes into a QSC K12.2 FRFR powered speaker via the monitor output. The QSC has many factory preset EQ's and I've tried all the settings as well as it's flat 'natural' setting. I keep it in my practice room / study. I play passive Fenders, with flats and rounds. I've owned lots of amps and pre's and I've played them in this room for a number of years.

On 'most' of the stock bass profiles I try, there is so much undefined, muddy, boomy low end, it's literally rattling my windows and furniture. If I turn volume down, it's stull undefined and overly bassy, just quiter.

I have an Ampeg Heritage B-15 in the same room and nomatter what I do, I can't reproduce this behaviour unless I have a ridiculous EQ setting and and the volume cranked up.

I've only every experienced this once before and put it down to the room and had to radically EQ my way out of trouble to get through the gig.

Are the bass profiles generally playable 'out of the box' or do you have to heavily EQ them to make them usable? Perhaps I've got something fundamental wrong.

The guitar profiles I use sound awesome!

Thank you,

Walker

4enima · Jan 9th 2018

I have the problem with some profiles that have a cab and therefore a muffled/mulgy sound. But that's also something that disturbs me with many real amps/cabs.

That's why I usually only use DI profiles (without Cab-Sim). I find this much more transparent and the heights are not lost. I haven't had a problem with them either.

But it could also be that your QSC box emphasizes a certain frequency, which your room cannot tolerate. Louder bass is always difficult in small rooms.
Have you ever played other preamps or amps via the QSC box? Maybe it's the speaker in general

WalkerBass · Jan 9th 2018

Funnily enough, I d/loaded your Valvedrive profiles and played them last week and they sound great! Thank you.

I'll try some experimenting with other pre's. I have a VT Bass DI that I can use with the QSC.

I also have some PJB headphones, so I'll run the offending profiles through those too.

MuddySludge · Jan 9th 2018

I find most passive basses get dull when you roll back on the volume.
I keep it cranked and use a volume pedal if needed.

6acddd4f145bcb6cb3f443717e6537c4320faa81 · Jan 10th 2018

For sure you'll have problems with profiles using a FRfr, because this is most usable for guitars...
If you test it with a real bass cabinet you'll see the diference...

nightlight · Jan 10th 2018

Boomy notes can also be tamed using the EQ or tone controls on your bass. Try it, you may find that the bass also sits better with stuff cut because it isn't jumping all over the place and mashing up with other frequencies in the mix.

268a467eee10fd471124d2205a34a363e4d4ad4f · Jan 10th 2018

I mainly use DI profiles and put a graphic EQ with low cut (around 65-75hz) into slot X.

4enima · Jan 10th 2018

Yeah, i also use a lowcut at (mostly) 60hz

268a467eee10fd471124d2205a34a363e4d4ad4f · Jan 11th 2018

Quote from 4enima

Yeah, i also use a lowcut at (mostly) 60hz

You can also try to reduce low mids and boost high mids, treble and presence to get a more clear tone. For my that works really well. I use a Fender P Bass with light overdriven profiles.

WalkerBass · Jan 11th 2018

This is great information, thank you very much everyone.

4enima · Jan 11th 2018

Reducing LowMids and boosting HighMids + Treble would not have come to my mind. Lowering basses and boosting LowMids instead has proven to be useful, but this way ... you get a scoop(?) sound, do not know if that is wanted?

WalkerBass · Jan 12th 2018

I'm going to use my RTA app to see if I can pin point the problem frequencies for this room and just try a cut there. That'll be a starting point. then I can experiment further with the eq.

268a467eee10fd471124d2205a34a363e4d4ad4f · Jan 12th 2018

Quote from 4enima

Reducing LowMids and boosting HighMids + Treble would not have come to my mind. Lowering basses and boosting LowMids instead has proven to be useful, but this way ... you get a scoop(?) sound, do not know if that is wanted?

I think it's also a matter of taste. I try to keep these EQ settings subtle. Let me do some sample recordings at a later time to show you.

Per · Jan 13th 2018

Um, why not profile your Ampeg? That’s what the Kemper is designed to do.

nightlight · Jan 13th 2018

I used one of my crunch profiles to get a nice bass tone on this track. Might not be what you're aiming for, but it's one way to skin a cat. Add some parallel path to get some of that juicy DI bass tone in there too.

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WalkerBass · Jan 19th 2018

Quote from Per

Um, why not profile your Ampeg? That’s what the Kemper is designed to do.

Hmmm, OK. That's got me thinking. I'll start a new thread for this one!

Thank you.

Bommel · Jan 29th 2018

hmmm, wanna check out mine ? i got good results so far so maybe there is something for your liking
the ebs or the ampeg of mine are my favs ... and i use a cab often called Vox basscab ... so yeah if you got a minute to try them

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