💥Get The Perfect Tone With The Pickups You Already Have! Stop Buying Pickups, And Get One Of These..

29Make pickup swapping irrelevant! With so many videos on The Best Pickup For Metal, and most people spending endless time on pickup swapping and comparing pickups, there's a way to always get your dream tone from the pickups you already have. Pickup shootouts, pickup comparisons and wasting time on pickup swapping are about to bite the dust!
0:00 - Intro
00:29 - Can you EQ Pickups?
01:34 - What AreImpulses
03:39 - The Basses In The Experiment
03:45 - The Comparison Samples
06:09 - How To EQ Match
14:40 - Creating The Ultimate Pickup And Other Options
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[@Jagdpz5]

Kind of pickup related, but for me I get the biggest difference to overall tone of the bass by sweeping the blend pot. In my case it's mostly neck with just enough bridge to tighten it up. I don't get people who go only neck or only bridge or right in the middle. Between those positions is where you find gold. Also I do one trick related to pickup setup. I like to angle my bridge pickup so its closer to lower strings. This makes them more throaty while avoiding sounding like Honkmaster 9000 on higher notes.

[@marvinrockon]

I'm doing the exact same thing. Got a 5 string with a pickup behind the bridge and one right behind that one. I'm using one around 60% and the other, most likely bridge, 40%. The bridge is for clarity, the one in the p pickup position is giving quite the character i love. Only one is always missing something that the other one gets and 50/50 is always too tamed

[@RH-xs8gz]

But what if your bass only has one pickup, like a P bass?

[@stevenhirsekorn3444]

I like basses with single neck position pickups. They just sound so fucking meaty and brutal

[@karolzmaczynski9681]

Now that's something. I really started getting into ir topic and this video have some damn good info. Cheers Rodney 😊

[@diskovolos]

Anazing idea. Waiting on that video on how to capture IRs. Cheers !

[@EnsBass]

Now that´s (!) helpful. This is an awesome helper for keeping the tone while changing bass (for whatever reason). Awesome!

[@RodneyMcG]

Glad you liked it

[@russthompson7994]

There is much to learn here for me. I have basses with varying pickups and characters. I will dig in and make some magic! Thank you Uncle Rodney! IR's for pickup adjustment... mind blown... again.

[@RodneyMcG]

Hope it comes in good use, Russ.

[@driverbass1554]

Very cool! Much appreciate this and looking forward to the upcoming supplemental vid! This sounds like, correct me if I'm wrong, to something Fishman Fluence did with Mike Inez when he wanted to retire his Warrick "Moon bass". They had him play his P pickup and they sort of "scanned" in the sonic fingerprint of his favorite pickup. Then when they made a new bass for him, they incorporated that fingerprint into Fluence humbucker so he now has his "Moon Bass" P sound. So, you are kinda making it possible for the rest of us! If I'm not to far off bass.😉. Thank you again, man!!! 😃👍

[@RodneyMcG]

Exactly. You'd bee suprised how any pickups are just reversed enginered versions of existing ones with a slight tweak.

[@nzsteve]

Rodney - as far as tutorials go, this one was outstanding! Thanks very much!! I've bookmarked it for future reference because, funnily enough I was talking to one of my band mates, just 4 days ago, about swapping out some pickups on a P bass as I'm a little dissatisfied with the sound I'm getting. Now I have a different avenue to explore...

[@RodneyMcG]

I hope it helps out!

[@tramer76]

Not really related to Rodney's post as I know he's demonstrating what eq can do to your pickup tone, but I'd recommend always making any serious EQ changes while listening to the full mix. What can sound great and perfect by itself, can totally disappear when its placed into the full mix.

[@RodneyMcG]

Excellent advice, pure facts.

[@dorssberube]

Great idea!! Thanks for sharing!! 👌🏻

[@RodneyMcG]

Thanks for watching!

[@wateli]

I bought EMG P5 pickups for my ESP LTD F-5E because one of your videos.. and havent regretted it! Always nice to see a new video from you, cheers from Finland!

[@RodneyMcG]

They are a killer set and my favorite. I do very little adjustment to them. Thanks for watching!

[@The_Metal_Mechanic]

Nice. I have a set of DCXs in my F155. Love the sound.

[@ryanbrown2332]

Thanks for this video. I’m just staring to mess around with using a IRs. I picked up an AMT U2 based on your recommendation. The venue provided bass amp failed during my first gig I after adding the U2 to my pedalboard. Being able to get a good tone direct saved the gig for me.

[@RodneyMcG]

Good gear = professionalism

[@DrDannyMannGuitar]

This is brilliant!! Great work brotha

[@RodneyMcG]

Appreciate it!

[@gianlucagigliotti4026]

Great job and glad to see someone using AMT! They really don't make enough marketing on their awesome products. I also use AMT U2 both for guitar and bass...I'd love it to have also bass preamps in it but for now I just use a clean guitar preamp built in the U2 and pair it with some 8x10 cab..it really gets close to a bass amp (also adding some drive and a few notches it really helps). You should do a demo of U2, it really deserves it!

[@RodneyMcG]

I've been an artist with AMT for a while now, you'll definitely be seeing more of their gear on the channel

[@duranduran6415]

In the main picture display, for your video here, it looks like you just opened the lament configuration (the box) from Hellraiser hahaha!

[@RodneyMcG]

😂😂😂

[@flatgroundtv7097]

You are genius. This is a hidden gems of KZbin. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge. 🙏🏽🙂

[@RodneyMcG]

Glad you got something from the video!

[@MixMinute]

I did a Mix Minute episode on this topic on my old channel, and it'll be published on the Mix Minute channel on November 24th. This is also a useful technique when you want to double a guitar and make one sound different, but you don't have a second guitar.

[@83pbass]

Thank you very much you turned me on to AMT products my mind is blown. I threw miself down that rabbit hole and I will for sure get some of their outstanding stuff.

[@RodneyMcG]

Glad to hear it - they make great gear. Tell 'em Rodney sent ya ;)

[@The_Metal_Mechanic]

Still hoping for a shootout between the EMG DC and CS. Great vid as always

[@davidloflin3098]

Fantastic content Rodney, and just when I was shopping for Bartolinis for my 6-string LOL. Your approach is just so much more versatile and on the spot. I've just been getting into impulses, they really open up possibilities and it's not obtuse and hard to dig technology. Any other favorite hardware/software? Cheers bruddah.

[@RodneyMcG]

I'm pretty set wiht hardware being the AMT units. For software, the Ozone 9 has a good eq match. For using IRs in a DAW, the KEFir is free and does a good job.

[@eloysuopunki7926]

Very enlightening video.

[@RodneyMcG]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@eljapel]

someone needs to do a website to share impulses of different pickups lol

[@RodneyMcG]

You can get a lot by downloading KZbin video demos I find. You can find a lot on Soundcloud too

[@Arnljot]

We could also create a community and request/share DI tracks of different pickups

[@KPGuitarStudios]

Brah! You just need to buy some AMT gear ;) Sounds great, very smart way of tone matching. IR pedal before the amp.... interesting use of gear, smart!

[@Bigscott4130]

This is interesting for sure. I love my DP-3X but I dont always get that grunt/clank I'm looking for with mid to higher tempo stuff (I've discovered I like passive, single coils/J style pick-ups most). This creates an interesting option instead of "fixing it in post."

[@RodneyMcG]

More tone control=Better tone!

[@MixMinute]

Matching EQ works well.

[@germanperezbottesi4458]

Thank you!!!

[@RodneyMcG]

You're welcome!

[@prabashgranger6621]

New to the channel. Thanks to KZbin algorithm I found A treasure like you

[@RodneyMcG]

Wow, thank you!

[@EpictheEpicest]

Really enjoyed this video, and also wish I knew this could be done years ago xD. I'm curious if this would work with a so-called "cheap pickup" that may not have a favorable sound to begin with, like can you take a $10 pickup from eBay and EQ it to sound like the EMG?

[@RodneyMcG]

There's more to a pickup than just the EQ, but you can sure as hell get closer. My best advice is get a quality pickup you already like and then modify from there. Cheap compnents can have weak output, etc. Things like compression, etc, also play into it. It isn't a magic cure all, but it will give you way more options.

[@EpictheEpicest]

@@RodneyMcG Thanks!

[@tibi1687]

hey Rodney! Question related to this vid : is the "part 2" of this vid still in plan? the one about impulses (what they are, how to make them, etc.)? thanks! and cheers! love your work!

[@RodneyMcG]

A lot of people said they had found guides on other channels, but I may go ahead with my own if it seems there's a demand. Thanks for the kind words and input.

[@tibi1687]

@@RodneyMcG there are indeed some guides out there. But the way that they are done is not intuitive and very well explained. The only one wihch is "the best" that i found is for the same idea as you did "pickup impulses" but for acoustic guitars. I think that one from you would be a way better one, since you are both a great technical guy and a teacher. Sorry for the a##kissing but thats my opinion.

[@tramer76]

Rodney, will you rent out your studio to me for a couple months? Such a cool little lair man! Great vid as always

[@RodneyMcG]

Thanks, man!

[@kimfaucher007]

Thanks so much for these wonderful ideas! Now, let’s get to our computers…

[@RodneyMcG]

Have fun!

[@bluwng]

It’s funny you have an EMG shirt, I thought the original thought on active EMGs were to have a flat response. People are like , yuck flat response sounds compressed, well it’s the opposite it’s not compressed it’s more maximized and equalized. Why? Because you have the freedom to mold any tone you wish by using your EQ. Pickups with a certain frequency profile are limited to that and only that and contrary to popular belief tone knobs are subtractive not additive, you can not a signal that does not exist in the original signal unless you literally add a separate signal to it.

[@RodneyMcG]

I don't remember them being flat. Quite the opposite. They have a distinct curve.

[@bluwng]

@@RodneyMcG an email to EMG techs would confirm, I don’t like to speculate.

[@TheBeardofDOOM]

I can make even the best of bass/pickup combos sound like crap! My fingers are my software and shit is the end result every time 🤘

[@RodneyMcG]

😂😂😂😂

[@adamtrammel6525]

Really cool man. What was the name of the digital eq from source audio you mentioned? I can see how creating different eqs would save you money as far as new gear.

[@RodneyMcG]

Eq 2

[@adamtrammel6525]

@@RodneyMcG Cool, do you have a budget friendly suggestion? $100 to $150?

[@RodneyMcG]

I would go the impulse route and use the AMT Virgincab. You get impulses plus a number of other effects, etc.

[@jackshittle]

I always wanted a BBE Sonic Maximizer. They seemed like all the rage & a must have for any bass rig. I never did end up getting one or hearing one and I don't seem to see them anymore. I'm not sure if they just fizzled out as a company or if people stopped buying the product.

[@RodneyMcG]

They are still around. I had one for quite a while. It can be cool, but people over used them and woud up scooping thier tone with them. You can get there with eq, but they do have an inteesting tonal thing they do.

[@jackshittle]

@@RodneyMcG Right on. I would still like to see how it effects my bass sound one of these days. I think they actually made a stomp box version as well if I am remembering correctly. Glad to hear they are still around too.

[@drewinman7171]

A pickup in an electromagnet that translates a break in a magnetic field and translates that into a signal. Microphonic properties of a pickup are a byproduct of the design, but not the primary function. Good vid though. I like anything that breaks down the "snake oil" barriers. Very informative.

[@RodneyMcG]

Yeah, not exact science, but the basic concept is similar to both - picking up and reproducing sound.

[@drewinman7171]

@@RodneyMcG I prefer that clarification simply because the whole snake pil sales thing.

[@borgan1964]

Never,,i love my seymour duncans for my life

[@thepedalarchive2]

Fascinating video. I wonder, in your experience how do MEC J pickups compare to say the EMG J riptides? Are the MEC active similar in terms of the high end content?

[@RodneyMcG]

Can't really say as I haven't played a warwick in a long time.

[@thepedalarchive2]

@@RodneyMcG ah. Thought I’d ask as I’ve considered replacing the MEC in my thumb bolt on 5 string and I saw your demo of the riptides.

[@RodneyMcG]

@@thepedalarchive2 gotcha. I don't think it would be a bad move, just so you know the Riptides are just a metal covered version of the original series e m g j so if the metal cover doesn't matter to you you could get the same sound a little cheaper.

[@thepedalarchive2]

@@RodneyMcG thanks for your responsiveness. I am a fan of the metal I think. And my MEC are picking up radio frequencies - very odd for a noiseless active pickup. Hence my consideration. I’ll have to dig through your archive to see if you’ve done any videos about troubleshooting shielding issues on bass. All the best to you! Enjoying your videos.

[@RodneyMcG]

@@thepedalarchive2 That does sound odd. I would look into bad ground connections. Actives shouldn't need massive sheilding.

[@StephenBecker]

I'm curious about those little AMT bricks...do you know if they some plans to introduce Android apps to run/program/manage them? I'm interested, but would need this functionality to consider it.

[@RodneyMcG]

I think eventually, but there is windows and mac apps

[@ryanbrown2332]

Hi, the Ultima U2 doesn’t use an app to update pedal settings. You can control everything on the pedal. It’s easy enough to do but not something you’d want to do mid gig. There are several firmware sets available on their website (e.g. guitar amps, modulation, bass etc.) that you install on the pedal. You download the firmware you want, connect the pedal via USB, drag the firmware you want onto the pedal, disconnect power and then the USB lead, and then reconnect power to the pedal. The firmware will then install itself. You can do this with an android.

[@StephenBecker]

@@ryanbrown2332 probably worth explaining my use case for clarity. I have neither Mac nor Windows available here (all Linux house). So ultimately, any gear I get which would need computer control to set up firmware and/or update settings needs to have some kind of Android app support for it to work for me. If all you need to do to update firmware is stick a file on there, that's super easy! The question is what functionality do I lose without using the computer app?

[@RodneyMcG]

None

[@OlafKnolaf]

Can an impulse response mitigate dead strings or flatwound strings?

[@RodneyMcG]

There's no substitute for fresh bright strings!

[@rockereivanivan]

Maybe I missed something but how can I add that impulse to the pedal?

[@RodneyMcG]

There's full instructions in the manual available at the website

[@RisvoldTheGreat]

Lol…laughs in Alembic

[@RodneyMcG]

?

[@GillRigged]

Whatever happened with you wanting to sell some of your equipment? Never heard anything more about it

[@RodneyMcG]

Been selling the past week. What are you interested in?

[@GillRigged]

@@RodneyMcG good question. The Riot perhaps. What else are you selling besides basses?

[@RodneyMcG]

The current list is Bass - Peavey TL 5 - One blue, one red, possbly the Riot, but not right away. Guitars - PRS Mushok Baritone, Schecter Limited Avenger special, Schecter E-1 black face, Schecter Banshee extreme with sustainer.

[@GillRigged]

@@RodneyMcG which E-1 do you have? I have been thinking about getting the Evil Twin with Fishmans... And what are you lookin to get for the E-1?

[@RodneyMcG]

@@GillRigged not the evil twin. It's the black fade sls version with upgraded chrome fishmans. Has has case. If your interested we can talk price via email. Different for you patrons

[@claudi0barragan]

A p- bass to sound like an stingray . I dare You to make a vídeo about it. To put your money where your mouth is : compare the final track With a stingray played in front of the camera. 😉

[@RodneyMcG]

Sure. Send me your Stingray 😉

[@claudi0barragan]

@@RodneyMcG all the way from mexico city.

[@RodneyMcG]

Throw me some chocolate Conchas in the case! I miss those!