How to EQ an Amp

► Check out my courses at: TheBassWizard.com
In this video I show you how to setup and EQ your bass amp in order to get the best possible sound and bass tone live. A lot of times live mixes can sound muddy and the bass can get lost in the mix and lose clarity and definition. Try out these tips and techniques in order to bring the clarity back into your tone and sound great in the mix.
▼ STUFF I USE TO MAKE VIDEOS:
Sony rx100 V - amzn.to/2vhredr
Panasonic G85 - amzn.to/2tSxrMX
GoPro Hero 5 - amzn.to/2tT1x2y
Favorite lenses:
Panasonic 25mm 1.4 - amzn.to/2vTOZFt
Panasonic 12-35mm - amzn.to/2u7Z2EQ
Favorite SD Card - amzn.to/2uIwAwP
▼ FOLLOW ME:
Facebook: / thebasswizard
Instagram: / basswizard
Twitter: / marcbasswizard

[@Czangrlli422]

Thank you for posting this. I used your EQ technique and took the wheels off of my Roland amp for an outdoor gig on a bandshell this past weekend and my bass KICKED ASS. I got so many compliments and the band sounded great. I’m wondering about your thoughts on going thru a compressor for live sound? or do you use it on recordings? Maybe in the future you can post your thoughts on compression for bass . Thank you Carlo Z.

[@jackshittle]

2 years later and you're still waiting for a response....

[@ArtbyJoeH]

@@jackshittle don’t worry there’s lots of other channels talking about compression 😎

[@jackshittle]

@@ArtbyJoeH Thanks. I was able to talk to talk with S.G. Davis ("Scooter"). He has his own shop and he takes care of/maintains/mods all of Alex Webster's basses. Because there are 100 different brands/models of bass compressors out there I asked his suggestion (to save me hours of research/comparrison) and he highly recommended the Seymour Duncan bass compression pedal. I'm going to give that a shot and see how that sounds with my SansAmp Bass VT Character Series pedal. I think highly of his work & skill at his shop (Grannville Guitars in St. Petersburg, FL). You can see videos of him on KZbin working on Alex's Modulus and Spector basses (as well as building amps from scratch) - he seems like a great guy.

[@johnpauljones6229]

I wish you put this video out in 1982!!! Thanks for presenting this info so clearly & I hope every bass player watches this. 🤘💚👍

[@Maurice03Rosales]

I hope every electric guitarist watches this too 😂

[@JasonTeach]

Again another video that actually gives us the right information to understand the factors going into your amp settings. So many videos just don't cover the important WHY while your videos do. Keep up the fantastic job.

[@cironicholas526]

You give some of the clearest and most useful info out there, but more than that I love the lack of ego in your videos. Honestly, so many of the bassist youtubers are getting too high off their own farts, but your channel definitely has it's focus and priorities in order. Keep up the awesome work.

[@ianrendall]

Boomy room. Turn bass down. Use low mid as bass instead. This is awesome. Thank you so much! Subscribed. X

[@VideoPrens]

I`ve been playing bass for 1,5 year and this video has changed my life. Thanks

[@richardbetz1555]

Thank you so much. Just bought my first amp, Peavey Headliner 1000, and had no idea how to set the EQ up. Now I have a place to start. Love practical information. I subscribed. Thanks again.

[@hil3007]

Great advise! We used to spend all the effort practicing to be tight in a band but never knew much about working out the sound with each other! We would even book the same room weekly because "that" room just sound so good with our "go to" settings, lol!

[@josephbennett143]

I'm a little embarrassed to say that in 30 yrs of playing bass.. This is the single most informative and educational video on tone and EQ I've ever heard or read....

[@terrycaldwell4645]

Great video. I have been setting the gain as instructed by a lot of people - master vol down, turn up the gain till the clip light shows then back it off slightly (that really may work well with passive basses but not mine). With those settings and very hot pickups the master vol stays at 1! I've always had to back the gain down and make adjustments. Turning the bass down etc also makes a lot of sense. I have a 2x15 cab and it is very easy to get the mud going. Thanks for the video - very good.

[@harrypiuteer]

Thank you for this video, I just bought a new amp hartke HD 150 and I was just playing with the eqs, and this is very helpful to me! Thanks

[@petebjerkelund5088]

Finally. Very well explained, esp bass and mid use. Thank you! Under by cabs I used a Gramma Pad (a thick, insulating acoustical foam under a textile covered plywood top). I feel it improves a lot of things like 'bass suck' from having the cab on a hard floor like concrete or tile, and also to remove reverberation sometimes caused by a wood floor where the frequencies can move things around a bit (I also removed wheels from by lower cab). ...and yes, as Carlos Zanggrilli asked, "compression for live sound?" Rock on.

[@thecatboss123]

Thank you for your amazing lesson, I never had any idea on what to do with eq ever. I'm give this a go when I play live!

[@davidfallon4898]

Nice one .....simple and straight forward. If the beginners could see this video and start from there we might just get to enjoy those bands starting out. Thanks for doing this.

[@antoinebadimame]

Very informative video. I've playing the bass guitar for more than five years now and I still feel like an amateur because I never learned how to set my bass amp. I always feel embarrassed when I set up my amp, then someone comes and changes my settings saying it sounds bad. I never got it until today. Please make more videos on how to be a better bass player. I find your channel great. +1

[@Asthmos]

most well spoken and articulated delivery of information! wizard is a fitting title for you, man

[@amosmontessori]

Finally someone makes sense. Thanks for the update. I did what you suggested and it worked beautifully.

[@bryandelacruz8407]

I love this Marcelo I have been having issues with my bass amp and this helped a lot!

[@thomasfioriglio]

Wow, this was super helpful! Thanks. Great demo too with the bathroom and closet. I was actually having trouble getting a boomy sound with a new Fender Rumble 200 I bought. I moved it to a different part of the room and got a different sound. Never even thought about the room itself.

[@IvanBassist]

Great explanation! Mids are also very important in my experience, as well. 500-800hz gives you note definition, which definitely helps having presence in the mix. I think it's also very important to know how your own amp works and which frequencies it boosts/cuts. The Q & center frequencies of particular EQ bands can vary very dramatically from amp to amp

[@dudelikewtf42]

This is great! No wonder our guitarist keeps telling me to cut the bass at practice. It's the damn room.

[@crimfan]

The guitarist probably needs to cut some bass frequencies, too.

[@boogaethje]

Fantastic videos. Speaking with the confidence and articulation of a man that knows exactly what he's talking about.

[@funkyj71]

Easily the best explanation of EQing your bass and band stage sound. Thanks!

[@jackansell25]

THE most useful video on this subject I’ve seen. Thanks 👍🏼

[@firminbass4651]

Thanks Marcelo, this video really helped me understand how a bass amp set up should be handled. I gotta tell you, i really like the way you explain things, it's clear, and easy to understand. You give a lot of details and i enjoy that. Keep it up !

[@felipeh.p.rodrigues5015]

Thanks for this video, Marcelo. Recently I had the reharsals of one of my bands on a boomy small studio room. I've lived exactly this problem you mentioned: the bass totally saturated, I had to cut almost all of it, and increase the treble, what made the bass excessively bright. I think my mistake was not had cut all the bass, and to had cut more than necessary the low mids. So I tried to compensate with high mids. It worked more or less. For a reharsal, ok. But for a recording, it would be a big failure. Next time I'm gonna follow your tips!

[@MahirSahinovic]

This is the best explanation I've ever heard. Thank you!

[@diegoalejo15]

nice advice! I´d add that it´s really important to take care of the high mids, they totally change the colour of your sound

[@JamesWilson-kd4qe]

Thanks Marcelo - your explanation was anything but muddy. I have just that amp, so really good, clear, sensible advice.

[@rm23cssd]

Very very imformative and spot on...i love rhe way you present it.....it gives me more understanding about my frequencies....thank you so much Bass Wizard.

[@terrenceibasco8791]

Mind blowing! Thank you, Marcelo. You are a legend.

[@RR9D]

This was sucha great vid, bro - just what I needed! 💙💙

[@kingsfordanton4650]

Thankyou for this amazing lesson..I have no idea whats over on how to use bass amp.. I really learnt something here..thankyou very much..

[@tisoihardcore2756]

Very informative. Been playing in a punk band for many years where i just plug and play. Lol. Now i know what to do on my eq. Thank you very much.

[@NormalFoot]

THANK YOU- best video on setting bass amp tone I’ve found! One question regarding setting the gain knob: I get how the gain affects a tube amp and getting overdrive distortion …. But what about solid state? How do you know where to set the gain if a solid state isn’t going to affect the sound like a tube amp? I’m especially confused how to set gain if there is no “clip” warning light, like on the fender rumble combo amps. Thanks!

[@banjominer9682]

i have this head along with the k115 and k410...its very powerful.i could easily rock the speakers out of the boxes...best sounding amp ive ever owned...25yr hartke user..

[@barackmycat9448]

Very good vid. I have been playing a long time and I have seen the volume war problem. I am guilty of a little too much bass on the amp. Thx for this.

[@justinorprecio3094]

Exactly what I need right now. Cheers and more power Justin from the Philippines

[@mjedgerley]

Set and adjust your rig to the playing environment. Solid approach and great tips Marcelo! Thanks

[@DiegoGonzalez-vi4ok]

Excellent video !! The best that i've seen in a long time, thanks!

[@Koreyisadumbfuck]

very informative. i hope you do one for guitar (in depth) do's and don't when dialing.

[@spiritsforhire5056]

Thank you! This was extremely helpful in improving my bass eq.

[@guillaumechabert2357]

Oh man.. This video is so important ! Thank you for that !

[@gmofftarki]

Interesting and helpful video. One thing that I think might have been helpful when discussing the EQ section of the video is an explanation of the overtone series and how people actually hear pitches. (ie. why you think you can hear low notes on small cheap speakers). Even if you can't hear the root note, you may be able to hear the octave harmonic, or the perfect fifth harmonic above that, and all of the frequencies moving up from there. It's obvious in practice when adjusting the treble control on your amp affects even your lowest notes, but, in combination with your explanation of wavelengths and room resonances, it explains why killing some of the "bass" section in favor of "low mid" merely "tightens up" your sound rather than making it so your lowest pitches are inaudible.

[@law777blues]

Many thanks for this vidéo it ´s very helpfull .Could you make one about compression ?

[@timothyzetzsche3517]

I wish I saw this 20 sum odd years ago. I always struggled with the eq settings on my bass amp. Now, I can get it to sound exactly the way I want it to be. Thanks.

[@deniswoods6856]

Great video as usual. Thanks Marcelo.

[@casebass2316]

Great video! I’m sending this to everyone I play with. Thank you

[@federicovidal1156]

Great video Marcelo !! , very instructive , thanks

[@RobbieM72]

Great video and EQ tips I learned something here today. Thank you

[@d4ben]

Thanks for a great vid brother...really appreciate it.

[@neilmorrow9756]

Thank you, you explained this situation very clearly wish I seen this year's ago when I was gigging.

[@fraliubass]

Good info. Now I have something to think about next time I'm together with the band.Thank you✌️😊

[@dennislau1440]

Very useful! Big thanks to you Marco!

[@alexanderhemming9148]

Thank you for actually saying to cut the bass. Heard so many stuoid bass players who just dime the bass all the time and then are surprised no one can hear what they're playing

[@LadyLove747]

Thanks for sharing 😊 this really helped me out big time; 🙏🏾 the app is amazing!!! 🤩

[@juanchi_elquezapa]

At last, sound EQ advice (no pun intended). Thank you Marcelo.

[@CmgDeadman]

Awesome info for someone that’s just learning how to set up their gear.

[@tatoplaz]

Thank you bro, i was searching this video for a while

[@doorgedraaid399]

Thanks for this video ! very helpful ! I am not a bass player yet. This information helps me a lot !

[@mattbratton9516]

Such good content! Thank you so much for this!

[@razorgod65]

great stuff Marcelo!

[@markbass354]

thanks Marc its about time someone explains like you did

[@JesusSanchez-pl6oj]

This vid has changed my life! haha! Thank you

[@bigalthecrusher]

Great video as always, thanks for the info!

[@igorotbass]

good informative one. thumbs up!

[@mahdisharegh7220]

Love your videos man ❤️🤘

[@SteveCarmichael]

Thanks Marcelo! Just the info I needed. I have the same TC amp too.

[@donnyjohnson3766]

You explained this well sir!!!! Makes so much sense…

[@Eltipo.sm165]

Super helpful, brother! Thank you!!!

[@JustyStoky]

Great video as always

[@joelibanez2902]

I learned so much thankyou for this useful info

[@edotensei98]

this was very helpful. thank you very much.

[@KimDaddyO]

Seriously a great video. Really really good.

[@nacholibre1030]

Very informative. So how do we balance the bass and electric guitars?

[@NodakSavage]

Man, this has helped drastically. I have a adjustable high pass filter on my Mesa D-800+ and have always wondered why I'd want to cut low frequencies. This totaly makes sense now. I need to start toying around with this a little more when I'm having issues with not hearing my tone. Also I use a Tech 21 SH-1 pedal. When it comes to a pedal with a preamp on it and the one on my head, what is the generous consensus on which one to work with? I've been told by a few people to leave my amp flat and just EQ the pedal and leave it at that. Others have told me the opposite. I'm new to pedals and it's really confusing now that I have two different EQ's in my set up.

[@MrAlloy70]

Could you talk about adjusting the tweeter speaker.wat is the best position when playing slap bass?should the tweeter be up high?thanks bass wizard.

[@richardvillegas9641]

You are the best Marcelo!!

[@riconaka]

Great Video! Thanks for the info!

[@joshuacunningham1015]

Great advice about working in a place with its own sound system. I play for fun, but often in play in a place with front of house sound. I like to leave the decisions to the sound engineer, so I usually just leave the tone knobs at 12:00, keep the volume just loud enough to hear myself, and have them use a line out of my amp. I know I can't hear what it sounds like out in the room, so I just don't worry about it, and hope for the best. I use a TC electronics amp, smaller than what you're using in the video, but very similar. You talk about boosting the gain on a tube amp, but why then does a solid state amp like yours have that feature? And even more what does the "thrust" control really do? A very useful video, thanks.

[@eliseoborrerobass]

I also use the eq to fix the sound of a speaker, like when you go from an 8x10 svt to a 1-15” or a cheap speaker with no highs to a speaker with a big frequency range. you can force the speaker to a decent sound with good eq.

[@KevinDuvernay]

thanks for this vid. I've been playing many years and kinda knew I had to EQ the room but never trusted to cut the low end past 9 o'clock for fear of my sound being to thin. next boomy room I play I will try cutting to zero if needed. there is one thing you mention that i disagree with.the master volume does slightly affect tone. I don't know how many times I've set what i thought to be the perfect sound only to have to adjust it once I turned up to performance level. Its not a big difference but I normally have to warm the sound up a bit..

[@ronanderson355]

What is the best way to set gain on a non tube preamp? Excellent video!

[@ernieflanaganstingraybassm1463]

Marcelo you are 100% correct my friend, see i am very lucky that when we are playing in town (not on the road) and each room on broadway has a GK bass amp head and an alike a signal direct box ( DI ) Directly into front of the house and like yourself i have a 2 12ax7 tube preamps and to get that warm bass sound that i like and you may two got this advice from Victor Wooten and his brother Reggie start everything flat turn the master down to 0 and input the same 0 than, bring up the master and channel up together equally and i get the warm tube transient together and clean as a bell and my touring rig is using one head that is Biamped and i run my chorus on the A Side and the bottom end is dry so i do not get that crazy rumble from the drummers snare or floor tom or the guitars players low end.......tada !!! Great Demo Marcelo Ernie back at ya my friend !!!

[@alexk3088]

A well earned like for demonstrating how different rooms sound differently. Just think how presence of a crowd of people in an auditorium changes the sound of that room! As a lad I had inadequate bass amps while we practiced in a garage or basement and I was the guy always cranking the Low EQ and lowering the rest - awful! It would also be nice to point out the concept of bass traps and how placing the sound source (speaker) in a corner of a room or even near a wall (or floor) may cause the reflections to clash with the sound and create mud. Don't put baby in a corner ;) That's why you see studios placing those foam muffles (bass traps) along walls and in corners. Just having carpet and upholstered furniture in a room may help, as well as breaking up the regular geometric shape of a room (put a chair in the corner, etc.) - just a few thoughts.

[@napro62]

Awesome man.; this helps me a lot. Thanks so much.

[@jobass]

A very informative video ,you have +1 sub

[@SonicXRage]

Great tutorial! I have one question: what should I do with the preamp if I'm just practicing? E.g., technique or any other time where being able to hear your mistakes is most important. Most beginner bass videos say to set everything flat, but when I do that at a decent volume, I tend to get a fat, boomy sound whenever I play the higher notes at around the 12th fret which is very uncomfortable to listen to. Is there something I should do/avoid doing when changing the settings on my amp to make sure I can fix this while still being able to hear everything I'm doing? By the way: my amp is a 25 watt Fender Rumble with 8" speakers and a 3 band EQ (no low/high mids controls).

[@andresjuliancadavid5480]

Hi, thanks for the video! What do you set up first..the amp EQ or the bass knobs? I have an active lakland 44-01 and I use to set up first the amp and then I move the bass knobs to final adjustments during the songs

[@orsidnagy2216]

Oh God bless you for this one

[@mattholveck6419]

Great info, but to add for anyone else that was as stubborn as me when they first started playing, "listen to the sound guy at the club, and the audio engineer in the studio." They know the room/mix, and in most cases have quite a wealth of experience.

[@danieltan7093]

Do you find that when people enter in the venue, you’ll need to make adjustments again? ie will they absorb the sound so you’ll need to bring up your bass and mids?

[@rossco420]

I have the exact amp head, there fantastic, sounds great 👍

[@whiplash2718]

Grate video man!

[@owengoyder9604]

Thanks - simple common sense advise. Great stuff!

[@stephanbassplayer5332]

Thanks ! Simple and clear ! Efficient...

[@peekaboo4390]

I have been playing for over 40 years and over this time amps and cabs have come and gone. Generally speaking I have found that removing the wheels does not decrease muddyness. Wooden stages are hollow and the more contact to it the worse low end response you will get, the floor becomes a cab extension if it were. Use a 410 instead of a 15 inch and try to get ot off the floor or use insulating material under niethe it and angle the cab up. These days I use a small rig and have a dedicated stand for it 2 feet off the ground and angled up towards my head /ears.. There is only so much you can do with an EQ due to room acoustics without room treatments, but keep your cab away from walls and corners. against a wall is + 3db and in a corner+6 db of low end.

[@jimalbruzzess2445]

Great video Marcelo !!!!! I've seen alot of big name bands that sound like shit because it has to be so freakin' loud. I wish they would quit going for volume and concentrate on better sound. especially at $100.00 + per ticket. Thanks for the video!!!

[@MieBassBedroom]

Thank you, man.. This helps a lot

[@sagaciousp5267]

Thank you Marcelo for clearly stating this stuff. Those frequencies from the lowest lows to about 800 Hz are always the biggest PITA when trying to get a balanced sound at sound check, especially indoor small clubs & venues (really 90% of where everybody plays). Using full bass cabs onstage is one of the biggest culprits of out of control volume. You really gotta aim it in your face to hear it loud enough so you don't screw up the FOH mix. Really, the EQ you want to set for is FOH itself! I use a wireless for my bass setup. If I use a stage monitor, like a full range wedge, I EQ to that first (minus some of the lowest range punch), then I go out front and EQ my channel in the mixer for the FOH - if it actually needs it! If the mixer's final output EQ has already been set for a flat room response, then I may not need to tweek anything yet. When the FOH is at normal volume, I then hear the the lowest frequencies onstage along with my monitor's mix automatically. Then during sound check, I play out front to hear everything in the FOH mix. It's THEN I tweek any frequencies on my FOH channel or suggest the engineer tweek mine or anyone else's for the actual sound the audience hears. If I use In-Ear monitors onstage, I will EQ my amp to the FOH only (assuming it's flat already), then go onstage and EQ my monitor output from the mixer in my ear buds. It's very important you have ear buds that have low freq drivers and can completely seal off outside noise. I have to have mine way in my ears.