[Dixielandjazz] Electric Bass amp position

[Patrick Cooke]

You're right Gordon.....
        Where there is a house sound system, I let the sound man mike my amp
and let him take it from there...my amp is just for the bandstand, and they
can usually get all the bass they need from the monitors.  I like to monitor
my own amp so I can control the EQ, which I usually don't mess with once
it's set up.
         As for the feedback, most of the Fender basses have magnetic
pickups, which are the most feedback-proof pickups.  I also have a magnetic
(Schaller) on my acoustic bass.  If you see a pickup attached to the bridge,
it's NOT magnetic.
         There are a significant number of players using the Underwood,
Fisman, Barcus-Berry which are ceramic or piezo or whatever.  They are much
more sensitive to feedback, and facing the amp back at a non-magnetic pickup
just might cause loud squeals.
         I have tried those pickups and got rid of them...not necessarily
for the feedback problem....they just didn't sound good on my bass.  But,
there are guys who swear by them.
          Pat
----- Original Message -----
From: <GWW174@aol.com>
To: <MikeMarois@HireLiveMusicians.com>; <dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, July 22, 2002 12:47 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Electric Bass amp position


>
> Positioning of the BASS amp is important.  Suprisingly a large venue
usually
> works best with a small bass amp kept at a low level and rely on the house
> sound system to provide the proper level of bass in the house mix.
>
> Mike Marios suggested placing the amp on a chair tilted slightly upwards.
> This works good.  A microphone on a baby-boom positioned close to the
speaker
> (slightly off-axis) provides the best pickup.   Be sure the microphone
> doesn't TOUCH the bass amplifier.  A good sound person will mix the bass
into
> the monitor and house systems.  The bass player should keep the level of
the
> amplifier at the point where they can adequately hear their playing.  The
> bass player should not worry about being heard in the audience - let the
> sound person take that responsibility.
>
> What happens when you have the bass amp too loud.  Bass is a low frequency
> signal.  This means the bass sound has longer wavelengths.  (The Laws of
> Physics)  If the wavelength is longer than the distance between the ears
(and
> it is), the listener can't tell where the signal is coming from. In other
> words listeners (and microphones) can't localize on the source of the
sound -
> i.e.  the location or direction of the bass signal.   This is why we can
get
> away with single sub-woofer in your home stereo (or any other sound
system).
> Try it one day when you are listening to music.  Can you tell if the BASS
is
> on the Left or Right.  You can't.
>
> If the bass signal (longer wavelength) is loud enough, it is picked up by
ALL
> of the stage microphones.  The microphone in front of the bass can be
> non-existant or turned completely off, the other microphones are picking
up
> those low notes.  The only way around that is to keep the levels of all
stage
> microphones low and physically removed from the bass amp.  Hopefully the
> other musicians will play to their respective microphones.
>
> If the sound tech is forced to "pull a musician out of the background" by
> turning up their microphone (because the musician is not playing to the
> microphone), don't be surprised if you get a lot of BASS in the sound.
>
> Another problem which causes that "muddy" or "flat" bass sound occurs when
> multiple microphones picks up sound from the same source - i.e.  the BASS.
> That is a topic for another discussion one day.
>
> Re:  Direct boxes.  Essentially a direct box uses a pick-up on the bass as
a
> microphone.  The feedback which Pat (I think it was Pat) referred to
occurs
> when the bass amp is facing the bass body or pickup.  Same effect as
placing
> a microphone in front of a speaker.  The bass pickup is usually very
> sensitive and if the bass amp is facing the pickup or bass body, it
doesn't
> take much volume before getting feedback.
>
> Personally I prefer a small good quality bass amp with a microphone close
and
> slightly off axis from the bass amp speaker.
>
> BASS NO-NO's
>
> KEEP THE BASS AMPLIFIER AWAY FROM THE PIANO SOUNDING BOARD.  Again, longer
> wavelength sounds are picked up by the large piano sounding board... and
sent
> to the piano microphone for processing.  Usually sounds like h...l...  If
you
> are at a gig and see the bass amplifier under the piano, be prepared for
> problems and lousy sound.
>
> Lastly, remember to keep you level low enough to prevent pickup by every
> microphone on the stage - but loud enough so you can make that marvellous
> music.
>
> Gordon
>
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