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compressor light if the compressor is
engaged (enhance knob pushed in) and the
Set Level light if the compressor is disabled
(enhance knob pulled out). If more
compression is desired, increase the gain
control so the compressor light comes on
more readily. Having set your initial level,
you are now ready to proceed with setting
up your tone controls. Since tone
adjustments have an impact on the overall
preamp gain level, you may well need to
return to the gain control and repeat this
process once you have completed your EQ
adjustments.
SETTING UP YOUR EQ
Begin with all tone controls set flat and with
the Enhance Control set to its minimum
position. After setting your Gain level, bring
the Master control up to a moderate level.
Slowly bring the Enhance control up, playing
as you make each adjustment. Many
players find that there is a small amount of
boost on the Enhance control that will get
them very close to the sound they are after.
If it doesn’t, return it to its minimum or 0
position.
Overall bass and treble adjustments can be
made with the Bass and Treble controls.
These controls cover a fairly broad range of
the frequency spectrum. Many players use
these controls to compensate for acoustic
situations, relying on the Enhance and
Parametric controls to achieve their basic
sound.
Effective use of the quasi-parametric section
can help you boost and/or cut more narrow
sections. In each band, you will need to
“find” the frequency you wish to boost or cut.
The fastest way to do this is to boost the
Level control of one section significantly,
then rotate the Frequency control above it.
If you hear more of a frequency than you
like, leave the Frequency control at that spot
and reset the level to the desired amount of
boost. Conversely, if you hear a frequency
which is undesirable, leave the Frequency
control at that spot and reduce the Level
control to the desired amount of cut.
The frequencies that you will need to boost
or cut are dependent upon your instrument,
playing style, speaker cabinets, and venue.
Extreme settings of boost or cut are unlikely
to be necessary or helpful.
We are frequently asked to provide
suggested settings for various styles of play.
We have discovered though, that most of
our endorsers tend to set their EQ generally
flat, using varying amounts of the Enhance
Control. We encourage you to experiment
with different settings to obtain the sound
you desire. We have included some EQ
panel diagrams at the back of this manual to
help you record your settings.
EQ Clip Light
– This indicator will flash if
clipping occurs in the EQ section of the
preamp. This can be remedied by
decreasing the amount of boost in the EQ
section or by decreasing the Gain control.
This light should never be on while playing.
Other EQ Considerations
– If you find
yourself running out of amplifier headroom,
cut a little in the lower frequencies, which
require the most power from your amp.
Two areas are a frequent source of
frustration for bassists trying to achieve their
sound: frequency masking and frequency
enhancement. Frequency masking occurs
when other instruments (particularly cymbals
and electric guitars) obscure the important
upper harmonic content of your sound. As a
result, you find that the EQ settings that
were so perfect at home lack definition in a
live setting. On the other hand, the stage
settings that worked so well sound harsh
and/or thin in the absence of other
instruments. Frequency enhancement
results from cabinet placement and room
acoustics. A cabinet placed on the floor will
have the lower frequencies boosted by
about 3 db. Placement against a wall adds
another 3 db. A corner adds 3 db more.
Consequently you may find a surprising
boominess to your sound. Certain qualities
in the room itself can also enhance the lower
frequencies, further contributing to this
problem. Frequently this effect is more
noticeable in the audience than it is on
stage. Compensating for it may result in a
stage sound that may seem a little thin.
However the sound is actually quite full out
in front.
