Posted by mieke at 6 March , 2009

How to Dial In a Bass Amplifier

by eHow Arts & Entertainment Editor

An experienced bass player will “dial” in their bass amplifier to provide the best tone for their style of playing. A properly set up bass amplifier cannot make a bad player good, but an improperly set up amp makes a good player sound horrible. Properly dialing in a bass amplifier helps the player not only achieve the best sound but also fully understand the operation and limitations of their amplifier. Read on to learn how to dial in a bass amplifier.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step 1

Plug a bass into the amplifier and turn all controls to the 12 o’clock position except for volume which should be turned completely down. Some bass amplifiers, but not all, have more than one channel and separate volume controls for each channel. If this is the case, set all channel volumes to 12 o’clock, and start dialing in the main channel first. If the amp has effects of any kind, turn them off.

Step 2

Turn on the bass and amplifier. Play a few notes and adjust the volume until the desired sound level is achieved.

Step 3

Play a bass line representative of the music that the bass amplifier will be used to play. Adjust the midrange tone control up and down until the best tone for the bass line is achieved with only the midrange being adjusted. This may take several minutes. Repeat the process for the bass or low controls. Finally, adjust the treble or high controls.

Step 4

Repeat the last step for every channel on the bass amplifier. If the amp has a graphic equalizer, adjust it only after all channels are set up. Typically equalizers can be turned off and are used to provide a slightly different voice, or tone, on an already set up channel for special circumstances (such as a bass solo). Play something typical for the intended use of the equalizer and first adjust the middle slider for the best sound. Then adjust the bass sliders and finally the treble controls.

Step 5

Experiment with the settings periodically, as tastes and needs will change over time.

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Tags: amplifier bass, amplifier bass guitar, amplifiers bass