Picture a band rocking out and it’s likely you will see a wall of roaring amps behind them: huge eight-speaker cabinets pumping out maximum-volume rock and roll. We bass players have a rather more dependant relationship with our amps than guitarists, as an unplugged bass doesn’t make very much sound at all. Over the last few years, the range of technologies, shapes, and sizes of the bass amp has become almost overwhelming. In this article, we’ll explore the impact of amps on the quest for that elusive perfect bass tone.

One of the key differences between electric bass and electric guitar is the approach to amplification. An electric guitar recorded directly into the mixing desk sounds thin and uninspiring, while a bass can sound quite acceptable (especially if it has on-board EQ). We’re about to get pretty technical, so if you need a refresher on amps and distortion try these articles:

• Wired For Sound: Amps and Speakers
• Hearing Effects: Distortion

For an electric guitar, the amplifier and speaker are integral parts of the sound. Guitarists love the harmonics that hard-driving valve amplifiers bring, and the tonal shaping that the speakers apply. In contrast, bass players typically favour a more hi-fi approach to amplification. Valve amplifiers with sufficient power to drive a stage rig, due to their massive size, weight, and cost are relatively rare. Even the majority of professional bassists still choose solid-state amplification rather than valve amps.

Example: Guitar Amp vs. Bass Amp

To give us an idea of how bass amplification differs from guitar amplification let’s compare the set-up of a rock guitarist (in this case, Queen’s Brian May) to a typical bass set-up.

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Missed the previous posts in the series? Catch up with Part One and Part Two.

So you’re planning on buying some new toys, or shifting your set up around, but how will you know if you have actually made things better?

First things first, you need some test material. Several hi-fi manufacturers make CDs of test tracks, but I suggest finding a small selection of material you know really well and covers the range of music that you enjoy. My personal selection includes: The Cinematic Orchestra, Björk, Led Zeppelin and Steve Reich.

Burn these tracks on a CD and take it with you when you go shopping (any decent hi-fi or pro audio shop should have a listening room to try out equipment).

Wherever possible shut your eyes and ask a friend or shop assistant to switch (or rearrange) equipment so you can be sure you are listening with your ears and not your eyes or bank balance.

Guidelines

You don’t need to be an expert to listen for the changes you have made, just trust your ears and listen out for the following:
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Missed part one? Catch up here.

Welcome to part two of my series helping you gain new enjoyment from ear training by showing you how to get the best sound quality. This week we are going to be talking about amps and speakers.

This is a huge subject and you could easily fill books on such esoteric subjects as crossover design and porting. I’m going to skip those topics and try to give you just the information you need to get great sound. In this article I’m assuming you are interested in stereo music content. Surround sound set-ups really deserve their own article and should be avoided unless you have a very large sum to spend, or you are only interested in home cinema.

Alive And Amplified

Amplifiers serve a simple purpose: they make things LOUDER!

An amplifier multiplies the incoming signal, giving it enough power to drive speakers or headphones. An amplifier can be separate, but may be combined in an all in one Boom Box, or Mini System, or in a pair of active speakers.

Modern amplifiers are great value for money and you don’t have to spend much on a separate hi-fi amp to have a wonderful quality of sound. I would avoid Click to read the rest…