Any Bass Tips - HD500

[pianoguyy]

Simple question. Long, drawn out, pre-story -- but its needed to understand where I am coming from. 

 

30 year veteran guitar player. Went from pedals to racks, and amps to stacks, to microchips. In other words, I've been around the block and have seen a lot of technology changes -- some of which I am not 100% expert like I am other stuff. 

Now I have the HD500 and I do not use anything else. No effects. No amps. 

 

But here is where the question comes; 

 

I never owned a bass, but I have played them. All of my previous gear was guitar stuff. Playing bass through any of it would have been bad, Older stuff was made for one or the other. Plus, they weren't mine. If I needed to play one, it was always set up through a bass players setup. 

 

But now I am the owner of my very own 5 string bass. 

 

I use my HD500 for guitar. I have plenty of experience setting up sounds for guitars. But now, its about a bass. 

First, am I correct in my thinking that I can use it for my bass too? 

But more importantly, other than plugging it in - what should I be doing? 

I will be switching back and forth between bass and guitar, do I need to adjust any of the global settings? 

 

I know nothing.

 

I don't know what, if any, effects I should run on a bass. I don't even know how to set an EQ for one. 

 

Please don't ask what kind of music, because it will be all of them. But if it helps, I am using an Ibanez with passive pickups but has an active circuit. I believe they call it a PHAT pre-amp.  

 

 

 

Any advice is appreciated. 

 

 

 

[DarrellM5]

I can definitely relate to your situation.  I've been playing guitar for 29 years and just bought my first bass, which is also a 5 string.  Although I did buy a bass amp with it, I got a chance to try it out through the HD500X yesterday.  It sounded great through the PA system I was using.  

 

There are a couple of bass amps included with the HD500x, the Flip Top (based on an Ampeg B-15NF Portaflex bass amp) and the Tweed B-man (based on a '59 Fender Tweed Bassman). Both of these sounded really good by just putting them in an empty patch and playing.  I didn't try tweaking it yet and I'm not sure which effects would work with it.  

 

I'll be watching this thread to see what others have to say as well as doing some more experimenting today.  I'd like to see how the distortions, octave pedals and wahs work with a bass.

 

To answer your other question, I didn't have to change any settings on the HD500X to switch from guitar to bass.

[duncann]

I was in pretty much in the same boat as pianoguyy. Probably still am somewhat. I use a 5 string Ibanez SR305 with a pick. I gotta say, trying to dial in a sound for a bass is the hardest thing I've done with an hd500/hd500x. I've lost count of the number useless tweaking sessions. Not to discourage you or anything like that, but just be aware. Maybe it's me. And you'll find making a bass tone simple.

 

As far a settings/effects, just experiment. There is no right or wrong way to do things. In fact, many times the thing that sounds best is something completely unintuitive and would never work in the real world with real equipment. Trust your ears and what you hear inside you head.

 

Patches I've created bass on the hd500x ended up using a dual amp/cab (flip top/tweed b-man nrm, flip top 47 cond/tread v-30 409 dyn). I used four eqs before the amps (3 studio and 1 parametric; for guitar tones I try and stay away from eqs, but with bass I just couldn't), a tube comp before the amp and after the eqs, and a chamber reverb after the mixer. Pretty basic stuff I guess.

[JTSC777]

I too may give this a go with my HD500.I play occasional bass gigs(I have one this coming Saturday) and usually use my sons bass amps/basses and a small pedal board I put together.For this gig though I will use either my HD500 or Boss GT10 and one of my sons bass amps.Not sure yet.I will report back if I go with the HD500.

[Brazzy]

In the middle of this song I put together with an X3 Pro I play a Bass solo with a Schecter Elite 5. The HD500 is good too, also I don't just use bass amp models with it. I experiment as much as I can. I think you can easily get a good tone with a Bass & HD500.

 

Link>>RiffWorld "Beer Breaker 19"

 

Link>>RiffWorld "Happy Trails Ride'in The Big Bore"<<<The Solo "forgot I still had this available"

Edited August 1, 2015 by Brazzy

[duncann]

Here's a setlist of bass patches for the hd500 I found on this forum, put together and made by Ed_Saxman. Might find something useful in there.

 

Bass Amps v3 Ed Saxman 16-Jan-2013.zip

[brian6string]

I've used Ed Saxman's bass patches--terrific balance and EQ. Highly recommend.

[pianoguyy]

I am not going to mark this as 'solved' in case anyone has more questions or answers

===================================================================

 

But for the most part, I think the issue has been solved because:

1. I can use the HD500 with bass

2. I don't really need to adjust the input or other settings.

3. Those patches (Ed Saxman) will give me (and anyone else reading in the future) some good sounds, but also good examples of what to get started with.

 

And that was pretty much all I needed - a starting point. 

 

I know enough about music that all I really need is the starting point, and that is what I got. I should be able to take it from here. 

Thank you. 

[marcopadilla]

Here is a question  if  anybody has an answer,  Can a bassist and a guitarist play through the hd500x at the same time? How would you go about the signal path?

[sidroe]

I have seen on the Customtone page some bass amps for the HD500 that used the Hiway or Hiwatt model for the amp. I did not download the patch so I can't tell you what cab was used. Might be worth looking in to.

[mazuwa]

Hi pianoguyy,

I am in the same situation. I have recently bought a 5 string bass, trying for tweakin' a good bass sound. Before I have been playing guitar for years.

Now I have a preset I am pretty satisfied with for practising over headphones, because I am a home player where I cannot torture my neighbours.

I onwn a Pod HD500, but I know you can load it into your HD500x, just by changing the file extension.

I am playing alone or with mp3 files or youtube, and I think the sound is fitting well to my ears.

This preset sounds almost clean, but has a little drive so it has got more power.

No, you can simply switch between guitar and bass presets. I have very common global parameters, 1M input impedance over guitar input jack.

 

Please let me explain my preset:

All parameters work together as a whole, if you change one parameter, other parameters also might be changed.

The values have been set as accurate for my bass guitar as the device can give.

fx1: Preamp simulation for getting some pre-saturation and cutting low + high frequencies

fx2: empty

fx3: Tube compressor for increasing power, but still enough string sensity left

AMP1: FlipFlop Bass model, amp + box modified, slightly overdriven

AMP2: No amp, just parallel path, but EQ'ed (fx4) for working well together with the amp sim.

fx5: Slight vibrato chorus sound to increase width

fx6: Reverb tile: Very very little room

fx7: Studio EQ, reducing mids for massive sound

fx8: Parametric EQ for reducing specific mid frequency and supporting transparent clear sound

 

Finally it is important to make further changes with your bass guitar. I have 2 passsive pickups and tone control.

I hope you like it or it might help.

 

http://line6.com/customtone/tone/624517/

[bjnette]

I use my Fender BXR 400 for live but it sure is alot to lug.

I personnally do not like thea actual hardware preamps at the start of the HD500 train.

Most of my basses sound lumpy thru it.

 

II rarely use the HD500 for bass but I have a couple of preamps in the studio with some iron in their transformers which even out the response set to DI. This is smooth.

 

But I have used the HD500 into a small PA about twice using a Fliptop model. I set the LA2A model compressor first in the chain to smooth out the lumps only. It is a delicate setting., just enough to even the notes out. Not really for any clamping down.

 

If you want a some clamping down, I don't like the tone personally but some modern metal seem to require it insert a second compressor. The onboard comps are more like guitar sustainers and not too well suited to bass.but if you just set each one to tickle the notes it can tighten the tone a bit.

 

Also some of the FX in the HD sound brilliant on a bass if your into it but to me the bass is fat and modulates enough as is.

[tomb68]

The bass support in the 500/500X is weak. The compressors are definitely tweaked for guitarists. I have gotten usable bass tones out of the 500X but often I use the tube comp to one of the EQ's and just a touch of room reverb(if any). The ampeg is a one trick pony and errs heavily on the side of vintage tone. I can make it sound nice, but a Tech21 Bass Driver or just a high quality direct box into a soundcard(for recording) gets the job done faster and better. 

 

If you want a more Trace Elliot, Markbass, SWR, Eden, Hartke or EBS(i.e. clean and punchy) type of bass tone look elsewhere. 

[musical1212]

The bass support in the 500/500X is weak. 

If you want a more Trace Elliot, Markbass, SWR, Eden, Hartke or EBS(i.e. clean and punchy) type of bass tone look elsewhere. 

I used the factory settings live recently through a huge Martin line array system at a big event. I was totally blown away at the sounds of the presets that are in the HD500x. Bass players have not gravitated to the HD500x because they do not use as many effects so are not prone to spend this much for a DI. And bass players do not tweak their sounds near as compulsively as guitarists. So, if the support for the bass is weak, it is in quantity of patches only. The bass presets are awesome, though waiting for some of us to tweak and upload. Since I also play guitar, I have purchased one. I use my JTV with the ehtercon cable connected and have my bass connected through the guitar input. I think both sound awesome so I respectfully disagree. No need to look elsewhere. I believe the tools that are in the HD500x surpass anything else I have seen on the market or played through.

[bjnette]

It is only going to get better with the upcoming bass pack.

 

Re reading this thread I didn't really answer the OP question.

To do so I'd have to ask how they intended to monitor both bass and guitar?

If thu the same on stage amp, studio or PA?

[Kopfschmerzen]

Here is a question  if  anybody has an answer,  Can a bassist and a guitarist play through the hd500x at the same time? How would you go about the signal path?

 

Absolutely. You can make two signal chains in one patch and it works well. You just need to select second input as 'AUX IN' in global settings and make sure you don't mix channels before the amps. There are two issues, though:

1) You need to keep chains simple to avoid DSP limit;

2) You need to plug bass into guitar input to use built in tuner, and switch to aux in to actually play.

[ColonelForbin]

The best use of the HD500(x) for bass tones would be using dual paths - make one path "no amp model", and use it for a clean bass feed; maybe some EQ.

 

The other path, maybe use an amp model, but mess with no cab, pre version only. This channel can  be for more of the mid / upper EQ and can contain weirder / funkier effects. Try putting a pitch shifter on the clean side and an auto wah or phaser type effect on the other path. You can dial in some stellar synth tones too, using the synth effect on only one channel.

 

You might even get best effect from using NO amp models on either. If you want to send the soundguy two signals, one wet one dry, keep the mixer settings panned, then use only one 1/4" (which will sum to mono) to feed your stage amp.

 

Or use a Stagesource speaker, and with the Line6Link, send the full left and right to that speaker.

Or if you only want to send the soundguy a single XLR, just pan the two paths center, and balance the levels with the mixer controls.

 

The ideal bass tone will always have some amount of low pass, unaltered, pure, low end. Even in good studio recordings, a DI on the bass and a mic on the bass cabinet. Play with balancing the "air" sounds of a virtual bass cab with the "pure" tones of the bass signal direct.

 

The dual path option is definitely quite a powerful tool for dialing in some cool bass tones.

I will have to plunk around with those patches that were assembled, nice work! 

[pitoe]

but you can here  a bass paccket for 99€

[pianoguyy]

but you can here  a bass paccket for 99€

 

TODAY you can buy a bass pack. 

But a year ago, you couldn't. 

[pitoe]

ok thanks pianoman sorry im new here and i have b

uy used stuff an line down 400 pro and shortboard and fbv 4 and basspod rack and foot

why dont thy make anymore bass amps?

t

[STEVEJAZ]

Found this thread after looking to see if I could use the XLR input between the XLR out on my little Hartke Bass amp as a combination effects unit/DI. I am hoping to use the straight sound from the amp as an on stage monitor. I actually just remembered I own the HD500. Something I rarely use these days. I am guessing I can, but like the idea of running a clean and effects send to the PA.

Not only do I want to avoid the expense of a large Bass rig but at 62 years old, also want to save my back, not to mention car space.

[pfsmith0]

I would think so, assuming the XLR output of your amp is at mic level, which it should be. You may need to adjust the gain of the HD500's mic input (that little black knob on the back next to the XLR input) to optimize levels. But it should work fine. It's just another HD500 input.

[STEVEJAZ]

:) Thanks

Going to dig it out today and try it. Just installed the edit software and downloaded the manual. Guess that's the best place to start. I use the XLR  output on the amp into a mic input on the mixing desk in my music room at home so that should be fine. Means I can use the volume knob on the amp as a personal monitor level without effecting the PA send.

[AlexKenivel]

I'm a fan of the SVT bright amp and the 8x10 cab. I'm not a normal bass player and I don't look for a particular kind of bass tone but I start with this.

 

When using my 8 string guitar for clean two hand tapping stuff I blend in a clean Fender amp and high-pass it as well