Hartke VX3500 Owner's Manual

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Contents

Hartke VX3500 Owner's Manual Manual pdf 13 page image

11About EqualizationINOUT+15+12+9+6+3+2-2-3-6-9-12-15+150-158KHz5KHz3KHz2KHz1KHz500Hz250Hz125Hz64Hz30Hz8KHz5KHz3KHz2KHz1KHz500Hz250Hz125Hz64Hz30HzGRAPHIC EQUALIZERINOUT+15+12+9+6+3+2-2-3-6-9-12-15+150-158KHz5KHz3KHz2KHz1KHz500Hz250Hz125Hz64Hz30Hz8KHz5KHz3KHz2KHz1KHz500Hz250Hz125Hz64Hz30HzGRAPHIC EQUALIZERINOUT+15+12+9+6+3+2-2-3-6-9-12-15+150-158KHz5KHz3KHz2KHz1KHz500Hz250Hz125Hz64Hz30Hz8KHz5KHz3KHz2KHz1KHz500Hz250Hz125Hz64Hz30HzGRAPHIC EQUALIZERTo find out how each graphic equalizer slider affects the sound of your particu-lar bass, start with all ten bands flat (that is, all ten sliders at their detented “0”center position). Then, one by one, raise and lower each slider, listening care-fully to the effect of each. If you don’t specifically need to utilize the ten-bandgraphic equalizer, bypass it by setting the In/Out switch to its “Out” position.Alternatively, you can preset a custom graphic equalization curve (for example,for a feature solo) and activate it simply by pressing the switch when needed.Note that turning all EQ controls up the same amount will have virtually thesame effect as simply turning up the Master Volume; conversely, turning themall down the same amount will have virtually the same effect as turning downthe Master Volume. Both approaches are pointless (after all, that’s why wegave you a Master Volume control!)In many instances, the best way to deal with equalization is to think in terms ofwhich frequency areas you need to attenuate, as opposed to which ones youneed to boost. Be aware that boosting a frequency area also has the effect ofboosting the overall signal; specifically, too much low frequency EQ boost canactually cause overload distortion or even harm a connected speaker, thoughthe Model 3500’s compression circuitry—if on—will act to some extent to pre-vent this from occurring. In general, if you’re going to apply a fair amount oflow frequency EQ boost, it’s a good idea to keep Compression on, if only toprotect your speakers from potential damage.The specific EQ you will apply to your bass signal is very much dependentupon your particular instrument and personal taste and playing style.However, here are a few general suggestions:• For that super-deep reggae or Motown sound, boost low frequenciesslightly while attenuating the highest ones (leave mid-range frequen-cies flat or slightly attenuated), as shown in the illustration on the right.• To remove boxiness and make your instrument sound more “hi-fi,” tryattenuating mid-range frequencies while leaving low and high frequen-cy settings flat, as shown in the illustration on the right.• For a twangy, cutting sound, try boosting the high and high mid-rangefrequencies, as shown in the illustration on the right (putting newroundwound strings on your bass will help a lot also!)• Whenever you get a really good EQ setting for a particular instrumentor song, write it down (you’d be amazed how easy it is to forget thesethings!).Finally, as you experiment with the EQ controls of the Model 3500, don’t forgetthat your bass also provides EQ controls in the form of its tonal settings—thiscan be particularly effective in instruments that have active circuitry. Also, tryvarious EQ settings with different Pre-Amp blends and with and withoutCompression. For more information, see the “About Compression” section onthe following page.