Pre/Post EQ: Dialing in Your FOH Sound

Many of today's bass amplifiers, including Carvin Audio's B Series, come with the added flexibility of a PRE/POST EQ option. While often overlooked, this simple switch can make a notable difference in how your bass rig sounds onstage.

 

 

The PRE/POST EQ switch does not have a direct effect on your bass sound the way your amp’s standard four band or graphic EQ does. This switch is used specifically in live settings where the sound man or front of house engineer takes a direct signal from your bass amp and sends it to the mixing board to adjust for equalization and volume in the band mix. If you set the switch to PRE, the direct signal is before the amplifier’s equalization section. When set to POST, the direct signal comes after the equalization.

What this means is that amps with this switch lets you control how much of your sound is available to be adjusted by the engineer. If you have a setting you absolutely love, you can set the switch to POST, so that the sound man receives your tone as-is and can make adjustments using those settings as a starting point. Setting the switch to PRE bypasses your amp’s EQ section, giving him an uncolored palette to work with. This is ideal in situations where you've worked with the soundman or venue numerous times and trust them to help you make your bass sound the best it can.

Of course, having a versatile EQ section is essential, whether you choose PRE or POST. The Carvin Audio B2000 has a boutique flat response for a clean sonic sculpting palette. However, it offers tremendous flexibility with EQ points at 40Hz, 100Hz, 400Hz, 800Hz, 2kHz, and 6kHz. This lets you really dial it in!

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