[SOLVED!] Scoop The Mids: A Study

Contents

Generally speaking, scoop the mids is a phrase that many novice guitarists have heard of while getting used to their instruments. The phrase refers to a technique that often proves useful during performances of specific music genres. Kind of new to guitars and want to learn how to scoop the mids? In that case, this article could help you out. 

Breakdown

Mids

All in all, to understand the phrase scoop the mids, you must first understand the definition of mids. For your information, the mids are in essence the sound’s midrange frequencies (in other words, your guitar and amp’s tone). The mids consist of two different frequencies: the high ones known as treble and the low ones known as bass. The fact the midrange creates most of the guitar sound means when you reduce the midrange frequencies, the sound will become more transparent. 

Scoop The Mids

The meaning of the phrase scoop the mids is straightforward: turn down the midrange frequencies on the amp. Most of the amps have a “mids” knob as a part of the EQ but in the case you use a graphic EQ, you could see the scooped mids taking on either a V shape or a smiley face.

How To Scoop The Mids

To scoop the mids, drag the mid knob all the way down to zero then turn the bass and treble up above the noon. If your amp lack have a dedicated mid knob, feel free to use an EQ pedal as an alternation to scoop the mids. Put the EQ pedal in front of your amp and do exactly the same: turn down the mid knob and turn up the bass and treble knob. 

Why You Should Scoop The Mids

If your genre is metal, scooping the mids should give you a crunchy sound that is perfect for the rhythm guitar. In addition, it also gives more room for the lead guitar to cut through, a big plus in extreme metal genres. Another reason to scoop the mids is that different amps have different midranges. Hence, scooping the mids can get your amp good sound in a way that you would not get in another.  

Why You Shouldn’t Scoop The Mids

Among guitarists who want to get the metal tone, not many resort to scooping the mids due to the limited setting. Scooping the mids sounds best in the isolated setting but not that good in others. That means the technique is not suitable for playing in groups and guitarists who do a lot of scooping the mids might find it difficult to stay harmonized. 

When a guitar does not have much treble and bass, it is basically a mid-range instrument. Therefore, when playing the instrument in a band, you might feel lost among other instruments. The bass guitar and kick drum will overwhelm your bass and the cymbals will be louder than your high-end. Also, the space the guitar should be filling is the midrange, but when you scoop them, you will feel completely lost. 

Sometimes, guitarists attempt to turn up the volume but that results in extremely loud and unclear sounds. Another issue of scooping the mids that causes people to avid is its full-stop sound. After scooping the mids, the sound can be shrill, frizzy and harsh which is preferred by metal players but not by guitarists of non-metal genres.