Editing Double bass (section)

===Volume===
Despite the size of the instrument, it is not as loud as many other instruments, due to its low musical [[pitch (music)|pitch]]. In a large orchestra, usually between four and eight bassists play the same [[bassline]] in unison to produce enough volume. In the largest orchestras, bass sections may have as many as ten or twelve players, but modern budget constraints make bass sections this large unusual.

When writing solo passages for the bass in orchestral or chamber music, composers typically ensure the [[orchestration]] is light so it does not obscure the bass. While amplification is rarely used in classical music, in some cases where a bass soloist performs a concerto with a full orchestra, subtle amplification called [[acoustic enhancement]] may be used. The use of microphones and amplifiers in a classical setting has led to debate within the classical community, as "...purists maintain that the natural acoustic sound of [Classical] voices [or] instruments in a given hall should not be altered".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://harada-sound.com/sound/handbook/intro2.html |title=Sound Systems- Why?! |publisher=Harada-sound.com |access-date=21 July 2012}}</ref>
[[File:Jimbo Wallace.JPG|thumb|[[Psychobilly]] bassist [[Jimbo Wallace]] onstage with [[Reverend Horton Heat]]; note his large [[bass stack]] consisting of a 15-inch cabinet, a quadruple 10-inch cabinet, and an amplifier "head".]]
In many genres, such as jazz and [[blues]], players use amplification via a [[bass instrument amplification|specialized amplifier]] and loudspeakers. A piezoelectric pickup connects to the amplifier with a {{1/4}}-inch cable. Bluegrass and jazz players typically use less amplification than blues, [[psychobilly]], or [[jam band]] players. In the latter cases, high overall volume from other amplifiers and instruments may cause unwanted [[audio feedback|acoustic feedback]], a problem exacerbated by the bass's large surface area and interior volume. The feedback problem has led to technological fixes like electronic feedback eliminator devices (essentially an automated [[notch filter]] that identifies and reduces frequencies where feedback occurs) and instruments like the [[electric upright bass]], which has playing characteristics like the double bass but usually little or no soundbox, which makes feedback less likely. Some bassists reduce the problem of feedback by lowering their onstage volume or playing further away from their bass amp speakers.

In rockabilly and psychobilly, percussively slapping the strings against the fingerboard is an important part of the bass playing style. Since piezoelectric pickups are not good at reproducing the sounds of strings being slapped against the fingerboard, bassists in these genres often use both piezoelectric pickups (for the low bass tone) and a miniature [[condenser mic]] (to pick up the percussive slapping sounds). These two signals are blended together using a simple [[audio mixer|mixer]] before the signal is sent to the bass amp.