Recording Bass getting a good sound

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  • CirrusCirrus Frets: 8481
    Why don't you just replay or program the bass then?


    (I'm only yankin' yer chain!)
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  • barrydbarryd Frets: 25
    edited June 2018
    The Behringer V-tone Bass Pre-amp arrived today.  As suggested there is no noise through it into either my M Audio interface or through the G3 Zoom.  I Think I prefer the zoom as I can add effects such as an equaliser or a compressor (Although Im not sure what to do with the compressor).  Of course all I have done is twiddle knobs so far with no real idea of what they do.  Unfortunately none of my 9v mains adaptors seem to want to power it so its either batteries or finding the right adaptor.  No biggie.

    Interesting points that Stuckfast makes about recording the Bass.  I clearly cant play it very well for starters as Ive only had it two weeks and Im under no illusions that being able to play the guitar the Bass will be an easy transition but I have discovered that getting the right sound down so it mixes well and doesn't sound like a sludgy mess is not that easy.  Are there any really good tips for this that dont require a degree in sound engineering?  I have started to realise through trial and error that its best to have everything on different frequencies so they dont clash as much. Roll off the bass on vocals, a low end bass and a higher frequency guitar.  The more simplistic stuff seems easier to get right.
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    Lead/rhythm guitar and bass guitar are two different head spaces.

    If, for the sake of argument, you listen to Dance The Night Away by The Mavericks, the element to which dancers should will shake their asses is the bass line. If whatever you play on bass makes you want to dance, you are doing something right.

    On a bass guitar with two Jazz Bass type single coil pickups and volume/volume/tone controls, try starting with the bridge pickup and tone fully up. As you bring up the volume for the neck pickup to almost maximum, you should detect a slightly notch filtered honkiness. With the controls set this way, it should be possible to extract a wide variety of sonic variety just by where you pick along the strings.

    If everything you try sounds almost identical (i.e. dull and lacking sustain), the strings probably need changing. If the intonation seems suspect at almost every fret, the strings need changing. 
    Be seeing you.
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  • pintspillerpintspiller Frets: 994
    When you mix music the bass can often disappear into the guitar. There are probably things you can do to separate them via EQ, but what I tend to do is use stereo - by moving items to 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock they won't merge.
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    When you mix music the bass can often disappear into the guitar. There are probably things you can do to separate them.
    Alternatively, make a feature of this phenomenon.

    One of the things that I love about a Rickenbacker 4001 is that I can land the one in the low register then do something fancy in the horn register. THINK: Chris Squire, Paul McCartney, early Roger Waters or Geddy Lee.
    Be seeing you.
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