This bass sound?

EricTheWeary

I'm assuming it is a bass guitar rather than synth/ sampler. Bill Laswell ( producer, session bassist) has a pretty much identical sound he uses on some things. 
I'm guessing it's an envelope filter but I don't know.

Ta 

Kebabkid

  

Bill Laswell's Gear

Bass
• 1977 Fender Precision with a modified fretless neck and Leo Quan Badass bridge

Amps
• Ampeg SVT-CL heads
• Ampeg SVT-VR heads
• Ampeg SVT-810E cabs
• Ampeg SVT-215E cabs

Effects
• Aguilar DB 900 Tube Direct Box
• Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
• Boss DD-7 Digital Delay
• DigiTech Bass Synth Wah
• DigiTech Whammy II
• DigiTech EX-7 Expression Factory
• DOD 545 Wah Filter
• Dunlop 105Q Cry Baby Bass Wah
• EBS UniChorus analog bass chorus
• Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi
• Ernie Ball 6166 Mono Volume Pedal for passive electronics
• Moogerfooger MF-102 Ring Modulator
• Pigtronix EP2 Envelope Phaser

  Not sure but I found the above.

fretmeister

I have 3 Digitech BSW - I don't think it's that. It's not dirty enough. Must be one of the others.

However I am damn sure the Source Audio Spectrum Intelligent Filter will get so close you won't tell the difference.

EricTheWeary

Just having a quick look on youtube, the Digitech Bass Synth Wah sounds certainly in the ballpark, it's essentially a modded envelope filter I think. I guess I tend to think of envelope filters as being more that quack thing you get on guitar.

I've been listening to a bunch of Aswad stuff and they were a lot more experimental than I would have imagined ( although no stranger to the cheesy cover version as well).

Cheers  

ICBM

Try the standard *guitar* Synth Wah - it sounds much better for bass than for guitar, in fact.

That's too old a recording to have anything like that on it though - it's a modern digital pedal, not really a modded envelope filter, although it can do that type of sound. It actually just sounds like an envelope filter to me, possibly with compression which tends to make it sound more like that.

Kebabkid

The pricey Deep Impact (originally made by Akai) could probably do this but it's pricey.

 I've had success with my Zoom B1xON. Cheap as chips but the synth sounds are good, as are the amp models and fx and the synth tracking is decent.

If you can find one, they're not to expensive and come up used for between £30-40.

fretmeister

The only EF you'll ever need




It's just amazing.

EricTheWeary

ICBM said:

Try the standard *guitar* Synth Wah - it sounds much better for bass than for guitar, in fact.

That's too old a recording to have anything like that on it though - it's a modern digital pedal, not really a modded envelope filter, although it can do that type of sound. It actually just sounds like an envelope filter to me, possibly with compression which tends to make it sound more like that.

There is a sort of ‘sucked’ thing going on which I’d associate with compression. Bit of envelope filter, bit of compression then. 

I just think I’m used to hearing envelope filters on guitars where it’s closer to that faux wah thing. 

The track is from 1982 so that probably is pre digital pedals.  Aswad’s experimental period which was a commercial flop so they went over to the cheesy cover and got into the charts. 

I eventually remembered the Laswell track, this is from 1984 and it's pretty similar - I probably haven't heard it for ten years so remarkably similar for my brain to go oh doesn't that sound like that although this may be more obviously envelope filter:





Cheers all


 

Funkfingers

Could be outboard gear, added at the mixing stage. 

fretmeister said:

I have 3 Digitech BSW - I don't think it's that. It's not dirty enough.

Laswell is rather fond of fuzz bass. Check out either Last Exit or his side project collaborations with saxophonist Peter Brötzmann.