Bass suggestion?

andrushkiwt

andrushkiwt

Well-known member
not a "gear guy" by any means, so i need some help here. My tracks are hard rock/alternative and I am currently using a crappy pawn shop bass borrowed from a friend. The bass is really the biggest problem in my recordings, as the mid range is rather muddy, even with much EQ. there is a terrible idle hum as well, and i've found it to be at 500hz and 1.3khz when I sweep it while its in idle. I am using an amp sim with the bass amp and cab. the instruments plug directly into my interface, so no amp needed.

i very recently upgraded my guitar to a Gibson Studio Gothic, and i might as well complete the deal with a new bass.

any suggestions, price range up to $350-ish, for a good bass in this genre? If you would like to hear a sample of the music, with the crappy bass, check here:

https://soundcloud.com/andrushkiwt/why-you-called

even particular brands would help me out, and i could research models from there. thanks everyone!
 
My bass cost me £110 new! Its the typical bog standard cheep bass. But its fine for recording - I wouldn't trust it for even the most basic live use.
 
What is the 'crappy pawn shop bass' you're using now? That'll help people steer you in a different direction.

But it might not be the bass. Borrow somebody else's bass and try doing things exactly the same way you're doing it now. Don't even change the EQ. Same cables, everything.

Also, what's your interface?
 
I'm sitting here waiting for the post man to bring me my 'new' Yamaha RBX170.
Yamaha seem to get tremendous rep across the range, despite their low prices.

I'll keep you up to date when it arrives. :)
 
Have a look at the new Sire Marcus Miller V7 or M3 basses. Marcus Miller was heavily involved in their design and development and they're getting amazing reviews from users. Some are saying they're better than American Fenders. Google it.

I've heard some samples and they sound good for rock - and they come in at about $300 I believe. There's only one seller in Europe I've found, but you can buy them direct from Sire in the USA (which helps them keep their costs down).

Another good bet is a Godin Classic Shifter. I have one - a 5 string. Passive instrument and fairly like an American Standard Jazz in tone and build quality.

JIMMY
 
notCardio said:
What is the 'crappy pawn shop bass' you're using now? Also, what's your interface?
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i don't think the headstock has anything written on it. honestly. my interface is AudioBox USB

---------- Update ----------

that was fast. thanks guys. i appreciate it
 
Well, like I said, borrowing another bass and recreating the scenario would be the first step I'd suggest taking.

I'm also gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that the bass may not be the only problem, if it's the problem at all.

Not that a different bass might not get you better results anyway, but for me, straight into that interface would probably not be a very desirable situation.
 
notCardio said:
i'm also gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that the bass may not be the only problem, if it's the problem at all.

Not that a different bass might not get you better results anyway, but for me, straight into that interface would probably not be a very desirable situation.
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Nah, that's how it's done. It's the purpose of the device. Of course, mic'ing a good amp is best, but this is quite possibly the next best situation, quality-wise.
 
Would it be possible for you to post just a snippet of a song that has the kind of bass sound you're looking for?
 
notCardio said:
Would it be possible for you to post just a snippet of a song that has the kind of bass sound you're looking for?
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I do not have a particular sound in mind, other than something on par with Incubus, The Killers, or even as heavy as Breaking Benjamin - anything current and used in the alternative/rock genre. I apologize for my ignorance in bass sounds, i just know that it's the area that needs the most work in the mix. I guess I should have asked, "what is the most popular alternative genre bass guitar?" I appreciate your help, and I'm sorry I don't have something more specific for you. Really though, maybe listening to the track I posted for a minute or two would help you hear what I'm hearing, and maybe something would come to mind as a suggestion...? i could literally pick any song by the bands I listed above and say, "ok, that sounds good to me!"
 
andrushkiwt said:
Nah, that's how it's done. It's the purpose of the device. Of course, mic'ing a good amp is best, but this is quite possibly the next best situation, quality-wise.
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The purpose of an interface is to change an analog signal into a digital one. An AudioBox USB, I'm guessing, isn't designed specifically to plug a bass straight into. Not that you can't do it, and yes that's what the 1/4" input and 'guitar' or 'instrument' setting is for, but again, that's not, well, let's just say that's not how I would do it.

I'm just trying to give you an alternative perspective here.

But if you can borrow a bass, especially if you can borrow one that you know you like the sound of live, then when you recreate the situation in exactly the same way, you'll know whether or not it's the bass or something else, and you can go from there.
 
The only Incubus song I really know is 'Drive', and I'm guessing that's not what you had in mind.

I'll listen to your track, but I'll warn you I'm listening through cheap headphones on a crappy soundcard. I might not be able to hear what you're hearing.
 
I'm wondering what analog signal does it mean to convert into digital then, if not for instruments requiring a 1/4" input? I fail to see an alternative, other than mic'ing an amp. Actually, there are countless threads in this forum where people ask "what do i need to record....." and the answer is nearly always, "an interface".
 
OK, I listened. I guess I'm not hearing what you're hearing. My only thought was that It seemed like the bass could've been mixed farther forward in general. I'll find some other phones and listen again a little later. Right now there's a used guitar pedal at GC calling my name. Gotta scratch that itch.

FWIW, I really, really liked the song, and for the most part the production. I hope you go far.

Unfortunately for you, I don't think there is a 'standard' bass or basses in that musical genre. Maybe there is and I just don't know. Hopefully someone more familiar with it will chime in. (Probably, if I'll shut up long enough, huh?) Back in the days of 'classic' rock, there were far fewer choices and it was easier to pick a bass based on who you wanted it to sound like. I don't think that's the case so much any more.
 
notCardio said:
OK, I listened. I guess I'm not hearing what you're hearing. My only thought was that It seemed like the bass could've been mixed farther forward in general. I'll find some other phones and listen again a little later. Right now there's a used guitar pedal at GC calling my name. Gotta scratch that itch.

FWIW, I really, really liked the song, and for the most part the production. I hope you go far.

Unfortunately for you, I don't think there is a 'standard' bass or basses in that musical genre. Maybe there is and I just don't know. Hopefully someone more familiar with it will chime in. (Probably, if I'll shut up long enough, huh?) Back in the days of 'classic' rock, there were far fewer choices and it was easier to pick a bass based on who you wanted it to sound like. I don't think that's the case so much any more.
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thanks so much for the compliment. I appreciate it very much. It's good to know that it didn't sound too bad to someone, most comments have been "bass is too bland" or something to that extent. so, maybe i'll think twice about getting a new one. hmm. And yes, i'm sure there isn't a go-to bass for everything alternative - that's just my ignorance w/ bass sounds. thanks a lot for all the responses.
 
andrushkiwt said:
I'm wondering what analog signal does it mean to convert into digital then, if not for instruments requiring a 1/4" input? I fail to see an alternative, other than mic'ing an amp. Actually, there are countless threads in this forum where people ask "what do i need to record....." and the answer is nearly always, "an interface".
Click to expand...

Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is that, if you're not going to mic an amp, quite often you will go through a preamp of some sort before going into the A/D conversion.

The old standard was to use a Tech 21 Bass DI.
 
Yeah, I don't think there was so much anything 'lacking' in the bass, it just wasn't loud enough to suit me.

For most people (other than bass players) the bass isn't really supposed to 'stand out'. It and drums are generally thought of as background instruments.
 
Yeah, but it's not a bass preamp. Just like some pedals are designed for guitar and some for bass, some preamps are designed more for a bass.
 
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