Similar to my previous post about guitar tones, how would one generally go about recording Bass guitar.
I plug directly into my comp via an alesis io2. Then use edison on FLStudio 12 to capture the audio.
I would usually then apply a bit of compression, and EQ and maybe an effect if I'm going for a funky sound.
Any tips or suggestions sound be greatly welcome, as always.
Thank you.
A little late to the party here, but I take a very simple approach to recording my bass, and I've gotten compliments many times in the clinic on various songs that my bass sound is pretty good.
Basically, I just record direct using my Digitech GNX300 pedal board, which when new 15 years ago was like $700, and its bass amp sims I just like a lot more than the ones I have on the PC in ProTools (I forget what they even are, but I've A/B'd them many times and just prefer the board). It has 10 different bass amp heads and cabs, for a while I've been using the Fender Dual Showman amp with the Ashdown ABM 410T cabinet, I just like how it sounds. I use a tiny bit of compression on the board on the way in, the noise gate, and I roll off a tad of the extreme lows with the EQ right on the board. That's it. Point is, you can get great sounds just right into your interface with minimal gear.
I will admit, my bass even on its own sounds fantastic. It's a black 2006 USA P-Bass with a maple neck, and just sings. It's basically never left the house, is only used for tracking, and has basically lived it's entire life in it's hardshell. Still has the new stickers on it. It has a few resonant spots on the neck that can poke out at times, but I do my best to EQ those out in mixing, usually varies between 100 and 400hz, depending on the part. I usually hi-pass at about 50hz, and lo-pass anywhere from 8 to 12k, depending on the song. I sometimes pull out some 800 to 1k, also depending on the song. Sometimes I add a touch of EQ, but again, that can vary depending on the song and notes played.
I almost always use a tape machine simulator on it (Slate VTM) and 90% of the time use the CLA-2A compressor on it, once in a while I'll use the Slate Distressor (FG-Stress). Occasionally I'll do a parallel compression track with an 1176, squash it, and blend it in slightly underneath. Sometimes I'll even send the kick to this parallel track, so the bass ducks a microscopic amount every time the kick hits.
Sorry I just started typing and kept going. But the point is, even though that might have sounded like a lot, it really isn't. I realize you weren't necessarily asking about mixing the bass, but you'll get there eventually if you're asking about tracking, so hopefully my information was helpful. Remember, the three most important things about bass in a mix are level, consistency, and then tone. How you get there is irrelevant, as long as you get there.