Recording bass with direct inputs on a good preamp?

cfg

cfg

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I recently acquired a BAE 1073 DMP, and I have a used Manley Dual Mono Mic Preamp on the way. In my reading, I've seen several people say this or that preamp's DI is great for bass. When people use bass with a given preamp's DI's, are they then running the signal through other plugins like say IK multimedia's Amplitube, or are they literally using the signal just as furnished by the preamp?
 
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I have seen 4 ways . None just use the bass DI.

1 using compression to sausage case the bass track nice and thicc

2 using autotuner or Melodyne to keep the lower notes solid

3 adding a keyboard sample on top of the bass track.

4 using a multi point EQ to continually find high spots, and notch it down until its flat..
 
I DI bass through my interface, tracked dry. I add a little compression onto it, then run it into Line 6 PodFarm, typically using the 'Silverface' bass model with a 2x12 cabinet. Some 'drive' to saturate it. EQ on the sim is usually mids dialed down, treble up a bit. Then I will volume-automate any too-loud or too-soft notes later in the mix process.
 
If I go straight in the interface, from a DI off the preamp, it sounds like this.. CAE 3+ straight off the output. GK MBE straight from the DI.


No EQing. No mixing really..Thumpy bass, no good bottom. ...bad..
 
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I have started just using my old POD XT, going into the line in of my Tascam. The other day, when my bass playing buddy came over, we fired up a song I've been working on, and he ripped off 3 different versions as he worked on what he wanted to do. I put it on Tweed Bassman model, used both his old Guild bass and my Peavey bass. I think it had the Sennheiser mic model. It just worked! It sounded like a bass, didn't do anything funky. Easy as pie!
 
Line6 modeling is excellent. There is always something useful to find. I am pretty sure Line6 comes with all kinds of FX too.

Let me hear an untouched straight in bass if you have a track recorded. I wanna hear it raw.


one sec I think I have a UX2 somewhere..
 
I send bass through a Great River MP-500NV and may or may not compress with either an Allison Research Gain Brain or a dbx 157A at mixdown.

​

 


Screenshot 2021-12-20 225402.jpg


If you think UA has better models. Here is the SVT Unison model. And the same in a mix.

Mix


Better?
 
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Plug in bass to interface. Hit record. Consider processing afterwards if it's needed. For me, this is usually a tiny bit of compression and EQ, that's it.
 
If I am in a hurry I will plug in straight to interface. Preference is through a DI box with a transformer through a DBX into interface. It doesn't matter too much either way, but the second way get's me closer without too much plugin fuss.
As for your question? I would say people using a particular preamp are probably dialing in as close to the sound they want and maybe adding a compressor to the chain rather than doing a bunch afterword. Though depending on the genre duplicating the bass track and/or sending through an Aux track with an amp sim is very common.
 
To me, hardware still always sounds better. Get something hardware in the path and enjoy.

If you have found a real nice bass sound while playing, please share it. Let us give it a listen. I am not gonna say nothing negative about it.

Rich, Guild makes fantastic instruments. I play a USA Fender Jazz Bass. I like how different it sounds, bridge pickup to neck.
 
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I discovered with my American Jazz 5 string when I bought it that it really needs playing hard - one of my strands is this kind and my low action basses hate being played loud, but the Jazz hates being played quietly. I also play quite a few songs with my nails I don't use picks and tone wise this works fine. I'm really not into amp adjustments either. I want live, loud and clean. That way whatever I play works. A metal player would be very different.
 
LazerBeakShiek said:
To me, hardware still always sounds better. Get something hardware in the path and enjoy.

If you have found a real nice bass sound while playing, please share it. Let us give it a listen. I am not gonna say nothing negative about it.

Rich, Guild makes fantastic instruments. I play a USA Fender Jazz Bass. I like how different it sounds, bridge pickup to neck.
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I tend to prefer to mix DI and mic'd up cabs but I usually only compress the DI on the way in. I use a FET LDC about 3.5-4.5 ft from the speaker to allow the sound to bloom and let the air space help to level the mic signal. However, it's as I said, genre dependant.
 
cfg said:
I recently acquired a BAE 1073 DMP, and I have a used Manley Dual Mono Mic Preamp on the way. In my reading, I've seen several people say this or that preamp's DI is great for bass. When people use bass with a given preamp's DI's, are they then running the signal through other plugins like say IK multimedia's Amplitube, or are they literally using the signal just as furnished by the preamp?
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Lot of filtering when you have a DI and Amplitube - put a little compression and maybe eq and you are set.
 
Thanks for all the replies. So, if I'm interpreting the bulk of answers correctly, there's generally some processing going on after the track is recorded.
 
I think so. Historically - some players simply know what they will need afterwards, and prefer to play with that processing. Me? I never know what will suit till afterwards and I like playing and listening to what the bass produces, not what I've done to it? Actually - my approach never extends to recording anything with processing - if I need to hear some effect or whatever, it will be on the track and I record monitoring that, not the input. I just don't see any benefit in the box, but I can understand it with external effects or processing - then you must record that. I suppose you could record clean then go back out and back to the processing - but that's sonically less ideal and some guitar processors never sound the same with a line level in instead of a guitar? I think this is one that is a personal preference and never a rule?
 
rob aylestone said:
I think so. Historically - some players simply know what they will need afterwards, and prefer to play with that processing. Me? I never know what will suit till afterwards and I like playing and listening to what the bass produces, not what I've done to it? Actually - my approach never extends to recording anything with processing - if I need to hear some effect or whatever, it will be on the track and I record monitoring that, not the input. I just don't see any benefit in the box, but I can understand it with external effects or processing - then you must record that. I suppose you could record clean then go back out and back to the processing - but that's sonically less ideal and some guitar processors never sound the same with a line level in instead of a guitar? I think this is one that is a personal preference and never a rule?
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Right. If you have a sound already in mind or that you are going for, whatever it takes to get there. If you can do it with outboard and print it then you can save time, although as a safety it's always nice to have a DI back up
 
rob aylestone said:
suppose you could record clean then go back out and back to the processing - but that's sonically less ideal and some guitar processors never sound the same with a line level in instead of a guitar?
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If that was a factor, two thoughts occur?
Firstly, attenuate the line signal down to 'instrument' level, say about -20dBu 80-100mV. Secondly do that but also make up a source that mimics a guitar or bass. That could be done with a transformer (always useful for re amping anyway) and 'tune' it with some caps and Rs.

Might have a play with that in my old age. Mind you, be totally pointless if pedals were in the line and the problem does not exist at all for an active bass!

Dave.
 
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