How do you get a tight BASS sound?

A

AlinMV

New member
The title of the post says it all. I have not been very successful in getting a nice, round, tight bass sound out of my mixes. Most sound either washed out, hard to define, or muddy. I was able to get rid of the muddiness through EQ, but the round tightness (for lack of a better description) I just can't get.

I record and mix entirely on my DAW using MOTU's Digital Performer 2.72. I monitor through Events PS8's.

My typical treatment of a bass track is compression, pre-amp plug in, and EQ.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Albert
 
Bass sound begins with the bass you are recording. If the bass cann't produce a good sound, there is nothing to record.
And not any amount of compression or EQ can fix that.

Keijo
 
Pre-amp plug in? Hmmm, thats interesting. Do they make a Great River plug in? ;)
How are you getting INTO the computer? Whats your chain? If you arent using a good DI that changes the impedence properly and just plain sounds good, then you arent gonna get a good bass sound anyway. Halfway Decent DI's can be had for about $100, on up to about $2000.
Check into the Buzz Audio DI, it looks to be fairly priced and probably sounds great. The Avalon is about $550, best you'll find for that price.
 
Excuse my ignorance

Tubedude

Why do I need a DI. I am a keyboard player, and I was talking to my bassist, and he thought that the DI was just to connect to the house/studio mixer. It sounds as though you use the DI to color the sound? Is that right?

The way I recorded the bass was to my Mackie 1202 and then to the DAW....

Do the preamps on the 1202 compare with any of the DI's?

Thanks for the info.

Albert
 
The line inputs on most mixers are designed for signals that have already been preamplified, like keyboards, drum machines, FX processors, and guitars and basses with ACTIVE pickups.
The line inputs don't usually have a high enough impedance to connect directly to passive pickups, what happens is all the high frequencies apparently get 'drained off' to ground leaving you with a dull lifeless bass (or guitar) sound.
Any piece of equipment that you introduce into your signal chain will affect the sound in some way, this includes direct boxes and even cables, some have a small effect and some have a dramatic effect, sometimes good, sometimes bad.
For recording bass I like the 'Countryman' active direct box which has a pretty significant effect on the sound in a good way and the Sansamp which is actually a preamp, but you can get a good bass sound even with the cheap passive direct boxes like the Whirlwind.
Some stand alone mic pres also have a dedicated instrument input.
 
AlinMV,

are you trying to get nice round bass sounds from your keyboard or from your bass player?

if the keyboard, then you've got to start with a nice round sound to get a nice round sound.

if the bass player, then he's got to have a nice bass and either a nice amp and mic, or a nice DI box. oh, and if he can't play, then you can't get a nice sound from him.

BTW, what kind of bass is he playing? jazz, precision, soap box, active/passive, upright, acoustic, electric???
 
Thanks Crosstudio.

I realize the limiations of keyboard basses. I am actually trying to get my bassist to sound good. It does't sound bad mind you, but it doesn't have that roundness we're all talking about.

Actually, he plays a high end Pedulla thunder bass, six strings, active pick ups. I mean the bass itself cost in the thousands. ($1,500.) So, I am pretty confident it isn't the bass guitar. It may be a DI/ impedance issue . . . I will have to go through a DI next time and see if that makes any diff.

Albert
 
Oooh, a Pedulla... you didnt mention that someone wasnt afraid to spend money. Tell him to check out the Evil Twin DI, very very very very nice for bass. I havent heard the AValon, as I said, but for $500 some odd bux, I'm willling to say it would be wirth checking out. If he has a good amp, it already has a DI on the back panel. Check it out.
 
Don't take this wrong...I don't mean to be a smart ass, but when was the last time he changed his strings? I know he has an expensive bass, but does he know how large of a difference fresh strings make? If so, ignore this!
 
Bass POD. It solves problems like this (really). It sounds great... I have actually matched sounds my bass player recored live with a Sunn Coliseum, one of the amps they happened to model, well enough to replace a bridge without the change being noticeable. Plus you can record an "amped" sound and a DI track from it at the same time, in case you don't like the sound the next day.
 
hummm.....?

I'm a professional bass player. I have often recorded direct with nothing between my active bass and the console. I also record into my puter direct no DI or preamp. Am I always happy with my sound...? No but it's my instrument .....I'm never happy/satisfied with it but that comes with the territory. About the only problem I've had is my signal, could be a little hotter but it hasn't bothered me enough to add the extra noise from another gizmo into the chain. I do have a SWR900 bass amp with a DI on the back that I may try. It's pretty quiet.

Actually most of the time I have to cut bass as I mix...not necessarily gain but more in the frequencies. After struggling for years in the analog world to capture the low end it's been a breeze in the digital world.

Rusty K
 
I can't say for sure, becuase you're obviously easily satisfied, but I have a feeling that the DI on that SWR is gonna floor you with the difference in sound. It should sound much better. Running straight into ANY cheap ass console has always delivered a pretty crappy sound, to me. But, thats me. Try the DI. Let me know.
 
Oh... Its not about getting more bass or less treble or anything like that. It should just plain sound better. Your impedence will be correct. The signal strenght will be correct. Etc, etc. Use the EQ on the head and see what you come up with, and how it sits in a final mix compared to the "old" way. You should dig it.
 
I've been getting really good results with a Hughs & Kettner B.A.T.T. into an HHB Fatman. All tube pre into an all tube compressor. But the player has more to do with it than all the gear in the world. I've had players come in and play through this rig and even though it's the same rig, they all sound different.
 
Sansbass May be the answer to this. If you want the sound of your favorite amp From 3 miking positions without DSP. Its the stuff.
 
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