Recording Bass Direct

[Myriad_Rocker]

This is out of your budget but I'm really loving how the Great River MP-500NV sounds with a good bass plugged into it. So full and airy...it's great. I have plugged a Fender Jazz and a Warwick Corvette into it and the bass sound is great. I've plugged these same bass guitars into my FireFace 800 direct and the sound is stale and lifeless in comparison.

 

[Dan The Speakerman]

Yet another vote for SansAmp Bass Driver DI, here. It's an excellent box.

It also has a tube emulation circuit that you can adjust to fatten the signal so it sounds a bit more like a tube amp. Couple that with a bit of presence (also on the box) to bring out just a bit of articulation, and tailor to taste.

The 'drive' is there if you want grit, but I don't use that in my recordings (but Geddy Lee often does).

Good luck!

 

[Roguetitan]

an ART preamp in front of the DI box or a ts to XLR transformer works well for me.

 

[jdier]

I just use a direct box: I plug the bass into one side and go to the board from the other. This provides an extra gain stage over just using a 1/4" input.

Note that I'm not a "processed sound" guy. I try to get the sound from the bass, and then capture it on the recording. I generally add FX post, where I have more control and more choices.

I think a simple direct box is a good start... you will always have a use for it and the whirlwinds are only $30 or so.

I personally really like bass through my FMR RNP. It is a two channel pre for $500 that does wonders for direct bass.

Good luck!

 

[fivesixonesk8er]

I have used a couple methods (Whether using the Sansamp as a preamp), but I ALWAYS use the Ampeg SVX Plugin. It fattens up the bass tone and I always get an AWESOME sounding bass tone from direct recording.

 

[Gear_Junky]

sansamp bass di if you can afford it
behringer bdi21 if you can't afford sansamp (it's a clone).

bass sansamp may or may not contend with same price range preamps, but the bdi21 sure beats all the passive direct boxes in the $30 range, dontcha think?

 

[shockingcandy]

sansamp bass di if you can afford it
behringer bdi21 if you can't afford sansamp (it's a clone).

bass sansamp may or may not contend with same price range preamps, but the bdi21 sure beats all the passive direct boxes in the $30 range, dontcha think?

I was writing a bass line last night using my BDI21 and then switched to some POD XT bass models on my PC to put down a rough take. I can honestly say the Behringer pisses all over the Line 6 tone. OK so that BDI probably doesn't have the range of sounds and nor does it have the FX options but for £25 it's a no brainer. Shame the balanced output is noisier than the unbalanced output (!). if I had the cash I would go for the Sansamp (I have a Tech 21 guitar amp and it is excellent)

 

[Gear_Junky]

Shame the balanced output is noisier than the unbalanced output (!). if I had the cash I would go for the Sansamp (I have a Tech 21 guitar amp and it is excellent)

i am not technical enough, but i always wonder if the noise problems SOME people report having with sansamps and also the ultra-g gi100 are due to connections/cables or even the house AC wiring? or could it just be production inconsistency/QA?

did you try the ground lift?

 

[Steve Henningsgard]

HOOOOOOOOOLD the phone there... what bass are you using? If you're trying to get good tone from a butt bass, ain't no processor in the world that'll create tone that isn't there in the first place!

 

[Gear_Junky]

very true, but sansamp-like stuff will still make it sound better. i have seen comments saying that it makes old strings sound alive.

not that i advocate bad basses or old strings

HOOOOOOOOOLD the phone there... what bass are you using? If you're trying to get good tone from a butt bass, ain't no processor in the world that'll create tone that isn't there in the first place!

 

[Steve Henningsgard]

very true, but sansamp-like stuff will still make it sound better. i have seen comments saying that it makes old strings sound alive.

not that i advocate bad basses or old strings

Oh, you can put a glossy coat over just about anything, but I'd put my bassist's signature something-or-other Fender directly into my 002 over a butthole no-name broken down piece of shit bass through a sansamp or an avalon

 

[shockingcandy]

i am not technical enough, but i always wonder if the noise problems SOME people report having with sansamps and also the ultra-g gi100 are due to connections/cables or even the house AC wiring? or could it just be production inconsistency/QA?

did you try the ground lift?

The ground lift has absolutely zero effect. The cables works fine with other gear (including the Sansamp output in my TM60). Given the low cost of these items it's quite possiblly a QA issue but just as likely a design fault. Regardless, for £25 I can't complain and as I only use it for recording at home it will suffice until I can afford a proper Tech 21 Bass Driver.

 

[SoComSurfing]

Oh, you can put a glossy coat over just about anything, but I'd put my bassist's signature something-or-other Fender directly into my 002 over a butthole no-name broken down piece of shit bass through a sansamp or an avalon

Haha! I don't know if I'd call it a "butthole no-name broken down piece", but some of my best results have been putting my cheapest bass, a Yamaha BB300 (P-Bass copy) through my 737. It's actually probably my best tracking bass!

 

[Gear_Junky]

...I'd put my bassist's signature something-or-other Fender directly into my 002 over a butthole no-name broken down piece of shit bass through a sansamp or an avalon

sure, me too. i'll even pay for shipping! you ship me your bassist's fender and i'll ship you a brand new sansamp and a no-name broken down bass



some people just have to work with what they got. which is why the bdi21 makes more sense for them over the sansamp.

i would also venture to say that a half-decent inexpensive bass with good pickups would record better via sansamp than best of best passive basses taken direct. maybe it depends on the board preamps, but let's just say "in many cases".

 

[Coolerhead94]

Well, first, I want to thank everyone for their input... you guys rock!

Second - I decided to go with the SansAmp BDDI (to start)... I can't tell you how happy I am with the sound (Huge b4b here). I am sure I will use this "pedal" for the foreseeable future - Live, too...

I am so happy with it, in fact, that I am looking for the RBI at a decent price, so I always have it in the rack...

I am trying all sorts of things with the BDDI - running it into a preamp, using the parallel out to record 2 tracks... and running the clean channel into V-Amp (for guitar)... or into a BBE... lots of cool chances/choices.

Thanks again!