Another bass thread

[mbuster]

I am bored with my bass sounds. I like the tone from my instrument, but I am sick of basically using the same setup on every song. I realized that giving the bass a more prominent role in the mix can really change the feel of the whole song. Listening to the Audioslave CD kind of inspired me to work on it a bit. While most of the guitars on the album piss me off, Ithink the bass is pretty interesting in all the tunes. I usually just slap on some compression to even it out and some EQ to make it fit.My problem is, I can't seem to come up with any effects that don't just scream " cheesy -ass bass effect by no-talent moron" I've gotten better at getting a "tame" bass sound. Now I want to get a little more out there, without it taking away from the song. Anybody have any favorite effects chains they like for the bass? Any they hate? what works? I've kinda figured out what doesn't!

 

[Stealthtech]

I've run my bass thru my j-station for some interesting effects. The good thing about the j-station is the editing power thru the unit and also thru the software interface. The tweaking is unlimited.

 

[Peter Lancaster]

Live I use the following pedals : Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi, Bass Balls and Small Clone, an Akai Deep Impact and Uni Bass. I also use a Line6 Bass POD and the effects within that controlled from a Line6 Floor Board. My favourites are the Big Muff and some of the synth sounds from the Deep Impact. It's always fun watching an audience try and work out where the synth sounds are coming from in a three piece band (bass, guitar, drums).

As far as recording goes I haven't recorded any of the songs that I use the effects on yet because most of them are covers and I'm trying to fill out the sound with something interesting.

On recordings once there are two or three acoustic guitars, a couple of electric guitars, a Nashville strung electric guitar, several different keyboard parts, vocals with multiple harmony parts, drums, percussion and anything else someone thinks of, anything other than just a straight bass sound just doesn't seem to fit. I even have to play more conservatively to fit in with everything else that's going on.

As far as keeping myself interested in what I'm doing on the bass I find that using the Bass POD allow me to use distinctly different sounds on different songs courtesy of all the different amp models. I also have three basses to choose from : Warwick Corvette Standard V, Spector NS94, Bass Collection SB331 fretless. These all sound very different from each other and that helps. The other thing that can make things interesting is playing a fretless on songs that you normally wouldn't. Quite often you'd be surprised at how well the fretless sound works on songs.

Now, if I can write a song around one of my mad bass sounds I may have a chance of it getting onto the recording.

Pete.

 

[tmix]

Relatively Cheap Start

I wholeheartedly agree with Stealthtech.
I have the Johnson J-Station as well and when I want something different I use it. For about $150 bucks you have a really good guitar amp simulator that has 3 bass rigs emulated as well. Just this weekend I ran a bass through it using one of the clean regular guitar cab models (Johnson Clean) and it sounded perfect for the part.
If anyone wants to here it I'll post an mp3.
Anyway a second thought is getting something like an ART Tube MP and using it,but it is more of a one or two trick pony.

 

[mbuster]

Thanks, fellas. I'm a guitar player by nature and a bass player by necessity. (spell that right?) , so something that only costs $150 sounds cool. I'm gonna check out the J-station.