Need help getting a solid bass tone.

[Jamison]

Hello Everyone,

I finally have gotten the perfect guitar tone for me. But now I am recording Bass and have no idea where to even start. I have the Redwirez Big Box expansion with MixIR2, and I wanna use the Ampeg IR. But I am running Podfarm through Logic for all my tonal needs. I am just looking for a really solid bass tone, something like Molotov Solution/ Sovereign Strength direction. I have a 5 string Halo Satyr with an EMG Pick up. Any advice is welcomed.

Thank you,

Jamison

 

[danresn]

When I record bass I use a number of different amps/sounds combined together. So generally 1 is through the eleven rack (pod farm for you I suppose) which is my main tone, very bright, quite 'mid heavy', the kind of frequencies that stand out in a mix.

I then add on another track with just the dry input from the interface running samsamp (logics amp designer for you) with a gritty distorted bass, a crunchy sound that only occupies the higher frequencies, sometimes I even run bass on 0. This allows just the grit to penetrate through but clarity from the other bass tracks to remain untouched.

I use a plain clean DI bass sound with just a basic EQ and compression on it.

Finally I add in a big low end one. This varies a little, I sometimes use samsamp again, sometimes I reamp through eleven rack with a really big cabinet sim, sometimes I use a frequency enhancer or a combination of some. All that matters is that its still very clean but with a more low end focus.

These tracks are then all summed into a master auxiliary channel to add final EQ, Compression to help sit in the mix and to allow ease of the bass being mixed relative to other instruments. The sound can then also be changed later by adjusting the volume of each of the individual tracks.

I hope that makes sense. It allows for a lot of personal scope for changing sounds after recording.

 

[Jamison]

When I record bass I use a number of different amps/sounds combined together. So generally 1 is through the eleven rack (pod farm for you I suppose) which is my main tone, very bright, quite 'mid heavy', the kind of frequencies that stand out in a mix.

I then add on another track with just the dry input from the interface running samsamp (logics amp designer for you) with a gritty distorted bass, a crunchy sound that only occupies the higher frequencies, sometimes I even run bass on 0. This allows just the grit to penetrate through but clarity from the other bass tracks to remain untouched.

I use a plain clean DI bass sound with just a basic EQ and compression on it.

Finally I add in a big low end one. This varies a little, I sometimes use samsamp again, sometimes I reamp through eleven rack with a really big cabinet sim, sometimes I use a frequency enhancer or a combination of some. All that matters is that its still very clean but with a more low end focus.

These tracks are then all summed into a master auxiliary channel to add final EQ, Compression to help sit in the mix and to allow ease of the bass being mixed relative to other instruments. The sound can then also be changed later by adjusting the volume of each of the individual tracks.

I hope that makes sense. It allows for a lot of personal scope for changing sounds after recording.

Thank you, I will try this when I get home from work.

 

[square stomp]

My way of doing it is similar.

1. Record decent bass tone through POD X3
2. Duplicate Track
3. High-pass track track #1 around 500hz, Low-pass track #2 around 200hz
4. Surgical EQ each track as you see fit
5. Compress as you see fit(I'm still tinkering with this part myself).
6. Add you favourite flavour of dirt to track #1 (the high-end track)
7. Throw both tracks into a group track/buss and mix them together, EQ more etc.

Viola, sounds NASTY!

 

[JamesM]

Compression is key!

 

[noise in my mind]

this is a great tutorial: