Using Guitar to record bass

[Nihan Olivier]

Hello.

I am in the process of recording a song, but it is lacking bass guitar. I read on multiple sources that I can use my guitar to record bass by recording the bassline with clean guitar tone and then pitchshifting -12 semitones.

I understand the idea behind that. I just want to be able to get the bass to sound more 'part of the mix'. At the moment it just sounds isolated.

I am also trying to get a bass tone similar to that of Trivium, As I lay Dying, Godsmack etc. A slightly distorted tone that doesn't overwhelm the mix, but still plays a significant role in its success.

If there are any VST plugins or plugins I can use for MP Pro tools 9 in order to get that specific tone, please let me know. Also please provide some advice on EQing and mixing the bass. The tone doesn't have to be exactly like other bands, I just want something in that region.

Thanks in advance.

 

[MozzoSemola94]

Try this tutorial

 

[patata]

Texas Grind
Costs like 40$ and you can get ALOT of stuff.

 

[Daybreak]

Pitch-shifting guitars can sound OKAY at best. You're better off just buying (there are even tons of free ones) a bass plugin and program it. You can get away with the unrealness of programmed bass, since 1) They usually get pretty smashed in a real mix, so they already sound kind of unreal and 2) it's often pretty low in a mix.

 

[davidgotmilk]

you got the right idea, and it might work for a demo or something, but you're better off using some kind of virtual bass/library like Texas Grind, Zombass, Trilian, just to name a few popular ones.

 

[Drew]

Pitch-shifting guitars can sound OKAY at best. You're better off just buying (there are even tons of free ones) a bass plugin and program it. You can get away with the unrealness of programmed bass, since 1) They usually get pretty smashed in a real mix, so they already sound kind of unreal and 2) it's often pretty low in a mix.

You're even better off just buying a cheap bass that plays well - one, it gives you a lot more control and is probably EASIER than programming real-sounding bass, and two it's a good skill to have and can give you a different perspective on songwriting.

 

[porchy]

Ditto.

I'd buy a cheap one for two main benefits:

1) You'll capture the actual fundamentals of the bass, which will in turn help you with your mixing technique -- might as well kill two birds with one stone, eh?

2) Your style may surprise you -- I've heard several people say they're inclined to play "differently" on a 6-string vs. an 8-string guitar. This may also apply to bass, and you may actually have a different approach to songwriting certain sections. I've definitely thought of more creative basslines via recording an actual bass than simply programming 000000000000000.

 

[ComaPrison]

You're even better off just buying a cheap bass that plays well - one, it gives you a lot more control and is probably EASIER than programming real-sounding bass, and two it's a good skill to have and can give you a different perspective on songwriting.

^This sounds like....

 

[The Reverend]

I used to pitch-shift clean guitars down an octave, and then I used a sampler that wasn't too bad, but I ended up just getting a bass, and I haven't looked back. Even though I couldn't play the things I had written in GP5 with it (go figure, right), it instantly sounded better. You can't think of it as just having the low end of your mix physically present, because the part of the string's vibration that bass guitars get their sound from is vital to a bass playing its role.

 

[p0ke]

I used to pitch-shift clean guitars down an octave, and then I used a sampler that wasn't too bad, but I ended up just getting a bass, and I haven't looked back. Even though I couldn't play the things I had written in GP5 with it (go figure, right), it instantly sounded better. You can't think of it as just having the low end of your mix physically present, because the part of the string's vibration that bass guitars get their sound from is vital to a bass playing its role.

I did this too. After using midi->vst and pitch shifter guitars for bass for nearly ten years, I finally bought myself a cheap 6-string bass. It's totally worth it. But damn my RG1527's neck feels small after a while with the huge 6-string 35,5" neck