Metal players! What do you look for in a sound?

Bodyelectric · #1 02-08-2011, 01:23 AM

Greetings! I am an ex-guitard and joined my first band as a bassist. We are in the metal/hard rock vein. Being really new to the instrument, I am having a little trouble developing a satisfactory sound. I was brought into this project because I don't mind using a pick(and I have the right influences). I would be interested to hear what people look for in a sound and how they often acheive it. So far I have been turning the tone all the way down on the bass to just kind of bring a lower register to the guitards but it has no definition obviously. Thanks in advance

KimGT99 · #2 02-08-2011, 01:44 AM

For me it worked like that: I generally use basses that are mid orientated (or can be) and boost the mids so that I cut through the mix. It's kind of satisfying if you can hear yourself

Venom of God · #3 02-08-2011, 01:45 AM

For starters I would turn that knob all the way up. Maybe a little grit with a SansAmp or something, not too much. Don't be afraid of mids, either.

MuzikMan · #4 02-08-2011, 04:53 AM

I think good metal tone is mid heavy. Turn the tone knob all the way up and get yourself a new set of strings. That will get you most of the way there.

Zeb Norris · #5 02-08-2011, 04:54 AM

Is my Fender Jag a good bass for metal?

MuzikMan · #6 02-08-2011, 05:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeb Norris

Is my Fender Jag a good bass for metal?

You should ask this question in your own thread in the bass forum.

mcapote · #7 02-08-2011, 05:47 AM

come down to personal preference, I actually like a darker sound where as alot of guys like mid heavy, its actually kinda funny that i like my sound so low sounding when I tend to play alot of GnR type stuff LOL. I usually switch between a spector legend custom and a P bass, I use flats on the P and rounds on the spector, little compression and usually downtune a half step but thats more for the sake of the singer

Zeb Norris · #8 02-08-2011, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuzikMan

You should ask this question in your own thread in the bass forum.

It was a joke.

Eater_of_Birds · #9 02-08-2011, 05:57 AM

get to like your mids, or you can get buried. it sounds like you should try and get some tubey grit going.

hyp.spec · #10 02-08-2011, 06:24 AM

lots of mids and a liiiiiiiitle bit of overdrive will help you cut through no problem.

Having a good amp setup definitely helps too...

panama · #11 02-08-2011, 06:32 AM

What amp are you using?

DrSmaggs · #12 02-08-2011, 06:32 AM

Make the sad face on your EQ. I like a tad of overdrive, too. It depends on the overall sound of the other band members, too.

skidrawk · #13 02-08-2011, 08:18 AM

I prefer the hmm face with the smirk on stage right and frown on stage left

Nephilymbass · #14 02-08-2011, 08:36 AM

I say all you really need is a sans amp RBI and either an active bass or some really high output passive pickups. Definetly need a "deeper" (by that I mean a decent amount of mids not boomy)tone especially if your jamming with guys that tune down. Our guitar players use 7 string strings on thier 6 strings and throw out the high string. My SWR head is awesome for many other styles but when I play rock or metal I use the RBI now.
You can check the tone I use for rock/metal here. And keep in mind this was recorded at a home studio with pretty dead strings. But the signal chain is just bass--->BBE Sonic Stomp---->Tech 21 RBI---> Line 6 interface

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=484JNSbEiU4

ben12390 · #15 02-08-2011, 08:50 AM

i was in a metal band for a little while, and i just used a sansamp PDDI, and had the mid control knob all the way turned up, and then the mids boosted, so it cut through, and was deep.
so i guess what i went for was a real grit tone, but really deep and not mid heavy, so i cut through with my tone, not my EQ, and kept the low end locked down tight.
i used a p-bass with rounds, usually tuned a whole step down. it worked for me.

tl;dr. deep, some grit, and mids if you need to cut through. metal bass is usually felt, not heard, so just be LOUD.

tdub0199 · #16 02-08-2011, 08:53 AM

more MIDS!!!!!!!

OOZMAN · #17 02-08-2011, 08:55 AM

MIDSSSSSSS!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuzikMan

You should ask this question in your own thread in the bass forum.

No he shouldn't, go away...

Pollinator95 · #18 02-08-2011, 09:03 AM

I use a Jazz-style bass with both pickups on full and almost no EQ. Gets me a sound similar to Martin Mendez of Opeth.

rockstarbassist · #19 02-08-2011, 09:10 AM

What is this "metal" stuff?? What/who do you consider "metal", as most n--bs on here don't know what "metal" rly is...

so the question is moot. There's also hundreds of sub-genres of metal, so what bands are you trying to cop.

Din Of Win · #20 02-08-2011, 09:22 AM

Trolls trollin' trolls!!!

To the OP...

+1 to mids! I'm not much of a metal dude, but i played in a crust/thrash metal band for a bit. I actually preffered a clean sound with any dirt coming from just my amp.

For that project, i used my active Ibanez SRX390... active HH with a crazy fast neck... a GK800rb and a 2x15 and favored the bridge pickup heavily. Sounded awesome!! I was trying to emmulate the tone that the bassist from Municipal Waste has (he uses a MM Stingray).

Best advice.... don't be afraid to experiment!!