Strings and recording

xqusemuah · #1 01-16-2002, 11:54 AM

Ok, I am in my 1st year of URB. I get a nice pizz sound live, but when I try to record, the bass sounds too electric and mid rangy. I also hear a lot of finger thump type noise. It seems I have to eq the mids away like crazy to try and conteract this bogusness of sound.

I have tried a Schectner pickup and now I am using a K&K Golden Trinity. My bass is a new carved Chineese. I am using Spirocore wiech strings now. My thoughts are that this bass is new and therfore bright sounding itself. So are the Spirocores. Should I try a darker string on this bass? How about Thomastik Superflexables?

Sam Sherry · #2 01-17-2002, 05:17 AM

Need more info, X. Are you recording direct or with a mike? What kind of mike? Where are you placing it? What are you recording with? What are you trying to do with the product -- practice, demo, sale?

xqusemuah · #3 01-17-2002, 07:56 AM

I am using a K&K Golden Trinity set up, which is a condenser mic and piezo combination. I am mixing those two together in a Raven Labs Master Blender which works great. The top channel has 10meg input inpedence which drives the condenser mic great and the bottom channel is 820k ohms which gets the full range from the piezo. I then take two balanced outs from the Raven Labs preamp into two channels on a Mackie board (one with the new vlz preamps, I forget the model #). One is dry, one wet with Lexicon. Eq flat on the board.

Have tried the preamp that came with the K7K pick up system, but the Raven Labs is way smoother. Have tried going direct with phantom power from the Mackie, also have tried a SM58 solo. I seem to get the warmest tone from more mic than piezo in the mix.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #4 01-17-2002, 07:59 AM

If you're talking about a studio recording, don't record with the Trinity - that's a mike meant for amplification ( I know, I use one). For studio stuff, your best bet is a condenser mic (Large diaphragm if you can swing it) set between 9-18" in front of the bridge of your bass. If you tilt it up, you'll get more string noise; down will get you more low-mid response.

Good luck.

xqusemuah · #5 01-17-2002, 08:05 AM

Thnks Chris. I listened to your sound clip and that sounds sweet. What kind of strings are you using?

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #6 01-17-2002, 12:01 PM

GESUNDHEIT,

My strings are Spirocore Orchestra guage set (so Jeff B tells me) a tad on the high side. But the clip is kind of old in terms of recording equipment - I used an old beat-to-hell SM58 for that cut. For Christmas this year, I bought a new MXL V67 large diaphragm condenser, and it kills the 58. I hope to be able to post something new soon, but thanks for the kind words about the old stuff.

I've been doing a lot of recording and research on same out of my house, so if I can be of any help, let me know.

DURRL

JAS · #7 01-17-2002, 03:14 PM

hey chris, that sound clip does sound very nice. i like your playing a lot. thanks for letting us check it out. who is the guitar player? it seems like you get to play with a lot of great musicians out there in KY. is there is scene out there? Do you play as the house bass player somewhere? How long have you been playing?

xqusemuah · #8 01-17-2002, 04:54 PM

I have those also. Big sound. Do you play much arco? I didn't like the way they bowed. Have you ever tried the Superflexables?

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #9 01-17-2002, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JAS
hey chris, that sound clip does sound very nice. i like your playing a lot. thanks for letting us check it out. who is the guitar player? it seems like you get to play with a lot of great musicians out there in KY. is there is scene out there? Do you play as the house bass player somewhere? How long have you been playing?

Thanks for the kind review. The guitar player is a guy name Craig Wagner, and the guy is so good it's sick, although you don't get to hear much of him on the clip....when it comes to having good people to play with, I've been so lucky lately I'm afraid to pinch myself for fear I'll wake up. There's actually a nice little scene in town, and I've heard form folks from out of town that Louisville has the highest percentage of good musicians per square mile of any place they've seen. Which of course is a huge exaggeration, but there is a nugget of truth in the center of it.

How long have I been playing? Guitar - 25years, piano - 16 years, fretted plank/fretless slab - 12 years, Double Bass - 2 1/2 years.

Wow, it looks kinda skimpy when you put it in writing like that. I hope I don't lose my moderatorship over this...

Right now I have a gig with a great group (which includes Craig, and a great keyboard player and drummer) that plays all original jazz-centric music. The younger crowd is really into the group, so there seems to be a good audience whenever we play. And getting the chance to write music for players of their caliber is a treat. Life is pretty good right now, thanks for asking and listening.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #10 01-17-2002, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by xqusemuah
I have those also. Big sound. Do you play much arco? I didn't like the way they bowed. Have you ever tried the Superflexables?

I've tried a few different strings, but the Spirocores kill them all for pizz. I don't play arco at all. Someday, but not this day.