Just a general bass recording question.

[deadhead]

I play of a Fender Jazz with SD vintage pickups and have a Ashdown solid state rig. This problem has been with more than just this setup but I put it out there just as an FYI.

When I've recorded, which I've done at home and in studio setting with my guitarist who is working on engineering and mastering, I've noticed a kind of problem with the bass on the final track. Although I normally play with a bunch of high mid's (although I use half-wounds to get a more thumpy, old-school tone), when I hear the finished recording the bass sounds too "bassy", like it is blowing out the speakers rather than sounding like clear bass. This problem has gotten better since we have been refining our recording techniques but I still feel like the bass isn't clear and crunchy enough, just too boomy for me. I know this question probably requires a lot more knowledge about exactly how we are recording but I figured if I have this problem some other people have had similar problems and wondered how they handled it and what caused it. Thanks !

[bongomania]

Have you tried recording direct through a clean DI?

[eusie]

I always record my Bass through my Raven DI, all eq settings flat. I add any eq later on in the mix. Hope this helpful for you.

[knarleybass]

just roll off some low end with the eq in your DAW.

[deadhead]

I've not like DI in the past because I feel like I don't get my true cab sound...But lately I've realized that my built-in DI in my amp may not be clean and that may be why. I've always just recorded off my cab but maybe I should give DI a chance. Does it come through as more of a clean sound? I like the definition of the low ends on the bass I just don't want the boom that distracts from the actual bass tone.

[knarleybass]

how is the DI in your amp set? is there a PRE/POST setting? If so, set it pre, and that should allow your bass to pass through to the DI without any color from the amp, if you don't have that switch, get a proper DI, the Radial JDI is really good. Before you do that you can also just plug your bass straight into your audio interface, many of them these days have instrument inputs.

[deadhead]

i will check all that out and try out the direct next time i record.

btw, what kind of music do you all play? i'm always curious to know who I'm talking to. everyone here seems to have really good advice but most bassists these days tend to be kind of rubbish so it's funny. not that i'm accusing anyone of being rubbish here but just being inquisitive. i should probably get a better handle on recording though, im more of a live bassist.

[bongomania]

I'm more of an electronic/audio engineer who loves bass than a bassist per se. In all seriousness, the "true sound of your cab" is likely to be the cause of your problems. What sounds good onstage very often does not sound good recorded, and the boomy sound you're describing is typical of mixing those two ideas up.

Use a nice DI. Get a clean recording of your bass. Then add EQ, cab emulation, or whatever other processing, after the track is already recorded. That's how the pros do it.

[knarleybass]

I mainly play in a joke reggae band

[eusie]

I play in a jazz quintet and for the money I play in a soul/funk cover band.:-) A good DI BTW makes a lot of difference, I have recently purchased an Aguilar Tone Hammer with built in DI, tone control and pre/post switch. Could be a solution if you want to "colour" your bass sound whilst recording.

[TerenceSharp]

Another thing is, sometimes it's not the bass

I always roll off below 80hz on EVERYTHING apart from the bass and kick, this leaves sonic room for the bass to be pure and not a mess of frequencies.

[semajniwdoog]

Sounds like you might be micing the cab? That will end in disaster in the studio. If you a have a DI on your head use it. It will sound most like what yoo have, otherwise, as stated before. get a good DI.