engineering knowledge expanding a bassist's capabilities

[J. Brooks]

Hi Justin,

I've really enjoyed reading your threads and have found them incredibly informative and inspiring. Thank you for sharing your knowledge in such a kind and humble way.

I have a few questions:

1) From what I gather, you know a lot about mixing and engineering. Can you shed some light on how you learned those skills? Did you devote a specific period of time in your life to learn about mixing/engineering or did you pick up information as you went along, watching engineers at sessions, experimenting at home, asking questions to people you were working with etc.?

2) I have begun to learn about and gain experience in recording my bass at home and I'm often more happy with my sound that I've achieved (and how I've mixed it in a song) than when I go into a fully equipped studio and an engineer makes sonic choices that conflict with my taste. I don't want to be a control freak, but I also have definite ideas about how the bass should sound in certain types of music that I'm playing and sometimes want to suggest a specific signal chain to an engineer, but don't want to overstep my bounds. Has this ever happened to you, and how do you deal with it or where do you draw the line in terms of your verbal input with engineers?

3) How does your proficiency and experience with mixing and engineering augment your capabilities as a bassist? as a musical director? as a producer?

I appreciate the time and thought you put into helping guide us younger musicians. P.S. Your ridiculous and stylish bass playing is top-notch.

[jmjbassplayer]

Thank you, Jordan! You're very kind.

1) I just learned by watching. Then by buying gear and trying myself, starting with a 4-track, and ending up with my current HD rig, racks of outboard, etc. It's an addiction - buying gear: like Matchbox cars, basses, or now my latest vice: modular synths! I ask, and have always asked, a lot of questions, that's fer sure! Reading books, magazines, being in the studio so often. That's the real help.

2) This has happened to me. Where do I draw the line? It depends on so many factors: the politics of a particular situation are intricate and unique. But I usually just hang in there, unless it's a project that I have a vested interest in of some sort. As a matter of course, I always make a point to lay a lot of ground work at the beginning of the session with the engineer and producer. Build up that relationship. You'll need it if you need to carefully suggest an adjustment to the sound.

3) Wow, that's a toughie. I guess I'd say that it informs my ability to listen. To listen to everything, really. Just more perspective.

JMJ

p.s. thank you for your praise, it's very meaningful to me!!!

Originally Posted by JordanBrooks

Hi Justin,

I've really enjoyed reading your threads and have found them incredibly informative and inspiring. Thank you for sharing your knowledge in such a kind and humble way.

I have a few questions:

1) From what I gather, you know a lot about mixing and engineering. Can you shed some light on how you learned those skills? Did you devote a specific period of time in your life to learn about mixing/engineering or did you pick up information as you went along, watching engineers at sessions, experimenting at home, asking questions to people you were working with etc.?

2) I have begun to learn about and gain experience in recording my bass at home and I'm often more happy with my sound that I've achieved (and how I've mixed it in a song) than when I go into a fully equipped studio and an engineer makes sonic choices that conflict with my taste. I don't want to be a control freak, but I also have definite ideas about how the bass should sound in certain types of music that I'm playing and sometimes want to suggest a specific signal chain to an engineer, but don't want to overstep my bounds. Has this ever happened to you, and how do you deal with it or where do you draw the line in terms of your verbal input with engineers?

3) How does your proficiency and experience with mixing and engineering augment your capabilities as a bassist? as a musical director? as a producer?

I appreciate the time and thought you put into helping guide us younger musicians. P.S. Your ridiculous and stylish bass playing is top-notch.

[J. Brooks]

thanks for taking the time to respond. It seems that you have a simple approach to learning and applying your skills and this enhances your ability to collaborate on wide variety of musical projects. That is inspiring to me.

[morehorn]

bringing up an old thread for reference. wondering what your role is for the smaller sessions you do and how us start-ups can jump in. the big stuff, i think its obvious, just play and let the professionals handle it but.... has bass-engineering added value to you for everything else? any tips gearwise for people who are doing remotes or running around town for the project producer?

[jmjbassplayer]

I think it's really helped me to engineer bass sessions, sure. I seem to have more of an idea of what makes a functional tone by doing that a lot...which definitely translates to mixing too.

My role for the smaller sessions is not unique: I basically just produce myself and direct the session unless someone (the artist or one of his team) is clearly wearing the producer hat. In other words, I find that a lot of time, people are hiring me also so I can make my own choices and produce myself through the overdubs that they need.

And I do think, even in project studio mode, it's important to have a good chain, or at the minimum, some kind of preamp-y/overdrive DI box like a Bass Driver DI, EBS bass pedal preamp thingy, MXR Bass DI, etc.

What I've learned most of all is that it's important to not overcompress, because cheap compressors sound cheap, and people rarely know how to set attack/release/threshold/ratio properly. In the project studio environment, unless you have something good, it's best to stay away from compression (or just have one of those Aguilar comp pedals or something similar that's good just taking a couple of dB off). Also, very important to check for phase and align your DI/amp tracks well (or DI/POD, or DI/Guitar Rig, whatever). Those alignment and phase issues, when left alone, can be a real drag on your tone and impact.

Those are fairly pedestrian tips, but important enough to regurgitate to you here.

Also: I've found great success in having a four-space rack back w/ nice studio gear I can take anywhere. In mine is a nicer M-AUdio interface (ProFire 2626) which I use at home or in lieu of people's crappier interfaces. In other words, you can just download some drivers, and get going with your own interface. Those are a good value w/ surprising converters for the money. Next is a Distressor, usually for the DI signal, which comes off an Aguilar Tone Hammer on the floor. Then a two-slot API frame containing a 550A EQ and A Designs Pacifica preamp. That's for your amp, or "amp", channel.

Once I'm home or at my studio, I use it there...and at my studio, I have a pre-configured snake all ready to plug into it and all the I/O shows up in the patch bays. That's not cheap stuff, but there are plenty of other great pre/comp/eq chains that can yield great results and be had for much less too.

Hope that might be of some help..

Best,
Justin

[morehorn]

a lot of confirmation of what I already thought. I'm surprised you aren't going more high end on the DI signal but didn't think of all the wack interfaces people run, that converter takes up some space.

I'm leaning towards getting a nice dual neve or API clone (vintech, brent averill, etc), to start. tracking compressor next, then maybe a 500 unit rack to add some other colors, EQs, etc, over time

I have to say I'm not a fan of the DI/driver boxes I've used but maybe I should get used to them cause no matter what studio I use, and I have some (be it minimal) experience at top studios in NYC, I see the engineer pick up my cable and put it in a $179 sansamp box.