Writting with Effects

[littlezak]

When I am writing a bass line I normally tend to stay away from effects because I feel that they would cause the bass line to "dominate" the song too much. Do you ever have this problem? Any ways to get around this?

[jmjbassplayer]

Originally Posted by littlezak

When I am writing a bass line I normally tend to stay away from effects because I feel that they would cause the bass line to "dominate" the song too much. Do you ever have this problem? Any ways to get around this?

Yeah, that's a problem if you're going crazy with things in an inappropriate circumstance, but sometimes the effects "write" the song. So I have no particular rules...I just listen (either to other stimulus, or myself if I am writing alone in a vacuum) and determine the correct application and degree of texture.

JMJ

[James Hart]

well said!

[Phe]

Do you still make sure that the bassline works without the effect you "write" it with?

[jmjbassplayer]

Originally Posted by Phe

Do you still make sure that the bassline works without the effect you "write" it with?

If it is a traditional bassline with that harmonic/rhythmic functionality, yes I will sometimes make sure of that. You can usually tell even with the effects; the bassline works or it doesn't. But if it's not a bassline and rather provides some other function (atmosphere, noise, guitaristic counterpoint, keyboard functionality, etc) but happens to be played on a bass, I obviously won't sweat it.

JMJ

[TaySte_2000]

I'm wondering what makes a producer or artist hire you to do atmospheric noise over them just saying lets program it in or use a synth or something along those lines?

[jmjbassplayer]

Originally Posted by TaySte_2000

I'm wondering what makes a producer or artist hire you to do atmospheric noise over them just saying lets program it in or use a synth or something along those lines?

Not being vain here, just telling it straight: Because people in the know are aware of the damage I can do on a bass that lies outside of the norm. It's a unique voice; it doesn't sound like synth per se...some of these kind of textures are really hard to program, and they want all the idiosyncrasies of a guy playing a stringed instrument in there (pops, clicks, scrapes, slides, etc etc) that you can't get with some dude rocking a laptop with Reaktor.

JMJ

[TaySte_2000]

Originally Posted by jmjbassplayer

Not being vain here, just telling it straight: Because people in the know are aware of the damage I can do on a bass that lies outside of the norm. It's a unique voice; it doesn't sound like synth per se...some of these kind of textures are really hard to program, and they want all the idiosyncrasies of a guy playing a stringed instrument in there (pops, clicks, scrapes, slides, etc etc) that you can't get with some dude rocking a laptop with Reaktor.

JMJ

Thanks, that is basically the perfect answer I think alot boils down to some producers (alot) just see bass as a thumpy instrument I know when I'm in the studio if I was to suggest some background swells and ambience using effects on bass or even stand along as occilators they'd look at me like I just shot their mothers.

Thanks