Percussive fingerstyle clicking sound

[mettec]

I play bass in a popular hard rock cover band. I usually record all our groups performances with a Zoom H2 or Edirol R-09 field recorder. I have noticed that I have a very noticeable clicking sound coming from the PA which sort of sounds like Steve Harris from Iron Maiden who also happens to be my main influence. I play a Modulus Q5 w/EMG's, a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0, and a Genz Benz Neox 212T cabinet. Even though I have my treble on the bass halfway, the tweeter on the 212 almost off, and on the amp my highs and mids are only less then halfway. I still get that clicking sound reguardless of how light I play the strings but my lowend still shakes the stage. If I lessen my highs or mids anymore then I lose the definition and color of my sound. Can someone give me an idea what else to try?

[Dogbertday]

are your fingers or strings hitting the pickups?... i had that problem for a while... I lowerd my pickups a hair and it solved it...

[zagralin_arf]

All I can say man is you play the way you play. Over an internet forum I can't look at your playing style and tell you what to do eq wise. Do you want that Steve Harris Clank in your sound? If you don't you need to re-approach your technique. If you do but your tone just doesn't make it sound right try tweaking your eq, compression, type of strings, maybe a bit of fuzz, who knows. Its all about finding the sound you have in your head and getting it to come out your fingers. My first advice from experience is strings. When I switched from GHS to Rotosounds my style all of the sudden made sense. Maybe try a different string?

[JimmyM]

The clicking sound can happen regardless. Bass is a noisy instrument, and if you clack into the frets or pickup, it's still going to get amplified no matter how you try to roll it off. If you want it gone, you just have to lighten up and not clank. Technique problems should never be solved by EQ.

[Eublet]

Originally Posted by mettec

I play bass in a popular hard rock cover band. I usually record all our groups performances with a Zoom H2 or Edirol R-09 field recorder. I have noticed that I have a very noticeable clicking sound coming from the PA which sort of sounds like Steve Harris from Iron Maiden who also happens to be my main influence. I play a Modulus Q5 w/EMG's, a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0, and a Genz Benz Neox 212T cabinet. Even though I have my treble on the bass halfway, the tweeter on the 212 almost off, and on the amp my highs and mids are only less then halfway. I still get that clicking sound reguardless of how light I play the strings but my lowend still shakes the stage. If I lessen my highs or mids anymore then I lose the definition and color of my sound. Can someone give me an idea what else to try?

Not uncommon at all. It could be a million things. For starters, a string action that is too low can do this. A lot of people don't notice it when they practice alone because they don't play as intensely. Put them on a gig, with the adrenaline rushing, and it happens. Add in that you might not hear it as well through your bass rig as the tweeter doesn't amplify those frequencies quite as authoritatively as do the horns on your PA Mains.

You can concentrate on technique to help. Usually the clicking is worse when you are skipping strings, or digging in on a faster bass line. Again, raising the action will help prevent this, but with each twist of that allen wrench, it becomes more difficult to fret the instrument. It could be that you just need to get used to a higher action, especially if you are an aggressive player. Low action and aggressive playing sometimes don't go together well.

You can also experiment with heavier gauge strings, wihch will increase the tension allowing you to keep your strings a bit lower. Then again, some like higher action with lightweight strings, or vice versa. Experimentation is the only way you'll find out.

Also, I had two Modulus basses for quite a while. The clicking is intensified by the graphite necks. No way around that. But with proper strings, setup and technique, it's a non-issue if you take the time to figure it out.

Can you measure your string height and tell us what it is?

[mettec]

Thanks for all your replies. A few things that I can tell you is that I move around the stage a lot and perform modern heavy style, (Grind Core, Alt Metal, etc...) movements.....hope that paints a picture. So I really can't play soft unless it's a ballad or non-aggressive tune. My action is slightly higher then Modulus's factory setup and I have played dozens of string manufactures only to settle on D'Addario Pro Steels. I prefer them for feel, piano type tone, long life, and one of only a few that will work on 35" scale basses. I was wondering if a warmer pickup (Barts) would mellow the tone a bit?

[Eublet]

Bart's would definitely warm the tone up. The EMG loads Moduli are pingy to say the least. I had Barts in mine and it was a much more mellow than the EMG's. But it does take away from some of the brightness and piano clarity. I never liked steels on any of my Mods because they were pingy enough without them.

[bkbirge]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

The clicking sound can happen regardless. Bass is a noisy instrument, and if you clack into the frets or pickup, it's still going to get amplified no matter how you try to roll it off. If you want it gone, you just have to lighten up and not clank. Technique problems should never be solved by EQ.

big +1

[jamesblue]

I think just finding the right EQ that takes out the amount of clank you want out is the answer. There are multiple ways to EQ in a signal chain starting at the eq on your bass. A notch EQ can reduce the clank, if that's what you want, you just have to find the frequency it's in and reduce it. This can be done at the sound board, if the board has the right EQ controls, other options are a pedal with graphic or notch EQ.

[Rattlehead]

I think this thread contains the answers to a lot of your questions, and it is an excellent read either way:
Demystifying Metal styles, how to make fingerstyle playing heard in Metal

(by the way to those of you who responded before me try to post this link when threads about this come up - that thread has helped countless people)

The only thing I'll add are:

-If you're using a DI box onstage, then EQ'ing your amp will only change the sound coming out of the amp, and the gig's sound system won't be affected, so the clacking sound will still be there.

-If you've learned to play bass with the clanking style, like me, and you want to also be able to play the other way, it's going to take a heck of a lot of patience, basically restarting your right hand technique as if it were day one of playing bass. It can be done, I can do both now.

-Steve Harris, I am told, uses flatwound strings, and this helps reduce the clanking sound.

Edit: Oh, and yes, I think you can play softly while still having the stage presence you describe - if you do choose to learn the 'softer' playing style you will find that your hand will do it that way naturally no matter what the rest of your body is doing.

Good luck!