Recording cleaner bass tracks

[wilsonNC]

When playing back my recorded bass tracks, I am annoyed to hear a short string/fret buzz when releasing fretted notes. I notice it most when releasing whole or quarter notes. Also my fretted notes are clear w/ no buzzing - just at moment of release.

In the mix, it’s not so noticeable, but I would like to clean up if possible. Rolling off mids hides it some but then track gets lost in mix and lacks definition.

Has anyone experienced this? Is there a fretting hand ‘technique’ that minimizes this and produces a cleaner sounding bass track. I've never had pro lessions and suspect I suffer from undiagnosed bad habits.

[Rattlehead]

Hi,

This is an excellent question, and it's something that irks me as well. If you listen closely on many records, you'll hear that many bass players do have this 'problem', if you want to call it that. You can even hear it on double bass recordings if the player is playing pizzicato (with fingers, not bow).

For the most part, it will not be noticeable in a band setting because it isn't very loud, and I think most people responding to this thread will say to simply not worry about it.

Being the perfectionist that I am I have put some (but not nearly enough!) effort into getting rid of it. Here's what I have come up with:
- Release the note 'faster'. That is, do not gradually release the pressure on the note but do it suddenly when you want your note to stop. This will eliminate the critical window of time between having a 'fully fretted' and a 'fully muted and released' string, thus minimizing the time in which your problem can occur.
- Use all of your other fingers to mute the string just before taking the string off the fret. So if you just played a note with your index, when you want the note to end you would lightly touch the string with your middle, ring, and pinky fingers before releasing the index. You have to practice it because if you come down too hard with those fingers the string will make contact with the frets, and you'll end up making more noise than if you just released in the normal way
- The above method is extremely difficult to do well - it requires a lot of coordination, but usually the movements have to be done rapidly for it to sound seemless. It is especially hard to do when you're fretting with the ring because you need a good deal of independence between ring and pinky if you want to fret with ring and mute with pinky. And, of course, it is impossible to do when fretting with pinky, because, well, you don't have any more fingers after that!


I guess the real solution to try here would be right hand muting, or some combination of effects and methods, such as using a sponge or leather dampener at the bridge, EQ, using more neck pickup, compression, etc

I haven't really tried any of these.

So, hopefully someone else can provide a more useful answer and help us both out!

[ZonGuy]

Try raising the action on your bass to the limits of comfort for recording. You will get better tone and eliminate a lot of extranneous noise.

Warning: rasing the action can bring on or aggravate tendonitis.

[wilsonNC]

Originally Posted by Rattlehead

...If you listen closely on many records, you'll hear that many bass players do have this 'problem', if you want to call it that...

That's some relief... I thought maybe it was just me.

Have worked on faster releases, better - no cure.

I'll give your 'free' finger muting a try - sounds difficult, but since most of problem appears on slower material it may be doable at my talent level. Thx

[christoph h.]

I think the only real way to completely eliminate this kind of sound is going for a right hand muting technique. As far as I know, Gary Willis uses right hand muting almost exclusively (I don't mean palm muting, by the way) and he has no noticeable "release-sound". I believe he even demonstrates that in some video.

That said, I don't believe that you should try to completely eliminate he sound. It's part of normal bass technique and adds "life" to a bass track. A lot of these small sounds "fret buzz", slide noise can add character and even make a bassline work better, both musically and in the mix.

Of course, if you don't have any control over it at all and it's a unusually loud noise, you should do something. But honestly, it's sounds a bit like you're "micromanaging" this too much. I don't believe that "perfectionism" in that regard is something positive.

[IB3K]

The only way that I am aware of really getting rid of it is through post production or with Willis' right hand muting (as christoph suggests). Personally I have been using the Willis RH technique in the studio for I would guess the last 6-8 years or so. For me Willis' RH technique is the only way to get total control over this. Hope that helped.

[MisterV619]

You might hate the sound, but it adds character and the human touch to the sound. If the sound were to clean and perfect, you might as well be playing a keyboard with a sampled bass.

[wilsonNC]

Originally Posted by MisterV619

You might hate the sound, but it adds character and the human touch to the sound. If the sound were to clean and perfect, you might as well be playing a keyboard with a sampled bass.

Just embrace it huh. You guys may be right. I'll listen some more. The Willis RH method? I'll have to look into that also.

Thx all for suggestions

[Audiophage]

Try some different muting techniques, for right and left hands. And remember to fret each note as exactly as possible. While I agree that some fret buzz can add character to a bass sound, if you're not satisfied with the sound you're getting then by all means go ahead and woodshed as much as you can. If it's the sound in your head that you're after, do as much as you can to achieve it.

Gary Willis' RH technique is very weird. His website has all kinds of videos and articles on it.