Compress my bass

[txthrashking]

which is best for a steve harris metal tone
1. mxr m87
2. boss lmb3
3. digitech bass squeeze
GO!

[krstko]

Steve Harris tone = flatwounds + P bass + agressive finger style .. nothing more (and you can also use J-bass or any other with tone all the way down)

[meatwad]

Originally Posted by krstko

Steve Harris tone = flatwounds + P bass + agressive finger style .. nothing more (and you can also use J-bass or any other with tone all the way down)

I agree with the first part, but not the last part. Especially the part about the tone being turned down...

[scottfeldstein]

That kind of playing can probably benefit from a little compression, sure. It's not slap, but it's certainly aggressive. But the compression isn't what's making his sound. It's just taming the transients of his aggressive style, evening out the volumes of the notes. Any of those units will do that for you if you set it right. I use the MXR, fwiw.

[tink9975]

Harris uses the DBX 160 for compression, not sure what stomp box would sound most like it.

[curbowkid]

If you want to compress your bass i reccomend a trash compactor

[krstko]

Originally Posted by meatwad

I agree with the first part, but not the last part. Especially the part about the tone being turned down...

Well, I can get a decent Steve Harris like tone with my J-bass and tone all the way down

[Duckwater]

I agree that a good compressor with the right settings will help you achieve that tone.

Steve actually plays pretty softly though, he strikes the strings in a downward motion with the tips of his fingers, his action is incredibly low and his tone is wide open so that kind of right hand technique in combination with the compression really accentuates the fret "clank". The flatwound aspect of his setup is mainly to get rid of left hand noise, allowing him to compress his sound and boost treble without making his tone obnoxious.

I have no experience with compression unfortunately, I rarely use it. I find that if you don't have the right kind of compression and setup than a powerful right hand attack ala Geezer Butler will bring you closer to that sound.

[Massimo636]

Originally Posted by krstko

Well, I can get a decent Steve Harris like tone with my J-bass and tone all the way down

Tone all the way UP would be closer to Steve Harris. His tone is very trebly and clanky and doesn't have much for deep lows. (Check out some of his isolated bass tracks on Youtube.)

[scottfeldstein]

Yeah, wow. Not exactly middy...but nothing too deep and a definite sizzle at the top.

[krstko]

Originally Posted by Massimo636

Tone all the way UP would be closer to Steve Harris. His tone is very trebly and clanky and doesn't have much for deep lows. (Check out some of his isolated bass tracks on Youtube.)

Ow yea, forgot to tell you, I use rounwouns, so my tone is naturally clanky but I still think he doesn't have all that much treble

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by txthrashking

which is best for a steve harris metal tone
1. mxr m87
2. boss lmb3
3. digitech bass squeeze

While the M87 is the best compressor of the three, the LMB3 might be the one that will get you the sound you want most easily. Don't bother with the Digitech at all.

[Inconnu]

If you don't have an effect loop and you wish to keep your compressor always on, you could always use a ART Tube MP/C. It's a tube preamp with a very simple, yet effective and nearly noiseless compressor (110$). I LOVE mine! But if you need to have a compressor in pedal format and more control, the MXR is the way to go.

[AndyLES]

Steve harris absolutely uses compression....actually, quite a bit of it. His rig is detailed step by step int he new issue of Bassist magazine (from the UK - a bit more expensive than the American titles due to the shipping).

Hot pickup (seymour duncan quarter pounder) - lots of compression - light attack - LOUD LOUD LOUD amp. Rumor has it that his tech, Toney Keggey, doesn't allow anyone else to play Steve's basses, both for obvious reasons and for the fact that the average bassist, playing normally, would probably blow the speakers in one pluck.

[AndyLES]

Originally Posted by Massimo636

Tone all the way UP would be closer to Steve Harris. His tone is very trebly and clanky and doesn't have much for deep lows. (Check out some of his isolated bass tracks on Youtube.)

His tone knob isn't even wired.

[inate_hex]

Originally Posted by AndyLES

His tone knob isn't even wired.

if the tone knob isn't wired then surely that must mean that the treble is wide open. you can only cut frequencies on passive instruments.

[scottfeldstein]

Good point. But it sounds like it's pretty tamed by a subsequent EQ. I would say his tone sounds pretty flat to me, maybe not too mid-forward.

[Massimo636]

Here's an example of his tone.
Two Minutes To Midnight - Bass track


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdp_sHlo2QA

[Massimo636]

Originally Posted by AndyLES

His tone knob isn't even wired.

That's why the tone knob all the way up would be better than all the way down.

[Duckwater]

He has a lot of different tones, they're all similar but with a very different midrange character.

This is totally different than his tone on Powerslave: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_7l4fP9vFc