Does everybody in rock use bass distortion?

riker1384 · #1 05-04-2009, 03:07 PM

Recently a lot of people have been posting master tracks of isolated instruments on Youtube. I've noticed that almost all of the rock bass tracks I've listened to have distortion. Is anyone else surprised by this? I didn't know it was that common. Geddy Lee doesn't surprise me, but even things like Flea's bassline on "You Oughta Know" is clearly distorted. (link) And Wonderwall is heavily distorted! I always thought that bass distortion was an occasional thing, except for maybe some really subtle stuff.

adamrobertt · #2 05-04-2009, 03:10 PM

If the guitars are heavily distorted, the bass usually is too. It sits better in the mix that way.

JimmyM · #3 05-04-2009, 03:11 PM

It's becoming a lot more common. Back in the day, most people who used it still wanted the bass to sound sort of clean, just with a little edge. Nowadays it's full-on.

Anyway, if you want clean bass with rock and roll, there's always Cliff Williams. Never used an effect or anything but a clean tubey sound his whole career.

ScottB. · #4 05-04-2009, 03:14 PM

That Wonderwall sound isnt a decent enough representaiton of it to caim its heavily distorted, Id happily say its from raising the gain in the making of the isolated track, or maybe to do with the kick drum

MooseLumps · #5 05-04-2009, 03:16 PM

nope.

Mudvayne's early albums have no bass distortion.

There are certainly other examples, but many would agree that the bass on these recording comes through well.

I don't agree with adam ^, I feel that a clear bass tone can sit just a well, if not better, because it will hold the bottom better (normally) and also be distinct.

However, some of my favorite bass tones on "Rock' albums are distorted. STP is a good example of a band that uses both clean and dirty tones in several different settings and it normally pops right in the mix.

Personal choice... YMMV... IMHO.... LOL...bla bla bla you get my drift

JimmyM · #6 05-04-2009, 03:22 PM

Oh yeah, Staind doesn't use much distortion. Johnny's used it a couple times, but for the most part, he goes for a full-range clean sound.

excane · #7 05-04-2009, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by riker1384

I didn't know it was that common.

It's the law.

tom once dead · #8 05-04-2009, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Oh yeah, Staind doesn't use much distortion. Johnny's used it a couple times, but for the most part, he goes for a full-range clean sound.

But I think with his rig, he could sit in the mix however he wants

lowmid · #9 05-04-2009, 03:37 PM

The bass tone of you oughta know Is 90% of the modulus flea bass and a bit of GK growl

Jared Lash · #10 05-04-2009, 03:39 PM

It's much harder to get a bass to sit well in a mix if both it and the guitars are distorted. It works if everything is in unison and playing slowly - ie doom/sludge etc. Otherwise it takes a lot of work and give & take to get distorted bass and guitars to coexist well. Kings X does this well.

IMO, really distorted guitars work best with clean bass and dirty bass is most effective with relatively clean guitars.

excane · #11 05-04-2009, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBigO

Kings X does this well.

They do this THE BEST.

JanusZarate · #12 05-04-2009, 05:37 PM

Be careful not to confuse the use of bass "distortion" with the use of pedals. A lot of rock bassists just push their amps to growl and/or produce some overdrive, and it's often only a "little" dirty (as opposed to full-on distortion).

In the mix, a lot of those little "dirty" details blend into a thick guitar mix, so it's not surprising that you may not have noticed it before. I wouldn't go as far as to say that all rock bassists use overdrive, but some do use a little dirt for some songs, and others go even farther.

I should also add that what you might consider "clean" for other genres really doesn't apply as well in rock. Growly, edgy tones are often our version of "clean."

vegas532 · #13 05-04-2009, 05:45 PM

I've actually found that the use of overdrive, even a little, helps to make the midrange more pronounced in a bass sound.

sonic assassin · #14 05-04-2009, 11:19 PM

keep in mind that post-tracking processing is a huge factor in the end product. the bass could have gone in with just a little bit of ampeg clipping and then compressed to sound dirtier.

bigntasty · #15 05-04-2009, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticBoo

Be careful not to confuse the use of bass "distortion" with the use of pedals. A lot of rock bassists just push their amps to growl and/or produce some overdrive, and it's often only a "little" dirty (as opposed to full-on distortion).

In the mix, a lot of those little "dirty" details blend into a thick guitar mix, so it's not surprising that you may not have noticed it before. I wouldn't go as far as to say that all rock bassists use overdrive, but some do use a little dirt for some songs, and others go even farther.

I should also add that what you might consider "clean" for other genres really doesn't apply as well in rock. Growly, edgy tones are often our version of "clean."

+1

Old-school rock often relied solely on tube amplifiers and a wall of speakers to achieve that overdriven sound. Ampeg SVT + 8x10 is a classic example, but certainly not the only solution. Nothing like raw power to lay 'em low!

RHCP250 · #16 05-05-2009, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowmid

The bass tone of you oughta know Is 90% of the modulus flea bass and a bit of GK growl

That album was recorded with a Wal, and the funky chorus part is on a fretless. Not sure about the amps he used on BSSM though.

Ric5 · #17 05-05-2009, 07:51 AM

Back when classic rock was current music they played through old tube amps that were 50 to 350 watts. When they turned up they distorted.

They did not have amps with a lot of overhead and they didn't have direct boxes. So now to replicate the classic rock sound you need a little distortion.

Personally I mix clean and distorted sounds together to get the best of both worlds.

Jared Lash · #18 05-05-2009, 08:34 AM

Am I the only one that thinks the Wonderwall bass tone is awful?

And Flea's bass part sounds a lot more aggressive soloed. Interesting how the mix level changes your perception.

Rickett Customs · #19 05-05-2009, 08:48 AM

I believe the "one guitarist" thing may come into play, especially in rock or heavier genres. Sure someone like Cliff (Ac/Dc) can go for the clean sound(2 guitars). But for bands with one guitarist, it does make alot of sense to loan a little bit of that rhythm guitar sound to the bass. Keep in mind, I'm referring to a live aspect. Of course IMO.

OriginalCrash · #20 05-05-2009, 10:08 AM

I agree, the Wonderwall part sounds horrible... So bad, in fact, that I can't help but think that must have come from the isolation process... Surely the bass on such a wonderful song doesn't actually sound that bad...?

Brian