For you hip-hop bass-men out there

Rockman · #1 05-02-2010, 09:33 PM

I'm just wondering what kind of tools you guys use to modify your sound and give it that super tight hip-hop thump.

Robertron · #2 05-02-2010, 09:36 PM

Sound clip examples of what you mean, please?

kevteop · #3 05-03-2010, 05:15 AM

EHX Bass Micro Synth is the cheapest way to get a bunch of very effective sounds for this type of music, especially if you can get one of the older ones (they handle the bottom end better than the new ones, which just distort if you give them a loud low note).

And learn to palm mute.

bigblondeafro87 · #4 05-03-2010, 07:33 AM

Moog LPF will help, of course theres a lot of hip hop bass out there. Clarify with examples please?

natw42 · #5 05-03-2010, 08:14 AM

Palm mute and plucking w thumb is always good. Locks it in nice and tight.

Octave pedal w the clean turned all the way off works nice too for a different type of sub-bass sound. And its cheaper than the EHX or Moog (albeit a completely different type of sound)

Rockman · #6 05-03-2010, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by natw42

Palm mute and plucking w thumb is always good. Locks it in nice and tight.

Octave pedal w the clean turned all the way off works nice too for a different type of sub-bass sound. And its cheaper than the EHX or Moog (albeit a completely different type of sound)

I'm not really going for a palm-mute sound. The octaver sounds like something I need to explore, but it wouldn't be an all the time sound. We have lots of different styles and sounds needed. An EHX synth is something I was considering, I was able to play around with one for a while some time ago.

ColinGWood · #7 05-03-2010, 12:32 PM

+1 on an octave pedal, it's not too in your face à la phaser or flange, but it gives you a different flavor of bass hit for breaks or fills, or justa certain song segment

a bit of overdrive never hurts, either.. but mostly playing near the bridge, with your neck pickup soloed, thats where the hip hop is at IMO

Swimming Bird · #8 05-03-2010, 12:39 PM

Just started doing some hip-hop. My favorite sound so far is:

bass split low/high >>

low >> - 1 oct (1/2 blend) + chorus >> DOD FX25 >> mixer
high >> -1 oct (1/2 blend) + chorus >> Green Ringer Clone >> mixer

>> preamp

I get a ton of lows, some high end grit, and a sweet thump from the envelope filter when I hit the strings hard.

To me, hip-hop bass lines are best with at least some clean signal coming through -- I rarely want a full-blown synth line. I really like a low/high split and I've based my sound on what I hear from Aesop Rock albums.

Rockman · #9 05-03-2010, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimming Bird

Just started doing some hip-hop. My favorite sound so far is:

bass split low/high >>

low >> - 1 oct (1/2 blend) + chorus >> DOD FX25 >> mixer
high >> -1 oct (1/2 blend) + chorus >> Green Ringer Clone >> mixer

>> preamp

I get a ton of lows, some high end grit, and a sweet thump from the envelope filter when I hit the strings hard.

To me, hip-hop bass lines are best with at least some clean signal coming through -- I rarely want a full-blown synth line. I really like a low/high split and I've based my sound on what I hear from Aesop Rock albums.

Thats what I'm saying, I want to be able to go from a really clean sound like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d9eydCfTdw) to a really thick sound like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96sFW-3vGv4) and everything in between. I don't have the capabilities to do a signal split like you did and that would probably escape my budget, but interesting things to keep in mind.

guroove · #10 05-03-2010, 12:54 PM

This is interesting. I have always recorded direct, and the engineer / producer adds compression or EQ to taste. I had one guy tell me he didn't use any compression or EQ on my tracks. I played my Alleva-Coppollo '75 fender jazz with rounds, and lots of bass boost from the on-board pre-amp. I also used the same bass with DR flats on another session. Nowadays, I like the sound of my MIM P with DR flats.

Dehn · #11 05-03-2010, 12:58 PM

http://www.myspace.com/ocdehn

Scroll a bit down, there are some videos where I'm playing in a backing band for a Rapper. Depends on song the (and venue, I always play baggear) but I boost the low end full on my sterling and leave the other controls neutral.
I'm Considering buying a Moog Little Phatty II for the more synthy parts

Swimming Bird · #12 05-03-2010, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockman

Thats what I'm saying, I want to be able to go from a really clean sound like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d9eydCfTdw) to a really thick sound like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96sFW-3vGv4) and everything in between. I don't have the capabilities to do a signal split like you did and that would probably escape my budget, but interesting things to keep in mind.

Love Erykah Dadu. You're talking about relatively subtle changes in tone. The way to get between Annie Don't Wear No Panties and Don't Knock the Hustle is to start with your fingers and amp and just an EQ pedal (Boss GEB-7 would work fine) or a resonant filter.

Consider the Iron Ether Xenograph LPF -- it's made by a TB'er and is getting a lot of excitement. There are a bunch of ways to do this though. I'd use my old model FX25 (set sensitivity all the way down) or a wah (fixed position).

Rockman · #13 05-03-2010, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimming Bird

Love Erykah Dadu. You're talking about relatively subtle changes in tone. The way to get between Annie Don't Wear No Panties and Don't Knock the Hustle is to start with your fingers and amp and just an EQ pedal (Boss GEB-7 would work fine) or a resonant filter.

Consider the Iron Ether Xenograph LPF -- it's made by a TB'er and is getting a lot of excitement. There are a bunch of ways to do this though. I'd use my old model FX25 (set sensitivity all the way down) or a wah (fixed position).

Heres something else I should mention, my band does the whole seamless thing so fiddling with my amp in between songs is impossible (save one time I jam some inputs into the effects loop and then rip them out at the end of the song). I have a wah (old old old Morley Power Wah) which is the effect thats getting plugged in and out. Could you link the Iron Ether Xenograph?

bassdoubler · #14 05-03-2010, 02:52 PM

For me, a P-bass (Fender, Alleva-Coppolo), flatwounds, and big cabinets have always produced the best results in my hip-hop groups....just my 2 cents

Jared Lash · #15 05-03-2010, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockman

Heres something else I should mention, my band does the whole seamless thing so fiddling with my amp in between songs is impossible (save one time I jam some inputs into the effects loop and then rip them out at the end of the song). I have a wah (old old old Morley Power Wah) which is the effect thats getting plugged in and out. Could you link the Iron Ether Xenograph?

Xerograph. It's a lowpass filter. Based on the clips it sounds as good as the industry standard Moog LPF but in a much smaller, simpler, cheaper and better bypassed package.

Check it out at www.ironether.com

A low pass filter is a great way to go from the clean, bright, "SS roundwounds on a jazz" to a deep and sub bass type tone.

Another way to do that is with something like the ACG filter based preamp. I have one on my fretless Stambaugh.

But I digress. The pre has a low pass filter and a resonance knob. So you can open it up most or all the way for a standard sound or only let the deepest sounds through with the resonance turned up to accentuate the thump.

Swimming Bird · #16 05-03-2010, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockman

Heres something else I should mention, my band does the whole seamless thing so fiddling with my amp in between songs is impossible

Sorry, that's not what I was suggesting. I meant that the Badu tone is all fingers, bass, strings and amp, then use a pedal to get to the thick Jay-Z tone.

That Morley might be fine if you leave the sweep somewhere near the bottom (maybe put a piece of wood or something to keep the spot just so).

fasto · #17 05-03-2010, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimming Bird

Just started doing some hip-hop. My favorite sound so far is:

bass split low/high >>

low >> - 1 oct (1/2 blend) + chorus >> DOD FX25 >> mixer
high >> -1 oct (1/2 blend) + chorus >> Green Ringer Clone >> mixer

>> preamp

I get a ton of lows, some high end grit, and a sweet thump from the envelope filter when I hit the strings hard.

To me, hip-hop bass lines are best with at least some clean signal coming through -- I rarely want a full-blown synth line. I really like a low/high split and I've based my sound on what I hear from Aesop Rock albums.

how do you do the high/low split? what gear do you use for that?

Swimming Bird · #18 05-03-2010, 04:21 PM

I'm using a Ric 4001. Ric's have a 'ric-o-sound' stereo out that splits the signal to neck and bridge pups. I'm using an Eventide PitchFactor for a combo chorus + -1 oct (it's stereo).

Rockman · #19 05-03-2010, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimming Bird

Sorry, that's not what I was suggesting. I meant that the Badu tone is all fingers, bass, strings and amp, then use a pedal to get to the thick Jay-Z tone.

That Morley might be fine if you leave the sweep somewhere near the bottom (maybe put a piece of wood or something to keep the spot just so).

Oh yeah for that Badu type tone I pretty much go clean and it works, I was just uses those two as examples because I often have to switch between one and the other. As far as the wah, its works great if I do exactly what you say, but I never considered putting a block of wood to limit the sweep. Sounds much easier than just feeling it...