how do I get THIS sound

NHØP-praiser · #1 06-24-2008, 05:23 PM

Hi basseurs..

I'm new here, and also to the instrument. Not playing bass though, cause i've been playing electric bass for 10+ years. But 6 six months ago I converted...

Gear: handcarved romanian 3/4 bass about 1950, fittet with "the Realist" pickup system. the G&K 150E combo. fishman premium EQ DI bass and Aguilar DB924 preamp.

I haven´t really been happy with my bass sound. I´ve been used to big R&B and Funk orchestraes where I obviously had a totaly different rig and a good sound. I play in a jazztrio now, but haven´t been able to find the golden sound...

until now!!! I heard this basssound..

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fus3hruuAeg

And that´s what I'am looking for... that exact sound.... But I can't get it.

obviously he uses a lot of compression... but I can't figure it out... It seems as He using the G&K (you can see it at the ending of the clip) but probably just as a monitor....

i donno...?

please help..

Best regards
Christian

nathanmcnathan · #2 06-24-2008, 05:49 PM

very similar tone to a fretless electric... probably also has to do with how he plucks the strings... I'd say the realist isn't the best choice for that kind of "ampy" sound... from what I've heard about them, they tend to sound pretty much acoustic, as opposed to an electric sound from a magnetic pickup or something similar...

Gearhead43 · #3 06-24-2008, 06:03 PM

Does sound like he may be using a mag pickup, maybe blended with a little piezo. Can't know for sure.

Hemispheres85 · #4 06-24-2008, 06:09 PM

I would think he has the strings set so low to the fingerboard that it's very easy to play, has low acoustic volume and gets that almost buzzy sort of sound he has. I'm fairly sure that has a lot to do with it.

salcott · #5 06-24-2008, 06:09 PM

How to get that sound? 1.Be David Finck. 2.I'm gonna guess Spirocores. 3.Low action.
I have never seen an upright bassist with a compressor in his rig. You have everything you need for good sound, although you didn't mention what strings you use. Try Spirocores.

alexei · #6 06-24-2008, 06:12 PM

hey guys, I'm a visitor from the bass forums...

If I don't see the guy, only hearing him, I would say that was a fretless electric bass with a little high action and flatwound strings.

So probably the guy has a mag pickup hidden in there... Or maybe pretty low action and a nice preamp.

Good luck finding that tone, sounds pretty cool

salcott · #7 06-24-2008, 06:26 PM

I've never known Dave to use a magnetic pickup. Most mag users play at volumes that render piezo pickups useless. And, yes, I know NHOP sometimes used a Pierre Josephs String Charger mag pickup.

Uncletoad · #8 06-24-2008, 07:00 PM

Try an Underwood or Fishman BP100 or Wilson or Barbera or Bassmax pickup. Set up with Spirocore Wiech strings with stupidly low string height and turn the amp up.

That and some time in the shed and you should have it.

That's no mag pickup, it's piezo right into the GK. No compressor, no other gear.

Jake deVilliers · #9 06-24-2008, 07:21 PM

+1 Listen to your Uncle, he's got it right.

MingusAmongUs · #10 06-24-2008, 07:50 PM

Go figure. That's exactly the sound I've been trying NOT to get for 12 years. Different strokes.

Uncletoad · #11 06-24-2008, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MingusAmongUs

Go figure. That's exactly the sound I've been trying NOT to get for 12 years. Different strokes.

Yea I dig. And I find it sometimes in spite of myself.

When I do I want to kick myself in the balls on the break.

Heavy strings and high action is for me.

hdiddy · #12 06-24-2008, 08:00 PM

+1 BP-100 rec from UNCATOAD. That recording isn't the greatest. Unlike most folks, I think the BP100's can sound good given the right equipment/settings/technique but it's more difficult trying to extract a good sound out of it.

MingusAmongUs · #13 06-25-2008, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

... And I find it sometimes in spite of myself.

When I do I want to kick myself in the balls on the break.

Heavy strings and high action is for me.

Me too, all of the above.

bolo · #14 06-25-2008, 04:03 AM

Uncletoad mentioned the K&K Bass Max, but actually the K&K Double Big Twin p/u might get you closer to this tone IMO. I think in general it has a "stringier" tone than the Bass Max. I've used both the Bass Max and the DBT.

As for me I like higher action too. Measured at the end of the FB at 7/16” ~ 11 mm on the G, ½” ~ 13 mm on the E. At least I think that's high.

jrlynch · #15 06-25-2008, 08:07 AM

the bass is heavily compressed, but probably by whomever was doing the sound for the TV, who probably just took the DI feed, plugged it in and cranked the smushbox. *everything* gets heavily compressed on tv.

jeff.

drurb · #16 06-25-2008, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MingusAmongUs

Go figure. That's exactly the sound I've been trying NOT to get for 12 years. Different strokes.

Fortunately, I've never gotten that sound and I agree about not ever wanting it. I'm a fan of the bold acoustic percussive sound of the DB ala Ray Brown. To each his own. I think the OP has gotten some spot-on advice about how to get that sound.

salcott · #17 06-25-2008, 10:49 AM

After a second listening, I'll guess BP 100, too.

Ric Vice · #18 06-25-2008, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NHØP-praiser

Hi basseurs..
Gear: handcarved romanian 3/4 bass about 1950, fittet with "the Realist" pickup system. the G&K 150E combo. fishman premium EQ DI bass and Aguilar DB924 preamp.

Christian,
Now I really don't want to sound condescending but, I would be interested in just how many other bass players you have listened to besides NHOP? That sound you're in love with was very common in the 1980's., I think partly because the pickup technology at the time was limited. Neils, Marc Johnson, George Mraz and even Ron Carter for a time had that rather midrange sounding voice.
This was partly do to recordings that went direct from the Barcus Berry, Fishman, Underwood, or Wilson Pickups they were using, right to the board. All of these players but Niels who, god rest his soul who used it as his trademark sound, moved on to a different more "acoustic" sound.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NHØP-praiser

I haven´t really been happy with my bass sound. I´ve been used to big R&B and Funk orchestraes where I obviously had a totaly different rig and a good sound. I play in a jazz trio now, but haven´t been able to find the golden sound...until now!!! I heard this basssound..

Might I suggest listening to Charlie Hayden, Peter Washington, Gary Peacock, Drew Gress, Larry Grenadier and Misroslav Vitous for a broader perspective on the variety of sounds that you can achieve with the instrument. This is only a short list of course. Paul Chambers, Oscar Pettiford, and Milt Hinton were also masters of the instrument in their own time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NHØP-praiser

And that´s what I'am looking for... that exact sound.... But I can't get it.

It's actually a pretty easy sound to achieve. Lower the action, use one of the older pickups, particularly the Wilson, and use light gage Tomastik Spirocores. But this setup almost always removes any of the acoustic sound that 3/4 Romanian bass of yours produces.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NHØP-praiser

obviously he uses a lot of compression... but I can't figure it out... It seems as He using the G&K (you can see it at the ending of the clip) but probably just as a monitor....

As someone else pointed out a television broadcast is probably one of the worse places to listen to the Double Bass, unless it was actually remixed for re release as a DVD. It's way better than it used to be, but still needs a lot of improvement.

i donno...?

please help..

Best regards
Christian[/quote]

nathanmcnathan · #19 06-25-2008, 11:42 AM

I'd say go with the sprios and the BP-100 - that's what I've got going right now. I have to EQ the hell out of my amp to get rid of the string noises, but it sounds really good sometimes. Of course, I use medium spiros for more tension when digging in with low action. I should say that this weekend I'll be trying the spiros with the pickup for the first time, I just put them on last week.

NHØP-praiser · #20 06-25-2008, 03:41 PM

first of all thanks for all the replies. I'm really amazed...

1. I got pretty high action on my bass... that's supposed to tuffend me up, my bassteacher said... hmmm maybe I will get them lowered down.

2 I don't even know what kind of strings I've got on.
Haven't changed strings yet.

guess i ve to reinvest in some new mics.... not shure I understand the Mag pricip... I've only seen Piezo for dobble bass

/christian