Postscript

Tosya · #1 11-01-2002, 12:47 PM

Hello from Nashville!

Steve, I hope your touring is going great -- how exciting! I know I'm not the only one living vicariously through you!

Well, here we are in Nashville finishing the recording of our CD (referenced in the thread "Recording in a guitar-centric world"). As badly as our previous attempt went, this session is just phenomenal! I have a monster bass rig going: a clean signal (SWR SM-900 + Henry 8x8), two distorted signals (a Marshall half-stack for that smooth distortion and a Mesa half-stack for a more growly tone) and a SWR Redhead with the Boss VF-1 effects unit for the odd Wah and other wacky sounds. The engineer is the greatest and really seems to understand what it's all about. We had allowed 7 days for bass tracking and we've been at it 2 days and I've already tracked and overdubbed 8 of the 12 songs. So what a relief!

I just wanted to say thanks for everyone's support in this recording issue. I was literally at rock-bottom and ready to give up the whole project, but your encouragement really got me going again. I'll let you know when I have some MP3s to listen to!

Amy
www.clatter.com

P.S. When I have a moment I'll update our site with some studio photos!

thrash_jazz · #2 11-01-2002, 01:19 PM

Good to hear!

Being in the middle of a bass-only project myself, I was pretty intrigued when you mentioned that you were able to get a guitar-like sound that fooled a lot of people. I'm gonna be trying that myself this weekend!

Best of luck - although it doesn't sound like you need it!

Tosya · #3 11-01-2002, 02:49 PM

Go for it!!!

I can't believe how guitar-like my bass can sound. Of course, I play a Ricky and have the treble cranked, so I'm sure that helps. I wish You could hear what I'm hearing from the control room right now -- you wouldn't believe it was coming from a bass! It's so much fun, we're having a blast. I hope you have as much fun this weekend! Keep us posted!

Amy

CS · #4 11-01-2002, 04:34 PM

Glad it's going well.

You might find this amusing...

I spent an afternoon with a drummer friend of mine recording drums and guide bass for some 'solo' stuff that doesnt fit the various projects I'm involved with. I recorded the bass at home this week and spent this evening mastering the 3 drum and 1 bass tracks to Plamsa so I can overdub keys guitar whatever at my leisure.

Having listened to the tracks I dont want to overdub anything! Dont listen to any thing I say or type as it's subject to change.

Tosya · #5 11-01-2002, 07:30 PM

Ha ha! Isn't that usually the way it goes?! I guess some of the best ideas are often happy accidents. I was thinking today...maybe one of the reasons I was pushed to do this project was that I was tired of being buried in the mix. What point is there to practicing your bass for years and slaving over the perfect part when no one will here it under the guitars anyway?! So when you here tracks in which your bass parts sing out it's really a joy. This has been a great experience.

So...the bass tracks are officially done! Tomorrow we start on vocals and a few percussion overdubs. Can't wait for you all to hear it and tell me what you think (well, only if it's nice...

)

Tosya · #6 11-02-2002, 07:13 PM

Hey all,

In case you're interested I've posted some photos on our site of my bass setup for recording. Thought you might get a kick out of it!

www.clatter.com

chris griffiths · #7 11-03-2002, 12:36 AM

THis is all very encouraging

but why would you wanna sound like a guitar

CS · #8 11-03-2002, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by chris griffiths
THis is all very encouraging

but why would you wanna sound like a guitar

Recording in a guitar-centric world

Tosya · #9 11-03-2002, 09:43 AM

Good point, Chris! The idea was to make the bass the main (well, only!) melodic instrument and flesh out the sound by having a distorted signal. Because of the genre of music we're playing, which is sort of heavy rock, we thought it would be cool to have a heavy, distorted bass sound in with the clean. As it turns out, it sounds just like a regular guitar when it's distorted like that, especially considering how many hard rock guitarists tune way down these days. So in a way, it was kind of an accident, but not really surprising. You know, it's so disheartening to listen to music and know there's a good bass line in there somewhere but it's stomped all over by the guitars. When I've played in bands with guitarists before, they would often like my bass line and decide to double it on the guitar. So I figured, heck, I can do that myself!

Anyway, that's a little of the background of the project. We tried doing music that featured a clean, melodic bass line augmented by some keyboard sequencing, but that was a little more "pop" than we were intending. Hence the foray into distortion!

Tosya · #10 11-03-2002, 09:44 AM

P.S. Chris -- Traverse City, eh? We've been up to Harbor Springs the last couple of summers. We had no idea how ultra cool Michigan was until 2 years ago, now we wanna move there!

**Steve Lawson** · #11 11-03-2002, 04:57 PM

Tosya,

that's one hell of a bass rig you got there!!! I don't fancy the job as your bass tech for live gigs...

I'm really glad you found a direction you're happy with, and hope it all works out well for you - really looking forward to hearing the stuff when you've finished!

The tour is going REALLY well thanks. I'm back in London for a few days as my run of gigs and clinics with Michael Manring starts tomorrow - we're doing a clinic at BassTech in Acton, then two gigs in London and Reading, with David Friesen as well, then more clinics, then back out with Level 42!! It's a busy busy month...

ta ta

Steve
www.steve-lawson.co.uk

Tosya · #12 11-03-2002, 06:22 PM

Yeah, too bad the bass tech happens to be me!!

Maybe one day when I sell a zillion records I'll have a tech....

Good luck with your clinics with Michael! As it happens he worked with the producer we worked with, so I guess we have a common bond. Sounds like you will be insanely busy with everything -- all the best!!!