Given an ultimatum

[millsbass5]

They don't know too damn much about bass then, do they? Slight string noise is gonna be a given if your're playing pretty aggressive music all over the neck on a fresh set of wounds.

[mcblahflooper94]

I'm not sure if someone already said this but if you were to just quit then they would have to hold tryouts, find a good replacement, and then teach him all the songs, a process that would most likely slow them down than you just improving your technique, something that would honestly most likely slow them down more. I suggest practicing for 2 hours a day, but seeing as you do this already I'm not sure what they want if they say you are an awesome bassist. It all seems fishy

[bluewine]

I can't get how any of this is happening with 9 years of experience, even the buzzing fret stuff.

Blue

[Stick_Player]

If your "band-mates" are looking for a bass track with no finger or fret noise, or dynamics, or human feel... they should also dump the drummer. Then program some drum and bass parts and have it all played from a computer with samples.

BFD sounds good for drums. Trilogy for bass. Be sure to have them run the bass samples through Guitar Rig.

That should provide pristine, noiseless, lifeless tracks.

Then have the kick-ass engineer program all the guitars with Real Strat and Real Les Paul and and acoustic guitars with Real Guitar. This one evens lets you program in finger and fret noise.

Use Melodyne to create vocal harmonies and correct the awesome lead vocal tracks.

[hailet]

Originally Posted by LuckyPants

Thanks guys. The thing is I know the lines, I can play them and everything. Their problem is in stuff like fret buzz when I play high notes and also string noise when I'm moving along the fretboard i.e. the noise the strings make if you slide on them without pressing down. My bass always sounds good under the rest of the track but then they'll listen to it soloed and they'll notice things like this and pick me out on it.

.

I know this may be pretty basic but do you use flat wound strings?
I hate the sound of round wound strings and if it's something that easy to change why not give it go? Good luck.

[Mushroo]

Sorry to hear about the band drama, but sounds like you are making progress, and I think your recording is going to rock!

Here is some advice for the recording session itself:

1. You MUST get a producer you trust who is not a member of the band. Musicians simply cannot make objective "big picture" decisions when we are feeling fried and burned out in the studio. Part of a producer's job is to be outside the band and make objective decisions that are not guided by individual ego.
2. Allocate enough time for the bass---don't let them spend 3 days on drums, 2 days on the perfect guitar tone, and then boss you into doing all your bass tracks in 20 minutes, 1 take!
3. Kick the rest of the band out (send them out for pizza or something) when it's your time to do your tracks so you can relax; it should just be you, the engineer, and the producer (whose opinion you trust as I mentioned above).
4. Budget plenty of time to go back and listen to the almost-completed recording as a band and fix/overdub any glaring mistakes or imperfections.
5. Be satisfied, no, be HAPPY with an exciting, entertaining, musical EP that is 90% perfect, as opposed to a technically flawless but lifeless performance.

Out of curiosity, how is this recording project being financed? Is it coming out of band funds? Are you all chipping in equally? Is the singer/songwriter/bandleader covering the expenses? You might find that some of the technical concerns about your playing are actually budgetary concerns; they are worried about studio costs spiraling out of control. If you are paying an equal share for the recording then demand up-to-and-including-equal time and consideration for your bass tracks, don't let them rush & pressure you into recording inferior tracks, and then tell later you your tracks are flawed.

[Wookieonbass]

Out of curiosity LuckyPants. How much actual experience do these so called "musical geniuses" have? Judging by the way you describe their behavior it can't be much.

[ACalbass]

Originally Posted by mellowinman

In the early nineties, I recorded in a pro studio. Kid Johnny Lang recorded "Lie to Me" there, and Whitney Houston had done a single or two.

We were limited on time, because it was EXPENSIVE. It was 2 inch analog tape, with digital mastering. We started out playing as a band, with only the drums and bass going on as the "real" recording. The guitars and vocals were scratch tracks, just so we'd have a "live" feel to the recording.

We dubbed a few bass notes; maybe three or four on a couple of songs. Otherwise, the drums were done in full takes. No punches; no dubbing. Most of the songs were done in ONE take; a few were done in two. I don't recall a single song where we took more than three takes to lay down the drum parts.

The drummer I brought in was a local guy. He sat in with a band that sometimes featured Michael Bland, so I considered him a real big deal. He was dead solid, and I clearly remember the studio owner gushing about him, and asking me where I found him.

We took a total of three days to do every overdub, guitars; keyboards; vocals; additional percussion.

Here is a link to every song we did.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5E10F9B0330B4E03

Just listen to them, if you do; don't pay attention to the cheesy videos. We had long since run out of money when we shot and edited those at the local Public Access station.

A few years earlier, we had tried to record a few at a cheaper studio, and I tried to play bass. (I really wasn't a bass player at the time) The engineer thought so little of my bass playing that we used a sampling keyboard, and I played the bass parts on that, and they sounded fairly good. Not a good method if you play things that are unique to bass, such as glissandos and such, of course.

Recording isn't any big deal. The biggest part is getting good SOUND and accurately portraying what you are playing onto the tape, or digital format. There is no need for absolute perfection in rock and roll; you just don't want anything that sounds horrible, such as out of tune instruments; bad tone; off-key vocals, poor eq, etc.

Squawks and squeaks? Give me a break.

Everybody does it.

Recording sessions back then were different,and the OP will never had an opportunity to experience that.
I had those too,is just not done that way anymore.
You can see how much everything has changed in the digital world.
You do not even need to play the whole song dead on from beginning to end,you can just nail it by parts.
And if you are NOT proficient enough,it helps you a lot.
Of course,some people can record complete songs correctly or with little need of edition,you only know by being there and doing it.

[Speedman]

Man up dude, your the bass player til' you agree to leave peacefully if/when they lay it out. I'd hammer home all the ideas here to first fix any issues you have in technique or the bass itself. Secondly, lay it all out to them and leave it laying. If you are a full partner in the band you have a right to make decisions WITH them.

All: what are the best tracking and mixing tricks and tips to reduce if not remove string buzz, pull-off, hammer on finger and fretboard noise? I'm an upright bass player (20 years) and have recorded in professional studios many times (mostly analog) but, got into the digital indie world myself, producing and engineering my new band's first EP. Been doing this a couple of years now but, obviously still learning. How can we bass players 'silence the mechanism s' ???

Good luck and boom on!