Double Bass New trio clips (LaScala laminate vs. hybrid clips)

I've had the new LaScala ply for a few weeks now, and am starting to warm up to it. At first, it paled in comparison to the hybrid, but after a while it started to take on its own character. Sorry I don't have any pics yet, but I have the next best thing. The bass plays really easily, and is starting to open up even in just a few weeks. I'm looking forward to bonding with it.

The first two cuts are ballads (easier to hear the tone of the basses). The players are Sam Farley on piano and Dan Dorff on drums. Both just graduated from UofL's masters program, and will be sorely missed - these guys can really play. "I Fall In Love Too Easily" is played on the hybrid, and "Polkadots and Moonbeams" on the ply. I have my own opinions on the sound of these basses, but I think they each have something to offer. The last cut, All the Things, is included as a "name that bass" game, and also because Sam took things WAY OUT on this one and it's kinda fun.

Both basses were recorded through a single M-Audio Solaris into a Tampa preamp and into Digital Performer. All signal chain settings remained exactly the same on all the cuts, which were recorded in my music room with a blanket thrown over the piano. The drums bleed into everything, but the sound is pretty decent for a single room recording. In loud passages, the drums swallow the bass, but for the most part I think the cuts let you hear the bass reasonably well overall. There are clams on everyone's parts, but I think the energy is pretty good.

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Ray Parker said:

I'm still listening at this point, but wanted to comment that I wish I could find players playing this open in NYC. It seems you have to go to the hinterlands to find this stuff...

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I can't tell you how surprised I am to hear this, especially since we all learned to play by modelling ourselves after guys I always considered to be NY guys, like Fred Hersch (me), Mehldau (Sam), and (insert NY drummers here = Dan). But it's kind of the beauty of having a music room for sessions: you can play the way you want and don't have to answer to anybody. There's only a small handful of places in town that would pay us to play that way, but when it ain't about money, that stuff just comes out. I'm really going to miss both of these guys.

Anyway, thanks for the positive feedback from everyone. I think both basses sound great, but I sure didn't fool anyone with All The Things...it was definitely the ply. I think it's a bit more "old school" sounding, but in a good way.

Thanks for the props, guys. Truth told, Sam and Dan play so well together and play "semi-out" so well that it kind of makes the bass player sound hip just staying home. But you're right, the hybrid is an absolute monster.

I vote for the hybrid too most days.

Pierre - there were 6 mics: two on the piano (x-y configuration), one on the bass, and three on the drums (two overheards and a bass drum mic that was barely on). I should still build some partition panels for the room to help keep the drums out of the other mics, but I was pretty happy with these sessions soundwise. I still have a lot to learn about recording, but the process sure is fun.