• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Ambient/Post-Rock/Textural bass playing thread

#15,321
JES said:
Here are some shots for day 8/9. Total self indulgence. No right thinking studio would put 4 mics on a bass cab. Happily, we are not a right-thinking studio. The key, we learned from watching a YouTube tutorial, is to align the diaphragms. Moving the channel faders is like eq but better. Also, my wife got super into distortion tone, so I’d run the track through the reamp and bend over the pedalboard and she’d use hand signals when I got the sound the way she wanted.

View attachment 4324027 View attachment 4324028 View attachment 4324029
Click to expand...
Tone varies greatly depending on distance and angle of mic towards speaker cone.
Haven't tried a million mics but the 57, 421 and DI combo is really a classic for a reason.
Tried . maybe 10 others but I forget which ones I liked....dad brain.
Re20 and sm7 are also dope. Only problem with the sm7 is that the preamp is freakin important to make that mic work well ime imo etc.....
Also I never liked kick drum mics to get the low end such as the beta 52 or d112.
I prefer the tightness of the DI.

Also, I hate recording my own band with a passion. Will never do it again in a million years.
No get off.my lawn!!!
:)

(You probably already know that)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: JES and RyanKinBK
#15,324
ugly_bassplayer said:
Tone varies greatly depending on distance and angle of mic towards speaker cone.
Haven't tried a million mics but the 57, 421 and DI combo is really a classic for a reason.
Tried . maybe 10 others but I forget which ones I liked....dad brain.
Re20 and sm7 are also dope. Only problem with the sm7 is that the preamp is freakin important to make that mic work well ime imo etc.....
Also I never liked kick drum mics to get the low end such as the beta 52 or d112.
I prefer the tightness of the DI.

Also, I hate recording my own band with a passion. Will never do it again in a million years.
No get off.my lawn!!!
:)

(You probably already know that)
Click to expand...

yeah, we spent the better part of a day swapping out mics and moving them around and positioning with measuring tape and me shining a flashlight (ok my phone) through the grill cloth to position the mics on the speaker. This is the position he selection and we liked best. It’s for distorted tones, sometimes up in the guitar range. The only compromise is that we liked the 4050 and 160 in the same place. 160 won.

I used a SM7 on floor tom, and it’s my voice mic for work. Love it, but I didn’t love it more than these for this particular application.

Bob_Ross said:
:beer:

Is that an M160 next to the SM57? Don't think it'd ever occur to me to use one of those on a bass cab.
Click to expand...

Yes. It was sort of the star of our session. Over the drummer’s right shoulder is a great rock drum tone (we used a “recorderman” arrangement with the 4050 over the snare), and placing it in the center of the speaker gives tons of detail without getting ice-pick like. Supposedly they can withstand very high SPLs. Sure seemed like it.

Also, the M201 was so good on top of snare, that we didn’t need an under snare mic. And, my wife calls it the “nastifier” on the speaker—if you need more gnarl on your fuzz, this one at the edge of the dome is your friend.

I really like the 4 fader alternative to sculpting with EQ. Of course, in lots of places, the sansamp VT bass sounds just great already and these reampings will be “extra.”
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Bob_Ross and ugly_bassplayer
#15,325
ugly_bassplayer said:
There's a CT5 starring me down.
I also have a Tensor.

Will there be any crossover functions or is it an entirely different creative tool??

Yes, I am woodshedding alot. (Pick string crossing and chordal voicings mostly)
But new creative tools are always on my radar.
Click to expand...

my post rock guitarist has a CT5. Very cool pedal.

I’ve been eyeing a Tensor but am already on the waiting list for a Cosmos, so I am try not to go too nuts on weirdo looper pedals.

OTOH, after 3 days of distortion pedal knob tweaking, I am wondering about multiband.....
 
  • Like
Reactions: ugly_bassplayer
#15,326
JES said:
yeah, we spent the better part of a day swapping out mics and moving them around and positioning with measuring tape and me shining a flashlight (ok my phone) through the grill cloth to position the mics on the speaker. This is the position he selection and we liked best. It’s for distorted tones, sometimes up in the guitar range. The only compromise is that we liked the 4050 and 160 in the same place. 160 won.

I used a SM7 on floor tom, and it’s my voice mic for work. Love it, but I didn’t love it more than these for this particular application.



Yes. It was sort of the star of our session. Over the drummer’s right shoulder is a great rock drum tone (we used a “recorderman” arrangement with the 4050 over the snare), and placing it in the center of the speaker gives tons of detail without getting ice-pick like. Supposedly they can withstand very high SPLs. Sure seemed like it.

Also, the M201 was so good on top of snare, that we didn’t need an under snare mic. And, my wife calls it the “nastifier” on the speaker—if you need more gnarl on your fuzz, this one at the edge of the dome is your friend.

I really like the 4 fader alternative to sculpting with EQ. Of course, in lots of places. The sansamp VT bass sounds just great already and these reampings will be “extra.”
Click to expand...
Never tried a m160, I bet that ribbon mic kills.
I really miss my old m88, that was such a good all around mic. From guitars, bass, kick drums even vocals.
I sold my mic collection about 10 years ago.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dukeorock and JES
#15,327
Been mostly in the woodshed since the band got back together playing.
So, less time for solo work.

Ben practicing lot’s of pick exercises. Mostly cleaning up string crossing exercises. (Yes I still need allot of work there)
Also always exploring unconventional techniques to incorporate with said pick. Strums, cluster chord voicings with different pick attacks. I really dig low note cluster sounds on my dual rig with my HM2 pedal on the oct up signal.
Also lots of chord voicings and Dimished, whole tone scale work. Without a pick for that though.

Cheers, keep it up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dukeorock, Spectrum, steubig and 3 others
#15,329
JES said:
Cheers!

After listening to all my takes soloed and reamped, it's going to be back to the metronome for me. Though sometimes the swing that sounded bad in solo, sounded great with the drums, so it's not that big of a problem. I just can't claim I'm in full control of it.
Click to expand...
Time, thats a lifelong endeavour my friend.
It’s literally an infinite quest. In front, on top laid back, swing, swing 8ths, swing 16th, % of swing, swing bass vs un swing kick or HH, rubato, slow down, speed up……….

It’s mind blowing and almost scary what can be done.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JES, dukeorock and hieronymous
#15,330
ugly_bassplayer said:
There's a CT5 starring me down.
I also have a Tensor.

Will there be any crossover functions or is it an entirely different creative tool??

Yes, I am woodshedding alot. (Pick string crossing and chordal voicings mostly)
But new creative tools are always on my radar.
Click to expand...

Really interested to hear what you do with the CT5, that's the highest on my GAS list right now since mtl.asm restocked. I'm curious in how it sounds with a fuzz before it, it seems like it has a lot of potential to amplify and multiply glitches/feedback but most demos for it sound really "pretty". I just got a mtl.asm Your and You're and I've been daydreaming about how nasty that would sound with a pitch shifted delay...

My "goal" is to get a wall of shifting textural sound with an underlying groove/melody, so the idea of a fuzz with the sharp droning oscillator like the YAY is perfect, and it glitches out with a ring modulator so nicely, imagining a CT5 in between the YAY and the ring mod with some heavy phaser action... :drool::drool::drool:

This isn't what I'm describing I'm heading for but Matt Bower is probably my biggest inspiration right now:

 
  • Like
Reactions: steubig
#15,331
JES said:
Cheers!

After listening to all my takes soloed and reamped, it's going to be back to the metronome for me. Though sometimes the swing that sounded bad in solo, sounded great with the drums, so it's not that big of a problem. I just can't claim I'm in full control of it.
Click to expand...

an interesting thing about this issue is that sometimes we’re hearing things in a really microscopic, granular level that may not be readily noticeable in the grand scheme of things.

metronomes and drum machines don’t breathe, people do.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: JES, dukeorock, Bob_Ross and 3 others
#15,334
steubig said:
@ugly_bassplayer

your last two posts show a level of obsession that i wish i was both smart and dedicated enough to attempt.
Click to expand...
Thank you my friend. Yep, obsession is exactly it. For better or worse I guess.
I’ve always been a limited talent that had to put in insane amounts of time, so I guess it stuck after all those years.

Very kind words, and very appreciated.

What do you think you aren’t dedicated enough to attempt??
I’m just too stupid\dumb\stuborn enough to quit. I’ve failed\fallen so many times in my journey that I always say this one isn’t going to stop me …..get the F@k back up buddy!!!!
And, stop that….you are definitely one smart dude, and you can run freakin circles around me on any bass. Jeez I play a beat to crap Pbass while you guys are all 6 string gurus.
:)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: hieronymous and monsterthompson
#15,335
ugly_bassplayer said:
I’ve always been a limited talent that had to put in insane amounts of time, so I guess it stuck after all those years.

I’m just too stupid\dumb\stuborn enough to quit.
Click to expand...

those two quotes are my life in a nutshell.

the whole back/front/sideways on the beat plus swung this and that are way above my pay grade.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: monsterthompson and ugly_bassplayer
#15,336
steubig said:
those two quotes are my life in a nutshell.

the whole back/front/sideways on the beat plus swung this and that are way abovr my pay grade.
Click to expand...
Pays virtual drink of choice:
Ya, totally get it.

Re: time, in front laid back etc....
It really depends on what music you play and what is called for.
I obsessively played James Brown vamps for 5 hours pushing, pulling half swinging stuff etc....(yes I was completely insane...ok
..still am but I have less time on my hands now)

Now , I think there's a point where you just have to let go and just play.
Same with scales, I played so many I really don't want to pratice all modes of the whole tone scale in 6ths 7ths and 3rds.....
I'm too grumpy.
Zzzzzzzzz

;)
 
Last edited:
#15,337
steubig said:
an interesting thing about this issue is that sometimes we’re hearing things in a really microscopic, granular level that may not be readily noticeable in the grand scheme of things.

metronomes and drum machines don’t breathe, people do.
Click to expand...
Not to mention the Placebo effect.
Or thinking you have golden magic unicorn pixie dust ears.
(Not saying this to @JES btw....)
:)

True experience:
Me recording a bass track with drums only and asked to play on top.
Idiot band leader who thinks he has golden ears : " sounds like you're dragging, id try another take"

Sound tech zooms in to my bass wav: bass is so on top it's practically glued to the grid.

Douche bag : "must be the intention I'm hearing"

Wait what?!?!??! Hearing intention?!?!?!?
That's the most insane ego douche thing I've ever heard.

Me, unplugs bass. I'm done here.
Tech saves session. Done.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AlexanderB, Bob_Ross, Spectrum and 1 other person

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back