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Bass recording - what's your chain??

H

harlon

Jul 13, 2007
141
21
#1
I did some searching, but couldn't find a thread that had quite what I was looking for.

I'm still throwing all kinds of gadgets at getting the bass tone I'm looking for and I'm getting close. But something is still missing. So I thought I'd like to see how some of y'all get from your bass to your recorder (whatever form that may be). I know that can vary, depending on what each song needs, but let's just presume we're looking for a good, clean tone that will sit very well in a rock or pop mix.

I'll start -

Jazz bass --> FMR RNP -->Behringer compressor (lightly compressed) -->Echo Mia Soundcard to Sonar 6. I then use the Ampeg Pluggin, EQing and more compressing, if needed.

I also have a Bass PodXT, as well as a Sansamp DI that I sometimes use. Hopefully I'll have a rough mix tomorrow of this setup so you can critique/ make suggestions - which would be SO helpful.

I appreciate y'all playing along. This will be helpful to myself - and hopefully others, as well.
 
#2
Sadowsky PJ5 > Bayou Audio cable> Done

I'll take about any DI. I like a SansAmp RBI. I like an Avalon, but I can really just plug into a Hi-Z port on the console and get something plenty usable
 
#6
I use the same chain as I do live. Here is my board.

l_914b2a8a460e705fc4cb643bbdac5ac4.png


Fender Jazz>Barge Concepts VFB2>EH Double Muff looped through VFB2>EH Small Clone>Boss BF-3>BBE Sonic Stomp>Tech21 Landmark 300>Sansamp DI out>Tascam 1082

My Rig.
l_8695bef7b1c928862cbd8472e891b9ab.png


My home studio.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I use this chain for live and studio setup. I love my tone and when my band records, we record live so all the stomping and processing is the same on CD as when we gig.
 
#8
ive recorded a fair ammount and ive done it ALOT of ways . the best tone was this : spector rex 5 - g.k. 800rb - ampeg 810 - mic cab (d 112) and di from the gk . then both signals were eq'ed with ampeg plug in into sonar . very rock solid tone . ive also went direct from the gk into a stuart preamp into pro tools and it was good . i think anyone with sonar can get a great bass tone for rock ... heres a link to a few of my recordings . jessies girl was done in protools with the stuart pre and the rest were the first and best method into sonar . Link Removed
 
#9
at home:
Warwick -> SM400 -> Henry the 8x8 -> Shure SM7b -> ART Pro MPA -> M Audio Delta 1010

Upgraded the tubes in the mic pre but it's still pretty poor. I'm thinking about building a kit from Seventh Circle Audio, they make a clone of the Jensen Twin Servo that is a lot less than like the 3 grand or whatever the real thing costs. At a real studio I still prefer a mic on the rig, EV RE20 seems to work pretty good for me.
 
#17
harlon said:
I know that can vary, depending on what each song needs, but let's just presume we're looking for a good, clean tone that will sit very well in a rock or pop mix.

Jazz bass --> FMR RNP -->Behringer compressor (lightly compressed) -->Echo Mia Soundcard to Sonar 6. I then use the Ampeg Pluggin, EQing and more compressing, if needed.

I also have a Bass PodXT, as well as a Sansamp DI that I sometimes use.
Click to expand...

I'd get rid of noisy stuff like the Behringer and the Pod. Even the BDDI, which I like, can inject a lot of extra noise into your signal chain. My approach to recording is different from live amplification. I try to get the most solid and clean tone down on the track. If you listen to most pop and rock (back to your question) there isn't anything too amazing going on with the bass tone. Certainly nothing that you can't replicate better with plugins. If you feel like you have to hear those devices to play your parts, then double track the bass with the effect side on one and the bare bass on another.

My recording setup is:
Bass - DI - Mic Pre/Interface

If the interface has a good line input, which is basically a built in DI capability, then I will use that and just plug straight in.

I've done a fair amount of recording where I use loopers, delays, filters, distortion... and I still make a point of having a clean track with just the source signal.
 
#19
Sometimes, Straight into my console.
Others:
Bass > presonus blue tube > Di.
Bass > presonus blue tube >Bass bone (one out dry > console), one out wet > Ibanez Phase tone (late 70's- early 80's version) Krank Distortionus Maximus > Digitec whammy > console.
Bass > presonus blue tube >Ibanez bass synth > console.

Tube drive on the presonus varies.

I try not to put any compression in the recording as opposed to adding it later, that way I can always take it out.Otherwise, you're stuck with it.
But sometimes that also relates to not putting in effects, so thats why usually when I do, I'll also have a "dry track" with a "wet track". Cuts my re-recording time in half.
 
#20
I'm with Steve.

In real studios, I plug into whatever DI is given to me by the engineer. In 25 years of recording I have never used an amp in the studio.

At home I sometimes will mike an amp but most often just plug into the guitar input of my multitracker.

As far as processing, I find a little compression is all I need. I've toyed with amp simulators but don't find them useful for bass, great for guitar though!
 

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