Bass recording - what's your chain??

[KCLRbass]

So far for the record we're making it's generally:

bass --> demeter vtbp-201 --> API527 --> Studer A80 2" --> late 70s Avalon board (not sure of model)

We always take pre- and post-Demeter signals through the same chain. Sometimes we'll throw an amp into the mix as well.

 

[Liam Wald]

On the last CD I used my Mesa M6 without a speaker attached. The engineer took a line out. That's it! Sounds great.
It helps if you have a top rated engineer. I let them do what they feel is best.

 

[Menno]

Bass -> Reddi -> Audio-interface

Cables are a given, so not mentioned. Crap, i just did

 

[Bassbubble11]

Here is my chain. Gives me a lot to work with in my mix.

 

[Duke21]

Depends if it is only me, or me and my friends which are recording something.
If is only me, then I most likely use Amplitube iOS on my iPad. I will the 8 track recorder with most usually the Ampeg B15 head with a Marshall 4x12". Other times I might use the Marshall head with the 4x12" cab. Rarely I use Ampkit iOS, but there are some nice amps in there as well, Trace Eliot, Bassking and several guitar heads which I like to use with the bass.

If I'm jaming with my friends then I'll use my stomp boxes with my sansamp PBDDI as last in the chain -->XLR to my behringer xenyx 802.
Link Removed
The guitar player will use my iPad and Amplitube into the mixer, and last the keyboard player XLR into the mixer. From the mixer I'll take main out into my line in on my Lap top and run Audacity. Not really studio quality but great enough for recording our concepts. You can hear one of our takes on my sig.

 

[xander8280]

PJ(separate tone control. The P tone all the way up, J all the way down. Volumes are equal) -> Ehx steel leather -> Ehx black finger tube compressor -> radial bigshot mix with an Ehx mole boost in the loop mixed 50/50. And I do that string into the board, interface, etc. I use that into my amp also.
The only equalizing I need is to cut between 350-850hertz. And that gives a great clean bass tone.
I usually love distortion pedals and modulation. I've had to back off, keep the low end and own the low end.

 

[xander8280]

Pics related are my old pedalboard and my current set up. Notice I went from have 14 pedals on the floor to having 2. Ontop of my head is my "preamp" chain. It gives me my "sound". A fender bass into it and into a nice loud clean bass stack. I am obsessive about pedal tone. I over did it, and am keeping it simple. Saving the fuzz boxes for when I join a 60s inspired band. LOL

 

[Roy Vogt]

Electric Bass>Taralabs cable>Eden Navigator (may substitute a Behringer V-amp Pro via SPDIF if recording directly into computer soundcard)
For large Pro Studios I will use whatever good preamp (Pendulum Audio, Neve Channel Strip, Avalon) the engineer has on hand and is comfortable with.
A small amount of compression is all I'll track with. Otherwise, if I want effects I'll either add them "in the Box" via plug-ins or through the patch bay. If for some reason someone wants me to track with effects I'll always insist that they record a clean channel as well.
Upright Bass>Full Circle pickup>Monster Cable>Fishman Pro-EQ Platinum Preamp/DI/EQ+condenser mic on bass

 

[BullHorn]

I used to record my basses through a LittleMark II DI or a SansAmp BDDI into a Lexicon Alpha USB sound card but now I just use the SVT7PRO for Ampeg goodness.

 

[Mykk]

In the studio, I have no idea what the guys do. All I know is a mic goes in front of a cab, and the sound guys prefer to mic my Fender PRO 8x10 instead of the Boogie 2x15. Pro tools are involved, as well as several other bells and whistles before they come back at me through the headphones.

At home, I am about as basic as possible. Line6 Bass PODxt live usb into my laptop recording on Audacity.

Or, the 1/4 out of my Ampeg SVT-IIP to an M-audio fast track into the USB of my laptop.

It's simple, it works, it sounds good.... all I have to do is delete a split second in the track to line things up and presto. Easy scratch tracks to share with the bands, I've even had the sound engineers ask me how I got 'that sound'. When I tell them how basic and simple it is is they lose interest, haha.

 

[jplumansoc]

If I'm just at home I go

Bass --> Markbass Compressore --> One of my DI's --> Focusrite preamp --> Protools

If I'm in a pro studio, I'll do the above and then from the DI I'll run a line to one of my amps/cabs and then they'll usually duel mic it, one up close on farther away.

 

[Bass Mentor]

In all my studio session dates for years I've been using a modified older model 1.5 Rackspace Demeter VTBP-201 with a Jenson +4 DI redone by James Demeter himself....into an ADL 1000

also use the Sebatron Thorax Class A channel strip.....

 

[bichibreaker]

Bass --> Tube DI --> M-Audio Profire 2626 --> Pro Tools
Bass --> Tube DI --> Ampeg V4b --> Re20 mic -->Profire2626--> Pro Tools

 

[otherclef]

Just did some last night.

Jazz -> VTBP 201 -> MAC with the old school motif interface.

 

[nowontonsforme]

Bass -> Aguilar Tone Hammer DI -> M-Audio Delta 44 16 bit 44kHz -> Ableton Live 7

I typically add some compression and reverb in Live. To my ears it sounds amazing with everything set pretty flat.

 

[samurai1993]

Here is my chain. Gives me a lot to work with in my mix.

I'm planning on doing the same, but with an MXR80

At the moment mine is just bass -> amp -> cheap condenser mic -> [waiting for my focusrite scarlett 2i2, had an Tascam US800]

If I just want to fool around or lay down some ideas, I just connect the bass directly to the recording interface

 

[geddeeee]

Mine is the same for my live setup:

Rickenbacker 4003 > Ashdown 550 (1 x 15) Touring combo.

The amp is mic-ed and DI-ed to 2 separate tracks so I can blend the 'airier' mic signal with the DI.

I can add any effects via the mixing console.
Simple, but effective.

 

[bluesdogblues]

Reviving the old-thread (they say it's better than create new thread for same topic, even if I'm not sure if it's really the only thread about the topic - too lazy to search)
Ok let's the fun begin ...

If I could decide:

Spoiler: Bass Recording Chain

Good Pre CBS Fender Precision Bass

Good Pre CBS Fender Jazz Bass

La Bella Deep Talkin' Bass 0760M Strings

Evil Twin DI by Eclair Engineering

Ampeg SVT + 810 cab

Ampeg B15
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

AKG D112
Link Removed

Neumann U87

Tubetech CL1B

Avalon VT737SP

Burl Audio B2 Bomber ADC (if Digital)
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Studer A827 (if Analog )

(sorry, all gears in the pics are not mine, only from googling for examples, and not scaled properly)..

OK..that's All

 

[NKBassman]

For the current project, heavy metal stuff, goes like this.

P Bass > Countryman DI (Track 1) > Radial Splitter > Universal Audio M610 Pre hi-z input > dbx 160a (Track 2)

> Fuzzrocious Demon > SWR Interstellar Overdrive > Radial JDI w/ Speaker Pad > GAP Pre73 > GAP Comp 54 (comp disengaged, transformer engaged) (Track 3)​

We tried a variety of mic'd cabs and amps for the overdrive tone, but none of them got as close as this fully direct setup.

 

[wish i was]

Bass>cable>Alesis MultiMix 12 Firewire>Reaper