Bass tone not sounding right

[Bass Jones]

I know it's just an iPhone recording so hard to tell but it sounds pretty clear and I'm not hearing any distortion in the high notes.
Maybe double check the overdrive or shape buttons didn't get pressed. Or the input pad.

 

[Bassdoggydogg]

OP, a user named Aged Horse asked you a question and I dont think you answered it. He knows his stuff so you probably want to do that.

 

[Musicislife816]

What happens when you use just a single cabinet?

Right now the main issue is with my two combos at home. I played my SVT my two cabinets and it sounded great.

 

[Musicislife816]

I know it's just an iPhone recording so hard to tell but it sounds pretty clear and I'm not hearing any distortion in the high notes.
Maybe double check the overdrive or shape buttons didn't get pressed. Or the input pad.

All that is good. If you listen close you can hear an almost chorusy or flange or phase type sound

 

[Musicislife816]

You're playing with a pick right?

Play softer.

Play with your fingers.

Try a different pick.

I've always played like that and I've been using the same picks for a couple years now.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I've always played like that and I've been using the same picks for a couple years now.

It sounds good to me man. As others have said also, very bright. We don't know what this "blanket" means. To me, when you say "blanket" I think dead, dull, and/or muffled. Your tone is anything but that. Your strings sound brand new.

I meant play softer to decrease the "distortion" effect you think you're hearing. Or, just turn the gain down a little. You could also simply lower your pickups a little bit.

 

[Bass Jones]

All that is good. If you listen close you can hear an almost chorusy or flange or phase type sound

Now that you point it out, I can hear a shimmery kind of sound on the high notes. Not sure what that is.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

All that is good. If you listen close you can hear an almost chorusy or flange or phase type sound

Have you tried to un twist your string? Loosen your strings, pull some slack in them, and tighten them back up. One by one. A twisted string will give off a wonky chorusy effect. But, twisted strings also don't usually have much sustain to them.

 

[Jefus]

All that is good. If you listen close you can hear an almost chorusy or flange or phase type sound

When you describe it this way, I think I can pick up on what you're trying to say. It sounds like the strings to me. And I don't mean that in a bad way; you can hear the overtones swelling and contracting, right? If you strike a low note on a piano you get something similar.

As for why you hadn't noticed it before, that's harder to say. It may become more prominent with certain brands/constructions/gauges of strings, or depending on where you attack the strings with your finger/pick/thumb/etc. I would argue that you may be hearing it better now than before because your signal has gotten clearer, or perhaps the background noise has been reduced.

Some folks here may tell you not to worry about it and that it sounds good. To my ears, it sounds good. If it doesn't sound good to you then you may be on a tone journey. Hopefully something as simple as picking in a different spot, switching brand or gauge of pick, or even trimming your fingernails gets you there.

 

[Bass Jones]

Another thing that I have heard reference to causing a chorusy effect is a pickup being too close to a string. That seems less likely to happen without having done something to the bass though.

 

[rodl2005]

Sounds possibly like you're getting a tad of fret rattle.....too? Plucking hard'll do this if strings are a bit low ???

 

[blastoff]

is there a picture frame or metal file cabinet or something nearby thats giving off weird sympathetic vibrations? sometimes strange noises are hard to locate, especially if they aren’t part of your intended signal chain!

 

[swink]

Mad scientist in your neighborhood?
Invalid Link Removed

 

[Deleted member 271037]

That recording does not sound even remotely like anything I would describe as a "blanket over the sound". In my world that would mean muddy, undefined, lacking in high frequencies. If you think this recording is lacking in highs/clarity you should probably get your hearing checked by a professional no matter what a hearing test app says.

However, there is some fret buzz (which may be perceived as a distortion in the highs) and a kinda wobbly, chorus-like tone in the recording. Has the temperature/humidity increased in your area recently? This might have affected the neck, causing fret buzz (particularly in lower frets) plus a loss of sustain and perceived "power" to your tone. In extreme cases this can also lower the strings closer to the pickups (because the neck has bent slightly backwards), which MIGHT explain the wobbly tone, although poor intonation can also be a factor here.

If you think this may have happened, check your relief and pickup height. You might want to check your intonation while you're at it.

If there are any issues with the setup you probably just need a truss rod adjustment to set the correct amount of relief and MAYBE lower the pickup(s) a tad. Also, check your intonation.

If this was ONE bass with multiple rigs I would have suspected a setup issue like described above (based on the recording) but THREE basses with the exact same issue? I guess there's always a chance if they have been exposed to the same temperature/humidity but it seems a bit unlikely. I can't think of anything else though.

It would have been interesting to hear a recording with one of your other basses through the exact same signal chain, same mic position.

 

[Marley's Ghost]

Sometimes string issues from twists take a while to become noticeable.

 

[Lostgallifreyan]

That recording does not sound even remotely like anything I would describe as a "blanket over the sound". In my world that would mean muddy, undefined, lacking in high frequencies. If you think this recording is lacking in highs/clarity you should probably get your hearing checked by a professional no matter what a hearing test app says.

If this clarity was heard as relatively normal distribution of harmonics for a bass, until the onset of perceived error in sound, it may be that he has been chasing a sound that has been influenced by previously steady changes in hearing for some time. If so, a recent sudden change definitely must not be ruled out.

The bit that interests me is that he says familiar music tracks still sound ok, but that might mean he trusts them, and as with placebo effects, trust is a big part of perception and result. And that could cut both ways, so maybe if this is overexposure to the sound, a rest for a week might help. I have often found that a week's rest can do more than a three hour practise to improve my sound.

As of this point I'm out of my depth. I considered suggesting an exorcist because dubious funny is all I can think of now.

 

[Lostgallifreyan]

There IS a small thing I can think of to add...
Suppose there is slow HF decline in hearing, leading to a brightening sound over time as the result of an effort to retain what sounds 'normal' to the player.

This could lead to an increase in intermodulations between the now louder and clearer harmonics, especially the strong fundamentals of high notes. In turn, this can lead to hearing the detuning more because intermodulation distortion puts some low frequency components of sound into the mix. That means he might hear that even if the original HF harmonics are not heard in full strength directly.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

If this clarity was heard as relatively normal distribution of harmonics for a bass, until the onset of perceived error in sound, it may be that he has been chasing a sound that has been influenced by previously steady changes in hearing for some time. If so, a recent sudden change definitely must not be ruled out.

The bit that interests me is that he says familiar music tracks still sound ok, but that might mean he trusts them, and as with placebo effects, trust is a big part of perception and result. And that could cut both ways, so maybe if this is overexposure to the sound, a rest for a week might help. I have often found that a week's rest can do more than a three hour practise to improve my sound.

As of this point I'm out of my depth. I considered suggesting an exorcist because dubious funny is all I can think of now.

I starting to suspect the OP may refer to something different than most people when he describes the problem as "a blanket over the sound". With any severe loss of hearing in higher frequencies he probably wouldn't notice the "distortion on high notes" (which to me sounds like fret buzz which is likely to be a setup issue).

 

[Lostgallifreyan]

I starting to suspect the OP may refer to something different than most people when he describes the problem as "a blanket over the sound". With any severe loss of hearing in higher frequencies he probably wouldn't notice the "distortion on high notes" (which to me sounds like fret buzz which is likely to be a setup issue).

Could be, but I think he probably knows fret buzz. Can't be many of us who don't, and when playing we might feel it in the fretting hand even if we can't gauge the sound. Also, he said this thing happens in many situations, different basses, gear, even rooms.

It occurred to me that the sudden onset of changes in hearing I mentioned might not even be the case. If he noticed a change for the first time after longterm and gradual change in hearing, it may be that it had become recognised, perceived, and once that happens a person might start hearing it everywhere in the context of bass strings and detuning. I mention that possibility because it could explain why familiar music appears to sound the same to him as it always did.

 

[Acoustic356]

What I hear when I play differs from what I hear in listening to the playback of a recording.

I recommend recording yourself and making adjustments based on that.