There are about as many opinions as there are studio experienced bassits, but I've found my P with active EMG and the Epiphone Jack Casady Signature with the Lo Z Electar to be the quietest and fattest sounding instruments I've used so far.
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best recording bass
- Thread starter tubster
- Start date
my old spector ns2 which was stolen 
nowadays i like to record with my zon legacy 4; but nothing ever comes close to my ns2 ...
nowadays i like to record with my zon legacy 4; but nothing ever comes close to my ns2 ...
eventhough I love my Warrior for some of these recent recordings.... a passive MIA jazz bass really is my #1 vote.
Vintage P-Bass, fretless jazz bass. Sold my Stingray to get the P-Bass in the name of recording.
Being a session Bassist and Pro Engineer, here are my .02........
I have used just about everything over the years...Older Fenders (I have a REAL '62 and a REAL '67 Jazz) are hard to beat for just about anything...I used Warwick Streamer Stage 2 4 and 5 strings for a few years for more modern stuff and I currently use my Sadowsky Vintage 4 for EVERY Session I do....Anything that HAS to have a 5 string typically will get a Warwick NT Thumb 5....
One piece of advice I will give is be careful of what you send to tape....typically I do not send a lot of low or High end to tape from the bass's onboard pre....just enough to make things full....I will use compression to tape at times depending on the type of track but typically RECORD WITHOUT IT....remember, you can always add ANYTHING later in the mix stage but what goes to tape is ALWAYS on tape....it is almost impossible to "take it back"......
I like the UA 1176 Compressor, a dbx 160X (just about the coolest since sliced bread) or even the older dbx 166 is not bad in a pinch....my favorite compressors are an Avalon 737 (rackmount pre with built in compressor), API 200 and 500 series, Neve 33609, and most any SSL compressor on the console or one of the new outboard mic pre units the XLogic channel....
Keep in mind that a good engineer can make just about anything work as long as there is a decent track there to begin with....we are not magicians.....Don Was once said to a guitarist "If you don't put it on tape, it won't be on tape!".....think about it.......
Peace,
T
I have used just about everything over the years...Older Fenders (I have a REAL '62 and a REAL '67 Jazz) are hard to beat for just about anything...I used Warwick Streamer Stage 2 4 and 5 strings for a few years for more modern stuff and I currently use my Sadowsky Vintage 4 for EVERY Session I do....Anything that HAS to have a 5 string typically will get a Warwick NT Thumb 5....
One piece of advice I will give is be careful of what you send to tape....typically I do not send a lot of low or High end to tape from the bass's onboard pre....just enough to make things full....I will use compression to tape at times depending on the type of track but typically RECORD WITHOUT IT....remember, you can always add ANYTHING later in the mix stage but what goes to tape is ALWAYS on tape....it is almost impossible to "take it back"......
I like the UA 1176 Compressor, a dbx 160X (just about the coolest since sliced bread) or even the older dbx 166 is not bad in a pinch....my favorite compressors are an Avalon 737 (rackmount pre with built in compressor), API 200 and 500 series, Neve 33609, and most any SSL compressor on the console or one of the new outboard mic pre units the XLogic channel....
Keep in mind that a good engineer can make just about anything work as long as there is a decent track there to begin with....we are not magicians.....Don Was once said to a guitarist "If you don't put it on tape, it won't be on tape!".....think about it.......
Peace,
T
Planet Boulder
Hey, this is a private residence...man
- Nov 10, 2001
- 4,014
- 65
- Disclosures
- I once had impure thoughts. Oh, and I pluck my ear hair.
My personal favorite recording bass that I own is a DR Heartfield 5-string that has been modded to include S-D electronics (with the stock pickups). That thing sounds beautiful (and plays well too). I've done a lot of recording with various basses, and that one is the one that works best for me. My Jazz bass also does quite well.
A couple of basses that I DON'T record with are my Stingray and my active Kingston, both of which are just too "clicky" for direct recordings for me.
A couple of basses that I DON'T record with are my Stingray and my active Kingston, both of which are just too "clicky" for direct recordings for me.
