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Does this bass DI sound right? (n00b here)

MackieBass

MackieBass

Jun 3, 2021
40
31
#1
I bought an ibanez SR375E the other day and have been working (un-successfully) to dial in some tones.
Invalid Link Removed

I noticed a couple of issues with the sound while playing around

1. The DI sounds 'clicky' to me - I lowered the pickups and raised the action a touch and some of it went away but there's still a pretty harsh transient.
2. Lots of string noise - I'm not sure if this is normal
3. The pickups are HOT - not sure how much of an issue this is. Im assuming having the 3-band EQ set to the center where there is a tactile bump is unity (+/-0dB)

Anyway I recorded a short DI track to show you guys - does this sound right???

DI: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#2
Sounds like a DI bass track usually sounds.

I make zero adjustments on the instrument based on how it sounds directly into the board. Just about every bass sounds thin, clanky, etc. when naked through a DI.

This is where a preamp or plug-ins help to put some sort of “amp tone” or color into the sound.
 
#3
MackieBass said:
I bought an ibanez SR375E the other day and have been working (un-successfully) to dial in some tones.
Invalid Link Removed

I noticed a couple of issues with the sound while playing around

1. The DI sounds 'clicky' to me - I lowered the pickups and raised the action a touch and some of it went away but there's still a pretty harsh transient.
2. Lots of string noise - I'm not sure if this is normal
3. The pickups are HOT - not sure how much of an issue this is. Im assuming having the 3-band EQ set to the center where there is a tactile bump is unity (+/-0dB)

Anyway I recorded a short DI track to show you guys - does this sound right???

DI: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...
Could just be my speakers, but I'm hearing some distortion, like the initial transient is overdriving something.

I'd look at the gain going into whatever you are recording with first before assuming it's the DI.
 
#5
Carl Hillman said:
Could just be my speakers, but I'm hearing some distortion, like the initial transient is overdriving something.

I'd look at the gain going into whatever you are recording with first before assuming it's the DI.
Click to expand...

agree, sounds like the bass is overdriving the preamp a little bit. But otherwise, its a perfectly acceptable DI' bass sound. Very stringy, thin, and pingy. Amusingly enough, yours is a very similar model to my bass players, and when we were doing our demo, we had VERY similar results. Part of that can be overcome with technique, part of that can be addressed with gear. Is this for your own recording uses or for a project with a band? I like to get 2-3 tracks on a bass when recording, a clean DI, a miced up cabinet, and maybe a "wet" DI with effects or additional drive on it. Then you can mix them to taste when mixing. We ended up re recording a bunch of tracks, but I also split the DI'd track, and low/high/band passed them with different EQ and compression and came up with some good composite bass tracks, but that was a lot of work. Better to get it right going into the recorder.
 
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#6
Hard to say. Sounds like technique to me. Strings are rattling off of the frets and maybe pickups. As @Pat Harris says, it may sit well in the mix. Depends on the style of music. If everything is loud and driving, then fine. If you are going for a clean bass sound then move away from the pick and use your fingers. Again, if you are playing metal (which I don't), it may be just fine. Also turn down you input a little. If you are using 24bit, you can record a lot lower, don't worry about peaking your meters.
 

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