Does this bzzz sound normal? Thrilling MP3 included!

[Horseflesh]

Like a lot of new players I wonder if the various klanks and buzzes I hear are normal. If it doesn't come through the amp, it doesn't matter, right? Well, some noises do make it to the amp. In the abstract, I know that some string and fret noise is acceptable, but I don't really know what that means yet.

Now that I have a decent audio interface, I made a demo file. The attached MP3 is just a series of Gs and it illustrates one specific artifact I am wondering about. When I lift a string off the fret--finger still on the string to mute it--there is often a tiny buzz as the string loses touch with the fret. It ain't much, but it's ain't nothin'. Is this artifact acceptable? (Man I hope so, because I cannot figure out how to tame it.)

This is probably a question you figure out the first time you ever play with anyone else, or have an in-person lesson, but since that hasn't happened yet... I have to appeal to you guys.

If it matters, the strings are Ernie Ball cobalt flats. Prior to this I had roundwounds (brand unknown) and this noise was much more obvious. It was hideous, in fact.

 

[AGCurry]

I don't hear anything bad at the end of the note, but there's a noise that starts with the attack that I wouldn't like. Kind of like something touching a speaker cone.

 

[Horseflesh]

Thanks much for the feedback. One less thing to worry about, one new thing added! I'll see if I can pick out what you noticed. I'm recording through a digital interface so there isn't much to go wrong downstream from the instrument.

 

[Drucifer]

I hear what you're describing, but it sounds perfectly normal to me, roundwounds EDIT: newish flatwounds? with fairly low action. If it's killing you, I bet low-pass EQ would get rid of some or most of that.

 

[Drucifer]

p.s. completely inaudible in a band setting

 

[Horseflesh]

The bzz in the clip is tolerable to me if it is to an experienced player. So if you think it's normal, that's great news. One less thing for me to worry about.

I have flats on now, when it was rounds, it was quite a bit worse--though still may have been in the normal range.

p.s. completely inaudible in a band setting

Probably inaudible on the Moon too which is more likely than my being in a band, haha! Bedroom bassin' here for quite a while, I expect.

 

[Drucifer]

The bzz in the clip is tolerable to me if it is to an experienced player. So if you think it's normal, that's great news. One less thing for me to worry about.

I have flats on now, when it was rounds, it was quite a bit worse--though still may have been in the normal range.



Probably inaudible on the Moon too which is more likely than my being in a band, haha! Bedroom bassin' here for quite a while, I expect.

Turn down the treble, that should help if you don't mind losing some highs.

 

[LBS-bass]

Maybe my ears are shot, but I just hear some gated compression that's causing a rather abrupt decay to many of those notes. I don't hear a buzz. More like a "tick."

 

[Horseflesh]

"Tick" is a better word.

I think I did have a noise gate on but it isn't too aggressive -- I'll check my settings tonight and post something that isn't processed if needed.

 

[JKos]

Are you muting the string with your right hand coordinated with lifting your finger?

 

[drumvsbass]

p.s. completely inaudible in a band setting

This. All day long. I once met a bassist who said he loved the growl of bass guitar but hated string buzz, distortion of any kind and 800hz... if you know what I'm talking about . String noise on a bass only matters to people who are listening to their bass by itself. So of course when at home practicing, these things can become irritating. Go check out some soloed tracks of Geddy Lee, or Steve Harris and you'll get a very different idea of what and 'acceptable artifact' is. Those artifacts are usually what give the track 'character' and really are eaten up by the rest of the noise in the track. This isn't to say that one should abandon good clear clean technique, but to worry about the minutia is madness.
That said, your track sounds really clean. Don't worry about it.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Like a lot of new players I wonder if the various klanks and buzzes I hear are normal. If it doesn't come through the amp, it doesn't matter, right? Well, some noises do make it to the amp. In the abstract, I know that some string and fret noise is acceptable, but I don't really know what that means yet.

Now that I have a decent audio interface, I made a demo file. The attached MP3 is just a series of Gs and it illustrates one specific artifact I am wondering about. When I lift a string off the fret--finger still on the string to mute it--there is often a tiny buzz as the string loses touch with the fret. It ain't much, but it's ain't nothin'. Is this artifact acceptable? (Man I hope so, because I cannot figure out how to tame it.)

This is probably a question you figure out the first time you ever play with anyone else, or have an in-person lesson, but since that hasn't happened yet... I have to appeal to you guys.

If it matters, the strings are Ernie Ball cobalt flats. Prior to this I had roundwounds (brand unknown) and this noise was much more obvious. It was hideous, in fact.

I don't hear anything but clean notes bro

 

[Horseflesh]

Thanks for the feedback @JeezyMcNuggles & @drumvsbass! Very encouraging.

I'll try to find solo examples. I have searched for isolated bass tracks before but didn't find anything quite like I was hoping for

Are you muting the string with your right hand coordinated with lifting your finger?

In this example, no. It is the simplest possible pluck: the plucking finger pulls across the string, which is left to ring until the fretting finger lifts slightly to mute the note. I've seen that a million times in instructional videos, but always without the tick artifact I hear when I do it! I'm trying to understand what that baseline is "allowed" to sound like before adding other muting techniques.

When not playing super legato, I do try to mute with the fretting hand by applying all available fingers lightly across the strings when releasing a note--what Mark at Talking Bass calls returning to the "home position." And I will often choke a string with the plucking hand too. That's all pretty good for muting ringing strings and keeping the sound from getting muddy. But this specific artifact, the tick right at the moment you lift, can only be 100% defeated with great effort. I've not seen it addressed in my instructional videos, so I am very glad to hear that my sample sounds normal.

Overly Concerned About Nothing Novice Bassist Club, Member #97

 

[drumvsbass]

Thanks for the feedback @JeezyMcNuggles & @drumvsbass! Very encouraging.

I'll try to find solo examples. I have searched for isolated bass tracks before but didn't find anything quite like I was hoping for

Geddy.



Harris.



and a quote from the comments on the Iron Maiden video

"This IS how bass sounds, fret buzz and rattling is perfectly normal percussive bass, most of that is drowned out by other high end stuff going on in the mix, and the low end comes out because all you've got down there is the kick drum so nothing is masking it"

 

[LBS-bass]

This. All day long. I once met a bassist who said he loved the growl of bass guitar but hated string buzz, distortion of any kind and 800hz... if you know what I'm talking about . String noise on a bass only matters to people who are listening to their bass by itself. So of course when at home practicing, these things can become irritating. Go check out some soloed tracks of Geddy Lee, or Steve Harris and you'll get a very different idea of what and 'acceptable artifact' is. Those artifacts are usually what give the track 'character' and really are eaten up by the rest of the noise in the track. This isn't to say that one should abandon good clear clean technique, but to worry about the minutia is madness.
That said, your track sounds really clean. Don't worry about it.

There's a local producer here who is very well known for his obsessive approach to track noise. IMO he squeezes the life out of everything I've ever heard him produce. If you want something reduced to its most sterile elements, with no string noise or breathing, he's your guy. I prefer to hear signs of life, though. But it's amazing how much work that guy gets.

 

[Chrisk-K]

To me fret buzz is an integral part of an electric bass tone.

 

[sawzalot]

LOL that sounds absolutely normal to me. Go listen to a little Geddy Lee or even Marcus Miller and you'll here a whole lot more than that, which should give you some idea of what's acceptable.

 

[BAG]

It sounds perfectly normal to me too.

It is the simplest possible pluck: the plucking finger pulls across the string, which is left to ring until the fretting finger lifts slightly to mute the note.

As you lift your fretting finger to mute the note the string is still vibrating and it will definitely buzz against the fret a bit. I think this is what you are hearing. If you pluck the string and then mute it with your plucking finger you may find that it doesn't do that or you may find that you get a similar effect from the string vibrating against your finger as you mute it.

 

[drumvsbass]

There's a local producer here who is very well known for his obsessive approach to track noise. IMO he squeezes the life out of everything I've ever heard him produce. If you want something reduced to its most sterile elements, with no string noise or breathing, he's your guy. I prefer to hear signs of life, though. But it's amazing how much work that guy gets.

I used to do a bit of studio production myself and one fateful weekend I decided to really go over board with one mix I was doing. Everything edited to the grid, melodyned, drum replaced... the whole shebang. Every single element could be soloed and listened to as 'perfect' by itself. It was the most awful sounding thing ever, I never played it for anyone.
If you don't want it to sound like real people playing, just program midi.
Well programmed midi can generate less of the uncanny valley effect than hyper edited human performance.

 

[OldNARDGuy]

Just had a listen, and I don't get anything untoward at all. Of course, it could be that my ears have circled the block more than once, but I would love to sound that clean.