Don't Bring Your Bass!?

[DwaynieAD]

as much as I'd be cheesed off being told not to use my bass I'd be willing to bet a decent chunk of money that you will be happier with the finished product when u use the producers "vision" rather than your own.

I think it is analogous of a tattoo artist doing a tattoo for you, the more specific you are about what you want the worse the finished product will be because you put constraints on the artist. Let their mind flow and create and you will get a beautiful finished product.

Admittedly, my knee jerk reaction was "eff them, bring your bass."

 

[MikeBass]

IMO, if you're footing the bill, and the producer tells you that BEFORE you walk in the door, I'd be using my own.

It's the producers job to get the best take from you and make you the most comfortable he can.
If that means he has to work a little harder with your bass to get a killer take, then he works a little harder.
If he hands you a bass that you are uncomfortable with then you more than likely not gonna nail the best take you can.

Take yours, use yours first.
It's YOUR session. Not theirs.
Anyone who tells you different needs to look at the check writer.
But, be prepared to maybe use their bass. You do need to be flexible as well.

 

[fokof]

You're paying a producer , let him do his job or else it's money trown by the window.

I imagine that someone in your organisation knew how this guy works before signing with him. That includes how he deals with instrumentists and their instruments.

 

[s_mcsleazy]

it doesnt sound like a odd request. i used to get it when i did session playing in my dads mates studio. but i would always take my jazz to be on the safe side

 

[DizzyExiled]

the 'producers' sound can make or break your album.

That said I've seen bands play on studio gear and turn great live songs, into mediocre album tracks.

 

[iamflea]

Think of it this way... at least he didn't tell you not to bring yourself!!!

If you are at the stage when you are working with a producer then I'm afraid it's time to man up and be professional. Sorry but thats the truth, spit the dummy when you have made it, but until then use everything as a lesson.

 

[MK1]

This is a pretty normal request. The producer knows the bass they have. He knows it's set up perfect and that there are no electronic issues with it. As much as I hate to say it, if this producer is as big of a deal as you say he is you're lucky he's even letting you play on the recordings at all. It's not uncommon for a producer to bring in a session drummer, bassist, and rhythm guitarist. He knows what his session musicians are capable of and that they won't waste his time.

 

[DanNowhere]

If I was paying for a recording, I would not want to be monkeying around with an unfamiliar bass while the meter is running. Also, I would be wary of someone telling me NOT to bring my bass to a session. I would be open to experimenting on different equipment, but I would not be receptive to being told to leave my gear at home.

This is his studio, and maybe he doesn't want to waste time with a bass player monkeying around with a bass unfamiliar to him. I'm sure he's got the bass and amp dialed in already to the sound he wants to get.

 

[seamonkey]

I'd bring the bass, but as a spare, and tell them you want to warm up with it and use it during your breaks for practicing. They may find their not quite getting the track they want and might want to try your bass. But if they don't, don't sweat it. It's not personal. They are just trying to take a safe route they know will work.

A good bassist can play any bass and get the most out of.
- or -
A good producer can tweak the signal from any bass and get the most out of it.

#1 is what they expect. Maybe they're not such good producers, but really
You're singer is probably not bringing their favorite mic. Your keyboardist is not bringing their grand piano. Go with the flow, don't take it personally. Recorded and live sound are completely different animals.

 

[MikeBass]

This is a pretty normal request. The producer knows the bass they have. He knows it's set up perfect and that there are no electronic issues with it. As much as I hate to say it, if this producer is as big of a deal as you say he is you're lucky he's even letting you play on the recordings at all. It's not uncommon for a producer to bring in a session drummer, bassist, and rhythm guitarist. He knows what his session musicians are capable of and that they won't waste his time.

Actually, no it isn't.
Telling the artist to leave their instrument at home.
And no it isn't set up perfectly. Might be electronically sound, but set up perfectly for who exactly?

A P-Bass with high action and flats is so far from perfect set up for me it's pathetic.
And also, if you're footing the bill, and the producer wanted to use someone else, then, well, fire the producer.

Again, we didn't get any clarification as to the whole deal here.
Who's paying? Simple.
If you're paying, you can do what the hell you want and it's his/her job to be there as long as it takes.

I've worked on a number of sessions with my own groups and as a hired player.
Maybe it's just me, but not once have I ever been told not to bring my own bass.
I've played on national commercials and had tracks on movie soundtracks.
Always used my own bass.

Again, if a producer doesn't know how to make you feel completely at ease, and completely confident in what you are trying to do, then they really don't have any business telling anyone what to play.
It's their job to get the best performance from you that they can.

I've never heard of being told to leave it at home. That's absurd IMO.
Who knows if what you have is better than what they have. And they should know that.

I need to be a little clear.......My goal for the last 10 years or so is to be as generic sounding as I can. So I can walk in and "fit" into any situation.
I usually bring my old Jazz, my 65 Hofner and a Sadowsky 5 to any session I do. So I usually don't have any issues really.

 

[JoZac21]

So here's what I wound up doing...

I brought my bass along but wound up using his... initially I only wanted to use his bass for the first track, but due to time restraints, switching basses and retuning wasn't an option. Honestly, with the second track I had a hard time adjusting to playing it on a 4 string...

I still find it an odd request, but ultimately, I decided to go the, "he's the producer, let him produce" route... hopefully I made the right choice. I guess I'll have to wait and see.

 

[Big B.]

Again, if a producer doesn't know how to make you feel completely at ease, and completely confident in what you are trying to do, then they really don't have any business telling anyone what to play.
It's their job to get the best performance from you that they can.

Thank you. The argument that a producer already has a bass sound that works for him is not really that great of an argument. Sounds like the soundguy who will only run a line out from his 5$ direct box because "I know that will always work." If this is your band then it's up to you to stand up for your place in the mix. If you are session player you do what you are asked with a smile.

As long as you have a quality instrument with a good setup and clean electronics, a good producer can get a good sound. If he cant then his word isn't worth much.

 

[PDGood]

+1 with MikeBass.
I've produced hundreds of sessions, and although I've asked guitar players to consider using my guitars for specific sounds, you'll never get a good track if the player is uncomfortable with what he is being asked to do. The fact that he gave it as a command instead of a suggestion is troubling. Why would he not want to have yours as a back up - just in case you're used to a completely different action or number of strings?

A session player who is in the studio every day is going to have less problems adjusting than someone relatively new to the studio experience who may be nervous - even if he used his own equipment.

I could understand if he had heard your bass, knew that it had fret rattles or recorded horribly for some reason and then approached you (with some basic social skills) to discuss the situation - point out to you the reason for his concerns - and then ask you to take a spin on his bass and see if you'd be comfortable with it (before the day of the session). Now THAT would be a good producer in my mind.

And isn't your bass part of your band's sound?

 

[lamarjones]

A session player who is in the studio every day is going to have less problems adjusting than someone relatively new to the studio experience who may be nervous - even if he used his own equipment.

This is a very good point. I pretty much will do whatever on any bass, but certainly can't ask that of anyone. And by all means, the feel of the lines has to be there.

And isn't your bass part of your band's sound?

The OP does say that the producer is known for vintage vibes/sounds so it didn't seem like they were hiring to recreate what they do verbatim as much as getting a vibe for a record. But that is one of the things I took from the OP.

 

[Alaska Bass]

It does sound like a crappy request, and it also sounds like many up here have not worked with high profile producers.

And you guys should know that it's 80% chance of it being a p bass. There is a reason, it sits on top of the kick in a way others don't.

And yes, this has been requested of me several times. I don't fight it, cause when I put my pants on I don't make gold records.

LOL! I love it Lamar! If he uses what the producer asks though, they'll all be wearing gold plated diapers!

 

[MikeBass]

Wait...you walked in with a Sadowsky?????

No wonder he wanted you to use something else. everyone knows those don't record well........

If he wanted you to use something other than a P-Bass (or something very unique), I don't see the point of him NOT using your bass.
Did he inquire as to your gear ahead of time? Or just didn't care and told you to use his?

I really can't wrap my head around this. Telling the band to use something so HE is comfortable without first considering the artist.

As a "session" player, I've used the studio's gear. Again, it's their time/money. (Used an old P-Bass with dead as hell strings through an old Ampeg fliptop on a session. I didn't like the tone, but it's what they wanted).
As an "artist", I've worked with producers who wanted to know MY needs and expectations.

First off, what bass did he have you play?
And second, who is he?

Seriously, it's not like you had an $300 Ibanez with crappy active electronics.

 

[MikeBass]

Thank you. The argument that a producer already has a bass sound that works for him is not really that great of an argument. Sounds like the soundguy who will only run a line out from his 5$ direct box because "I know that will always work." If this is your band then it's up to you to stand up for your place in the mix. If you are session player you do what you are asked with a smile.

As long as you have a quality instrument with a good setup and clean electronics, a good producer can get a good sound. If he cant then his word isn't worth much.

Good input = good output.

 

[KJung]

My band is recording tomorrow with some producers that have some relatively impressive resumes... but based on the little bit of info they've been providing us with, I can't help but raise a few eyebrows...

Most importantly being, they told me not to bring my bass... that they would provide one for me .

Now it seems their deal is that they go for a very vintage kind of vibe, and want me to use their vintage instruments (i haven't even been told what these basses are). I have a nice bass... one that I paid a lot of money because it helps me achieve the sound I want. If I wanted a vintage sound, I would have bought a vintage instrument instead of a new one...

Has any one ever heard of a producer telling the musician to leave their instrument at home before?:scowl:

Not unusual at all. That is what you pay a producer to do... to polish and package and mold and modify a band's raw sound and approach into something the producer thinks will sell and speak to the audience and current tastes, etc.. That is again why you hire a producer. It is also why some bands/artistis (especially those with a proven track record) decide to produce their own recordings. When you do that, you can tell yourself how you want your bass to track and sound

Video producers are even worse. Many of those vintage Fender's and SVT's you see in video's are based on what the producer wants the vid to look like, versus what the players actually play.

 

[JoZac21]

Thanks for the advice everyone... by having these guys come on board as producers, we were entrusting them to use their experience and judgement in order to provide us with a product we can be happy with.

The bass I wound up using was a "Toyota" semi-hollow vintage japanese deal. It actually sounded pretty good (better quality than current Toyota cars lol). My only problem was adjusting to using a 4 string on songs I had been playing on a 5er for over a year. Going from playing a Sadowsky 5er with DR Hi Beams everyday, to recording with a short-scale 4 string with flatwounds and a bridge mute was like the musical equivilent of being asked to write a short story on a typewriter after years of using Microsoft Word, but in the long run, I put my trust in the producers and can only hope for the best.

My only concerns are:

We're a relatively new band (one year old)... these recordings are meant to be a demo to show off what are band is all about, and sell our group. I worry that this recording may misrepresent our band. People wanting a recorded version of what they saw live may be disappointed when the get a recording that doesn't sound like what they had just heard.

Another worry, is that this recording sells us, then hearing how we typically sound, want us to sound more like the recording. I like a modern sound. I like bright roundwounds on an active 5 string... I don't want to have to change my sound permanently simply because that's the way the band chose to represent itself on one recording.

 

[lamarjones]

We're a relatively new band (one year old)... these recordings are meant to be a demo to show off what are band is all about, and sell our group. I worry that this recording may misrepresent our band. People wanting a recorded version of what they saw live may be disappointed when the get a recording that doesn't sound like what they had just heard.

Don't sweat this. Happens all the time, and seriously some bands are great live, and some bands make great records, rarely do they do both. Because both of VERY different artforms. So many times bands think they should be able to recreate everything verbatim on a record in order to be 'legit', but really people just want to dig what they hear. Either live or through a stereo, and as stated, it's two different worlds.

That said, toyota?!?! Damn, I was WAY off! But the flatwounds part makes sense.