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Engineers and Precision Basses. The truth comes out.

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#62
g-dude said:
The Fluence pickups are essentially stacked circuit boards with a printed circuit forming the "coils" so to speak...which sounds like the opposite of being safer!
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Ah I see…then yes, I’d likely be deadly to those as well given the right show conditions :roflmao:
 
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#64
matante said:
I'm not sure why you quoted me with your statement. Are you saying something that contradicts what I said? I'm not talking about who chooses which bass to use.

Edit: That's why I said it depends on the project. Going in as a hired gun to record a McDonald's jingle is not the same as me paying the studio to record Matante's solo album. Let's not make assumptions about the type of project that's being recorded.
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Sorry, that made no sense that I quoted you with that reply! I apologize.
Yes, there's a range of scenarios--sometimes it's the typical artist/producer/engineer setting when there's that kind of budget. Sometimes the producer is also the engineer. Sometimes the artist is the producer. If there's only an "engineer", and he's making the decisions on what the sounds should be, then he's really acting as a producer as well, and was hired to do that. But you read some of these threads on TB and you get the sense that some folks think you go into a studio and it's you and some evil engineer in there calling all the shots just chomping at the bit to force a pbass on you;). Kinda like all the threads that make it sound like every FOH guy is out to ruin "your" tone.
 
#66
Hooboy here we go again.

As has been said before, no Engineer is going to TELL you what to play. That's not their job. Their job is to get the sounds the producer (or the band, in some/most cases, especially when the band is new) wants, in as short an amount of time as is humanly possible. Time is LITERALLY money here, and an engineer who is detrimental to the process is an engineer who's going to find his phone conspicuously quiet very fast. Please note that none of that job involves walking in the live room, yanking the bass out of the paying customer's hands, and putting a P-Bass into their hands. That's a myth, or an engineer who's britches are a bit small for him. In addition, a good (or smart? Savvy? Political?) engineer should probably try to not make sweeping declarations about the work ethic of other engineers. That sort of thing gets back around quicker than you'd expect, especially if the person you made said sweeping declaration to tells the next engineer they work with that "my last engineer said that the P-Bass sitting in the mix well was a myth and it's just the engineer being lazy".

I've seen tons of pre-production sessions where the band brings road gear, their favorite pieces, and the tone just ISN'T right for the producer's vision, the overall direction the team wants to go for, or their reference material (although I'd always suggest not bringing in finished music as a reference, you'll end up chasing your tail unless you know exactly what was used). A producer/talent relationship is pretty complicated, but there's a few general rules of thumb:

  • If you're a small time band, and you're paying for the producer/the producer is working with you because they're interested in your music and they are insistent on using a P-bass when you don't want to, question whether your ear is better than theirs, or question whether this is a good fit. Some bands want a tyrant, some bands want someone to hold their hand. Both work, just not for everyone. This is most likely the sort of relationship where you're going to have the freedom to work on realizing your sound. Small-time engineers and producers with small time clientele generally are either interested in the music as an artform, or are on the hunt to get noticed/get more gigs from having a hot discography.
  • If you're a band on a small or medium-sized label, most likely your label had a hand in choosing the team who's going to put your album together. Sometimes this is a harmonious relationship, sometimes it isn't. You may have a lot less choice in this situation, for as much as you'd like to deny it, you're now an employee of your label and there are expectations to be met. The label wants the album on time, on or under budget, and sounding like it can be marketed. The studio wants to get your job done in the allotted time and to have something hot for their portfolio. In other words, they'll most likely want it to sound like whatever the hottest band in your genre sounds like right now. In the industry mook books, that means that'll sell records. If the quickest way to get to that sound is to toss a P-Bass in your hand, they're probably gonna do it. Hell, when Mars Volta did Deloused in the Comatorium, Flea came in with his standard gear (Modulus Flea basses, and GK rig, IIRC) and the guys told him they'd prefer it if he played with a P-Bass and a vintage SVT. And did Flea go 'nuh uh, that's not my tone'? Nah, he picked up a P-Bass and played it.
I can't say that I've seen a lot of cases of people forcing a bassist at gunpoint to play a P-Bass, but I have seen it happen. MOST of the time that sort of decision comes from a consensus between the whole team. It definitely happens, and anyone who denies it should probably look inward into why they're so worked up and concerned with what other people are doing and why their identity is so tied into what bass they've got hanging from their neck.
 
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#70
Rib 13 said:
I generally dont promote myself in TB threads ....... but I did a whole video on this subject and its very relevent here if the mods will allow it. I preface this by saying this is an opinion piece, but based largely on my experience as a working bass player since the mid-80s

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Which one(s) was/were the p-bass? I was leaning toward 1, 3 and maybe 4. But as I stated, I'm not a p-bass guy so I'm probably wrong.
 
#71
If you don't mind me asking, and I am not trying to derail the conversation, but what are the European short scale basses you use? I have been look for decent short scales for a while and have yet to find one that is sofisticated enough. Especially a 5 string!
 
#75
g-dude said:
So what's funny is if you go back and watch old episodes of Hee Haw, it's amazing how unphotogenic country music folks could be and still be superstars. Unfortunately, there's no way that's going to happen anymore.
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They were all caracatures of hillbillies. Some of them cleaned up real nice.
 
#78
tb-player said:
There have just been so many stories about the p-bass in studios that it’s become a sort of bass lore.

Of course, listen to most of the tunes coming out of Nashville and there’s a definite “sound” as it pertains to bass tone. So I’m not saying it’s not real. I’m just saying that a lot of it may have to do with engineers who are more focused on guitar and vocal tone while the bass tone is on precision autopilot.
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For not to say anything about Motown’s or Atlantic R&B/soul .. but this just reinforces the sound engineer’s statement that, once a sound base which seems to work well is set, in the studio they tend to always replicate it in order to achieve a good mix in the shortest time as possible
 
#79
MDBass said:
Pretty funny how pissy some (presumably) adult men are getting over a few pieces of wood with a single split coil pickup screwed into it.

Plenty of amazing songs have been recorded with a P bass: some with remarkably good bass tones.

Plenty of amazing songs have been recorded without a P bass: some with remarkably good bass tones.

Play what you like, who cares :thumbsup:
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There’s something missing between “pieces of wood” and “with a single split coil pickup” … I’d add “glued together” :laugh:
 
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#80
g-dude said:
You're right...what I meant to say is that Starbucks is memorable for tasting burnt! :roflmao:

I should probably try their blonde espresso again, but I'd rather just put the money towards quality coffee beans for home.
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Lavazza guys … Lavazza .. coffee is a pleasure, if it’s not good what pleasure is it? (famous Italian ‘70s TV commercial’s statement)


fee_325_225_png
 
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