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fingerstyle bass recording issues

U

underbedbeast

Jun 17, 2006
1
0
#1
I'm sure this gets covered from time to time, but I haven't seen it.

My bass player is a natural fingerstyle player - and sounds fantastic - difficulty is that on faster tracks he produces a lot of excess noise. Some of the noise, some of the time is nice, sort of authentic... but on some of the recordings his pops, snaps, and other abberant non-musical noises overwhelm the percussion on the recordings.

Has anyone dealt with this problem before?

He plays through a 100watt ampeg and we're thinking a smaller amp MIGHT help, but his bass level is fine for most of what we do. It's just the sensitivity to the extraneous noises that's bad.

Thanks!
feel free to email me!
 
#2
I know of the problem. I have experienced it first hand. It could be in part because of the amp. But probably more because of the settings on the amp. If you, for example, boost the bass knob, some amps have a tendency to pick up a lot of unwanted noise. Or maybe the amp isn't the prob at all. If these passages you talk about are hard for your bassist to play without the excess noise it might be a technical issue. Maybe recommending him to try those parts with a pick. Or, if he doesn't want that, have him practice it at low tempos and making sure the noise isn't there. Then gradually picking up the tempo till you can hear when the excess noise starts to become apparent. Maybe showing him exactly how you play it, with fingerings and all.

Good luck
 
#3
Another option would be to remove the noise AFTER it has been recorded. I'm not sure what software you are using to do the mixdown, but it might be a matter of trying to EQ the noise out. Some programs allow you to do a noise capture and remove certain sounds from a track. There are also click/pop eliminators and hiss reducers that may work. I have these featuers on Adobe Audition and I'm sure may be found on other programs. I've used them with some success. Hope that helps..

Derrick
 
#4
I take it that you are micing the amp?

Another option if that is the case is to use the DI of the amp head if it has that feature. That might cut down some of the noise.

Another option is for him to use a hair scrunchy around the nut/1st fret area, as this will hopefully pick up some of the excess string vibration and act as a dampener of sorts.
 
#5
I'd suggest that the noise is caused mainly by a really low action combined with hard playing. Change one or the other, and the noises will likely go away.

Needless to say, getting a bassist to voluntarily make his bass harder to play would require physical threats, so try this as an option - set up his headphone system so that he's really, really loud in his own headphones; this may make him play a little lighter, and help to minimize the extraneous sounds. Or it may at least help to make him aware of them...

It's ALWAYS better to fix this sort of thing at the source rather than trying to deal with it later.
 
#7
well I've encountered the same problem on my own progressive metal recordings where some partsa get really hard to play...The thing I usually do is to decrease the treble level, and put a silencer on the nut to block the empty string vibrations(I've long hair and its really easy to find something to do that momentarily:) ) ...The Active basses produce more of this unwanted clicks and pops, so cutting mids and treble a bit may help this situation, or switching to a passive bass may solve it for that track. Also playing loud in recordings make it hard to play actually, so try in lower volumes...
hope this helps,
good luck with your recordings...
 
#11
I would say.. Its probably from his action being so low the string is hitting the frets cause he is playing a little hard. Tell him to play softer or raise his action. But thats not the only thing. Try turning down his treble a squeak it always helps me.
 
#12
My first reaction was that he needs to learn how to play his parts better. He obviously isn't playing them cleanly enough, Period.

Your best bet is to have him fix that.

You could maybe EQ it out, maybe do it with compression, maybe with some technical modification to his bass, but it all comes back to your bass player isn't playing the parts cleanly enough. I've never had good results trying to make after the fact fixes to sloppy playing.

Maybe he needs to simplify the parts when you record them?
 
#13
If 'pops and snaps' are too loud then a compressor will help to keep them under control so that they don't jump out of the mix too much. A compressor will also raise the volume of all the 'other abberant non-musical noises ' such as finger squeaks and fret rattle. So you need to identify what you hope to achieve with compression.

Lowering the action on the bass can make it easier for the player to keep those pops & snaps under control. If the problem is a playing technique issue you're not going to completely fix it with technology/engineering. Like they say in computing GIGO. It might be worth changing the bass part/arrangements in the problem areas?

Also evaluate the bass part in the full mix at an appropriate level rather than judging it solo'd or cranked up. Much of the 'noise' will disappear into the track and can actually assist in giving the bass part definition. Be realistic too, it's a string instrument, it will make some string noises. I don't think a smaller amp will make any difference.
 

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