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How does he get this sound?

W

wallyman

Jan 20, 2010
5
3
#1
Hi All,
I totally dig the sound Loggins and Messina's bass player gets on this recent video of Angry Eyes:
Loggins And Messina ANGRY EYES live - YouTube

You can hear him clearly at about 1:33.
It sounds like a fretless but I can't be sure. They never stay on the guy long enough to get a good enough look to see if he's playing a lined fretless or a freted bass.

Any ideas as to how he's getting this unique sound? Strings? Processing?
thanks,
Wallyman
Link Removed
 
#3
Pretty characteristic tone of a Thumb IMO. Seems like a fretted, especially by how the light reflects at around 3:40. You can get pretty close to that tone by panning toward the bridge pickup (but leave a little neck in there), boost low mids, and cut the highs a bit. Some compression seems to help as well.
 
#5
I have been a live sound engineer for 20 years been with different bands the judds , Guns n Roses , Motly crue

okay to get this bass sound its about the right microphone and the EQ in that video they were useing a condenser microphone with a low end from 20HZ to 10HZ this range is very inportent when slecting a mic for the bass if you use a microphone not designed for the bass you will not get this same sound you head in the video every microphone has a different range patten so to get a microphone that wont drain your wallet go with the Shure Beta 52A this mic is designed for low end patten it cost about 180 to 200 which most condensers range from 300 to 800 if you can affored a condenser that is the way to go
 
#8
The Shure Beta 52A is a great microphone you can use the EQ to change the tone a bit the bass can make different low and mid sounds you have to have a high pass filter to scoop out the mids so it would pick up the mids very well because 10hz to 20 hz just the low end I have abjusted the sound prefix on the med sound all about haveing a good ear sometimes take a bit to get it right I was with Marron 5 took me 20 mis to get the bass right something you have to work with from 20hz the low end to the meds at 400 mhz just blending all the sounds togather to make one nice sound you like .. With band I been with we preformed a 3 hour sound testing each instrument to the tones right have to make the road manger happy
 
#13
vasoundman said:
The Shure Beta 52A is a great microphone you can use the EQ to change the tone a bit the bass can make different low and mid sounds you have to have a high pass filter to scoop out the mids so it would pick up the mids very well because 10hz to 20 hz just the low end I have abjusted the sound prefix on the med sound all about haveing a good ear sometimes take a bit to get it right I was with Marron 5 took me 20 mis to get the bass right something you have to work with from 20hz the low end to the meds at 400 mhz just blending all the sounds togather to make one nice sound you like .. With band I been with we preformed a 3 hour sound testing each instrument to the tones right have to make the road manger happy
Click to expand...

There's nothing coming out of any bass rig at 20Hz, very little at 30 (open B), and only a passable amount at 40 (open E). If you want what the instrument is doing below 50 or 55 (open A), you need a DI as well as a mic.
 
#14
The Beta 52 isn't a condenser. It's a dynamic and as stated previously is voiced for kick so scoops loads of mids.

To get rid of mud in a mix you want to be removing most stuff below around 50hz on the bass anyway.

I reckon that bass is DId anyway. Though I can't be sure.
 
#15
vasoundman said:
The Shure Beta 52A is a great microphone you can use the EQ to change the tone a bit the bass can make different low and mid sounds you have to have a high pass filter to scoop out the mids so it would pick up the mids very well because 10hz to 20 hz just the low end I have abjusted the sound prefix on the med sound all about haveing a good ear sometimes take a bit to get it right I was with Marron 5 took me 20 mis to get the bass right something you have to work with from 20hz the low end to the meds at 400 mhz just blending all the sounds togather to make one nice sound you like .. With band I been with we preformed a 3 hour sound testing each instrument to the tones right have to make the road manger happy
Click to expand...

Please JimmyM , reveal yourself !



Haven't seen a Troll that big since I'm on the web !
 
#17
That is the Warwick sound...thumb in particular. I have and have owned several Wicks, and could identify that slithery midrange burp without even seeing the bass on his shoulders.

Listen to Fishbone(some good live youtube tracks.....mid nineties on Letterman)....Fisher plays a fretless thumb that pops in the same way....kind of wet sounding.
 
#18
vasoundman said:
I have been a live sound engineer for 20 years been with different bands the judds , Guns n Roses , Motly crue

okay to get this bass sound its about the right microphone and the EQ in that video they were useing a condenser microphone with a low end from 20HZ to 10HZ this range is very inportent when slecting a mic for the bass if you use a microphone not designed for the bass you will not get this same sound you head in the video every microphone has a different range patten so to get a microphone that wont drain your wallet go with the Shure Beta 52A this mic is designed for low end patten it cost about 180 to 200 which most condensers range from 300 to 800 if you can affored a condenser that is the way to go
Click to expand...
Let's review: You don't know what mic they were using. You don't know the difference between Hz and KHz. You don't know what frequency range bass guitar occupies. You don't know the difference between frequency range and directional pattern. And you don't know why a condenser is "the way to go" compared to other mic types. Did I miss any points?
 
#19
I'd venture to say that you could approximate this sound with a humble Fender Jazz Bass.
Bridge pickup soloed; tone knob rolled off quite a bit; low mids up a bit on the amp; some compression. Roundwound strings, too.

Here's another Warwick example: Jack Bruce on fretless, this time. I like his tone better than the Loggins & Messina guy's-- grittier, with oomph. But then, Jack's unique, anyway. :)

Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker on David Letterman - YouTube
 
#20
vasoundman said:
The Shure Beta 52A is a great microphone you can use the EQ to change the tone a bit the bass can make different low and mid sounds you have to have a high pass filter to scoop out the mids so it would pick up the mids very well because 10hz to 20 hz just the low end I have abjusted the sound prefix on the med sound all about haveing a good ear sometimes take a bit to get it right I was with Marron 5 took me 20 mis to get the bass right something you have to work with from 20hz the low end to the meds at 400 mhz just blending all the sounds togather to make one nice sound you like .. With band I been with we preformed a 3 hour sound testing each instrument to the tones right have to make the road manger happy
Click to expand...

Wow, if 10Hz are lows, and 400MHz are your mids, what is your hearing range? As a human mine is only 20Hz to 20kHz (ok 20 to 18.75k, I was a dumb rock and roll kid). Setting delay towers for Maroon 5 must be a beast if your Haas effect doesn't work because of the extra octave you hear that no one else does. Not to mention how hard it would be to set those mids around all of the radio and TV stations broadcasting (ok I know EMF and sound waves are different, but how do I know if they SOUND different, I'm only human).
 

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