Ideal Electric Bass Studio Recording Chain

[63hz]

For those of you who record electric bass a lot and have high end recording chains, what gear is in your record path?

I usually take my bass direct into an RNDI DI, and take the DI output into the box. Then I take the thru, send it through some pedals then into a great river preamp, then a pultec EQP-1A clone, then into a distressor. Sometimes I use some other 500 series gear, or an EQ, or just the EQ on my analog mixer.

I'm very interested to maybe get a noble, or a REDDI, but I'm also particularly interested to hear from people using motown style DIs or rackmount mic pres for recording bass.

Bonus points for anyone going into an LA2A, 660, or some retro instruments gear

 

[dbflats]

Mine goes tuner pedal-envelope filter pedal used as straight eq filter, not effect-Retrospec Squeezebox compressor ( LA 2A circuitry)-RNDI-Apollo interface.

I may or may not use an additional compressor plugin, typically one of the Distressor settings, but more and more not finding this necessary.

I find it hard to record a bad bass sound thru this chain, or even just parts of this chain.

 

[DirtDog]

Keith Richards’ signal chain always intrigued me: guitar -> ******* -> amplifier.

 

[silky smoove]

Mostly a 312, sometimes a 1073, very occasionally an LA610.

 

[Bob_Ross]

In my own studio it’s:
- Countryman Type 85 DI
- balanced output of the DI feeds a Demeter VTMP-2B tube mic preamp
- unbalanced passthru output of the DI feeds a small amp (…or, sometimes just the second channel of the VTMP via its front panel instrument input, giving me a choice between two subtly different flavors of direct sound)
- if using an amp, the speaker gets mic’d with a Heil Sound PR-40 up on the grill, or a modified MXL 2001P with the Dave Royer tube mod, farther back (~18”) from the grill.
- the mic feeds the second channel of the VTMP
- both outputs of the VTMP feed a Lucid AD9624 converter
- the S/PDIF output of the converter feeds a MOTU 2408 interface, which feeds the MAC computer

In anybody else’s studio it’s:
- whatever their engineers want to use

 

[el jeffe bass]

I use the transformer DI out from my Ampeg PF20t. into my interface. Very simple and effective.

 

[dannylectro]

Bass—>BAE 1073DMP—>UA Volt 476P—>LogicPro/Mac

Sometimes I use the compression on the UA.

 

[sve33]

Right now I am going Bass -> Darkglass Microtubes 500v2 -> pedal loop back into the microtubes -> XLR DI with cab sim into Focusrite Scarlett 16i16 -> Mac -> Logic Pro

I am going to be watching this thread on what I can do better though.

 

[crobasster]

Keith Richards’ signal chain always intrigued me: guitar -> ******* -> amplifier.

 

[DirtDog]

I don’t think TB censor would filter out “parquet”…;-)

 

[Krisfield]

I record three tracks into a RME UCX II. Hi Z for reamping, multi effects unit for effects and amp tones, and a tube DI.

 

[pbass2]

I have a few options for DI's, mic pres and dynamics but ever since I got my Empirical Labs Mike-E I just use that. It's essentially a great sounding mic pre/Distressor/Fatso combo. I record at other studios going through the typical tasty classics - API, SSL, 1176's, etc etc - and I've done remote tracking through the Mike-E for some of those same projects for overdubs and nobody blinked an eye. On my own stuff I'll hit the comp and saturation harder but for those remote tracks I send off I go with a really light touch on that so the client has more flexibility. When I mix I almost always use the Waves LA2A pluggy also on the bass track.

 

[ljazz]

I prefer a clean di, and reamp after taking both a mic'd cab and a direct out from my Shaw B150. All processing after that is in the box. SoundRadix Auto-align gets used to align to the original di. From there I can mix and match. Lately, I've been using Kush's REDDI on the direct line. I use a premix template where I run everything (each track) through Kazrog's True Iron and then UAD's Studer. From there I'll move to my mix template, where I'll use Softube Console 1 strips (mostly BCA and CMS)

I prefer light and layered saturation stages instead of any one plugin doing everything. It makes all my tracks (not just bass) feel and sound more natural.

 

[pfschim]

I mostly fly tracks to clients, but I also do some in-person tracking at a few local studios.

My signal chain is pretty simple. Bass (passive Lull M4V) => Noble => Focusrite Claret => DAW (Logic). If asked I will add a light side chain style comp using a Cali76.

I use the Noble in the studios I track in. They all seem very happy with that box.

 

[D.M.N.]

If I'm in a studio, typically Bass-->Pedalboard-->DI (if they want it, I don't usually)-->Sunn 2000s rig or Hiwatt Dr103+Sunn 200s cab. If it's for my own music, then the neck pickup runs into the 2000s and the bridge into the Hiwatt. Preamp is whatever they have, typically I like APIs or Sound Techniques.

But I do most of my recording at home now, and the set-up is a bit different:
Neck pickup-->Ashly SC-40-->Apollo-->Hiwatt Dr103 emulation-->Acoustic 301 IR-->Helios Type 69-->Pultec EQP1-->1176 Blue Stripe
Bridge pickup-->Ashly SC-40-->Ashly SC-50-->Hiwatt Dr103 emulation-->Sunn 200s IR-->Helios Type 69-->Pultec EQP1-->1176 Blue Stripe or Distressor.
Those are then summed to a bus and I may throw a LA2A on there.

I pretty much only record in LUNA these days, at home at least. I may throw some effects on depending on the part, such as a Dimension D, or a phaser, or use a different EQ, like a Trident.

Next step is building up my outboard gear, building some hardware Helios Preamps and getting hardware Blue Stripes.

Here's examples of tracks using the at home signal chain, all on my Greco PMB-1000:

 

[dbflats]

Fellow Lunatic here. Don't know how it compares to other DAWs as it's my first one, but I'm having fun with it.

@D.M.N., curious how you're using the Pultec EQP-1. I'm not sure I've really plumbed the depths of using that device.

 

[D.M.N.]

Fellow Lunatic here. Don't know how it compares to other DAWs as it's my first one, but I'm having fun with it.

@D.M.N., curious how you're using the Pultec EQP-1. I'm not sure I've really plumbed the depths of using that device.

I learned on Logic originally, then went to Reaper, before arriving at Luna. There's some...quirks to Luna (looking at you, UAD, removing the ability to smoothly change tempo with a ritard and replacing it with stepped tempo changes), but overall it's the most intuitive for me.

For "my music" set-up, there's a lot of EQ processing in my signal chain, starting with the SC-40s. The bridge one is set Lows: +6/7 dB, 170ish Hz, Mids: +18 dB, 2k Hz, Highs: +18 dB, 3 kHz. Next the Hiwatt emulation, which is bass 4, mids 8, treble 8, presence 7. Then the Helios, -8 on the 10kHz, Mids 2.8 kHz boosted in Peak mode, and lows at 120 slightly boosted. The EPQ-1 is set to Low Freq 30, Boost at 0, Attenuation at 8, High Freq set to 3, boost 0, Attn at 8, Bandwidth at 8.

Neck is the same for the Ashly. The Hiwatt emulation, bass 6, mids 8, treble 6, presence 5. Helios at 0 for 10 kHz, Mids at 2 kHz cut in Trough Mode, and lows boosted slightly at 120. The EQP-1 is set to Low Freq 100, Boost 3.5, Attn 0, High Freq 3, Boost 0, Attn at 8, bandwidth 8.

So I guess there's 3 EQs on the way in, in addition to the DOD Bifet Preamps on my board boosting highs for both channels if I'm using my board. I'm sure there's a less convaluted waay of doing it, and that some things in there are a bit contradictory, but it works for me.

The EQP-1s are using the Jamerson's Bass preset, with some slight tweaks. They largely are just on there to goose up the low end a bit, since most of the rest of the chain is very mids and treble heavy, and tame a bit of the highs. I haven't really spent much time messing with them, I just found that preset and slightly messed with it to a point that it tamed some harshness and boosted the lows. I know others love the Pultec "trick" which boosts and attenuates at the same time. For my own music I often have a "Moog Taurus" to hit the real low stuff so the bass occupies more of a low mids position.

 

[bassbrad]

I keep my most used pedal preamps for recording on a board but have a few more in reserve depending on the tone desired. I usually record a track through a Type 85 or RNDI and send thru the preamp board on a second channel. I rarely record a "live" amp anymore since modelling in the box has gotten so good in quality and options. I monitor bass thru an Alto TX310 to save my studio speakers from too much bass abuse. Studio monitors are Mackie CR 3.5 for daily use and casual listening, KRK V4 for more critical listening and mixing. My daily headphones are Koss UR20 or Porta Pro and Sony MDR 7506 for critical listening.

My upper end device is a dbx Pro Vocal that is my sub for several flavors of mic pre and channel strip since it includes dbx comp limiter as well as a reverb for adding a bit of air. I have memory slots designed by studio engineers I have worked with and a few creations of my own. It is old but still sounds very good.

My main recording bass is a Peavey Dyna Bass Five, other options include Peavey Dyna Bass Unity LTD PJ, Gibson EB14 5 String, as well as the ususal FSO basses with different strings and set ups and my Carvin basses.

 

[31HZ]

Here's my most recent and preferred chain.

Zon Sonus Special (used for most tracks, it's a clarity beast with a B string that's more piano-like than a piano) > Pedalboard including Cali CB (always on, hitting the peaks, medium-fast attack/release) > BAE 1073DMP (the 1073 especially gives it a hint of growl and liveliness that works so very well for me). [Edit: the 1073DMP is better, for me, than either the REDDI or the Solo/610.]

One channel DI, one channel into Orange AD200 (with custom rebuild including MM transformers, p2p wiring, NOS tubes etc,) into Baer ML112.

I'm still looking for a pedal that'll give me that hint of grit without muddying the low end, I have a couple of new dirt-adjacent pedals to try out so there's that to look forward to!