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If could only have 3 pedals for recording

Hardbassjunkie

Hardbassjunkie

Jul 29, 2019
654
927
Toronto, ON, Canada
#1
I am recording bass and I would like to keep things cheap and simple. Right now I am just plugging my bass into an interface and editing the tone and EQing on garage band. I been told that have pedals will improve the sound. I'm pretty happy with what I can do an garage band but I'm always looking to improve things.

I only want to get three pedals. I want to keep it simple and not pay hundreds for a pedal chain. I'll use a piece of wood. What three specific pedals would you guys use? And what order would you out them in? There is a Boss compression sustainer cs-3 for $70 and a CS-2 for $100 I'm thinking of.

I'm asking for suggestions that are budget friendly ($150 or less) but not super cheap and crappy. I currently have an MXR bass di plus as a preamp but do I need it if i can EQ on garageband?
 
#5
Tricky - in general cheap stuff may not improve recorded tone (gotta watch out for added noise, poor buffering especially on slightly older used pedals). Plugins can be really good - especially for EQ, compression, reverb - so I would just focus on outboard gear that gets your signal right for the interface, plus dirt and if there's anything especially whacky sounding or responsive to playing in a way a plug-in won't be. The DI you have is a good starting point just to get the signal in the butter zone for your interface (nevermind the EQ).

There is lotsa love for the CS-2, but it can add a lot of noise (varies by unit, signal chain) and there may be better plugins available.
 
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#6
Swimming Bird said:
Tricky - in general cheap stuff may not improve recorded tone (gotta watch out for added noise, poor buffering especially on slightly older used pedals). Plugins can be really good - especially for EQ, compression, reverb - so I would just focus on outboard gear that gets your signal right for the interface, plus dirt and if there's anything especially whacky sounding or responsive to playing in a way a plug-in won't be. The DI you have is a good starting point just to get the signal in the butter zone for your interface (nevermind the EQ).

There is lotsa love for the CS-2, but it can add a lot of noise (varies by unit, signal chain) and there may be better plugins available.
Click to expand...

What plugin would you recommend?
 
#7
For recording I would just get a good DI (which you already have) and use plugins for the rest. The DI is useful not for its EQ but mostly because of the pre-amp that will bring your levels up to take advantage of your audio interface's headroom.

You might want to invest in a good amp simulator plugin. I'm not up to date on which ones are the best, but I know Amplitube is very popular. Or, you might want to "upgrade" from GarageBand to Logic Pro X, which includes the Amp Designer. I've used the amp sim that comes with GarageBand and I think it's pretty decent. You should start experimenting with that.
 
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#10
For recording, all you need is a way to get your signal into the DAW. With plugins, you don't need external pedals.

A good investment would be to upgrade from GarageBand to Logic Pro. Waves.com often has $29 plugins on sale (less 10% if you google for a coupon code). There are also a lot of free plugins if you search the internet, search for "free plugins". If you're still in school, seek out educational discounts.
 
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#14
Pedals won't get you to a "better sound" necessarily.
First things first, focus on getting the best signal into the DAW from your bass that you can. What interface are you using? Many have sort of ho-hum mic pres and hi-z inputs in them, at least compared to the results you could get with a quality DI or mic pre. Having a good front end will benefit you beyond just tracking bass. Let us know what audio interface you have and we can be more specific.
 
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#15
Henretta Emerald Prince.

Hardbassjunkie said:
I am recording bass and I would like to keep things cheap and simple. Right now I am just plugging my bass into an interface and editing the tone and EQing on garage band. I been told that have pedals will improve the sound. I'm pretty happy with what I can do an garage band but I'm always looking to improve things.

I only want to get three pedals. I want to keep it simple and not pay hundreds for a pedal chain. I'll use a piece of wood. What three specific pedals would you guys use? And what order would you out them in? There is a Boss compression sustainer cs-3 for $70 and a CS-2 for $100 I'm thinking of.

I'm asking for suggestions that are budget friendly ($150 or less) but not super cheap and crappy. I currently have an MXR bass di plus as a preamp but do I need it if i can EQ on garageband?
Click to expand...
 
#16
If we’re talking no “effects” type pedals, then a good DI is about it. I’d probably add a compressor myself, since I trust and lean on my compressor heavily, and don’t know the capabilities of the software’s compression.
 
#17
If it's for recording only you would probably be better off getting some quality plugins IMO. Soundtoys Decapitator is amazing for bass. You should also get a quality eq + comp. FabFilter plugins are great. Their eq and comp are essentials to me. Maybe also get a couple of more colorful, classic compressor plugins like some kind of LA2A or 1176 or both. 1176 into LA2A is a KILLER combination for bass. Some kind Pultec'ish eq plugin would also be great. Pultecs are AMAZING for bass once you understand how they work.

Or if you've got a higher budget get studio rack gear instead of pedals. If it's for recording, improve your RECORDING chain rather than spend lots of money on pedals. A Radial J48 (or even better, a JDV) + a quality Neve-style micpre will improve your recorded sound more than any stomp box IMO. Unless of course you're specifically looking for a certain kind or
 
Last edited:
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#18
A great DI
Barber Tone Press parallel compressor
A JFET based clean boost

If I get a 4th, a virtual strobe tuner.

I usually go boost>compressor, then into the DI. I set the boost for a little bump to make the compressor work a little harder and bring out some harmonic content and low end. Compression and blend at noon on the Tone Press, and output set to unity gain.

This gets me better levels to “tape” and allows me to dig in while playing as I like to do. The compressor can be set more subtly if needed. Any eq, amp simulation, or dirtying up needed are done “in the box”.
 

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