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Double Bass Listen up and guess! Realist Vs Full Circle

Which pickup sound did you like better?

  • The first one.

    Votes: 58 52.7%

  • The second one

    Votes: 26 23.6%

  • Mmmmm, Carrots!

    Votes: 26 23.6%
  • Total voters
    110
  • Poll closed .
alexisbass

alexisbass

Jun 11, 2003
151
17
www.alexiscuadrado.com
#1
Hi Friends

I just bought a Full Circle after many years of using the realist.
I've decided to challenge you to guess which is which and which one do you like the best. I'll keep all my judgements for later on, but there's much to be discussed about both of them...
to listen to the file (...mmm... oops you'll have to hear me play!) go to [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I recorded an F blues line onto my MBox with the two pickups at the same time and afterwards I put one after the other, so what you'll hear is EXACTLY the same music. No EQ and-or anything ws done. These are the flat signals. ALTHOUGH one of the pickups was WAY hotter than the other and I had to adjust the input levels to make them sound at the same volume.

Which is which???

I'd like everyone to openly express their feelings!!! Let's talk loud and say what we think, don't feel like you have to PM

Also, maybe it's recommended to not read what other people said before you listen and express your guess.

Have fun

Alexis
www.alexiscuadrado.com

Here's the answer: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] I reccommend you to read all the thread postings and take a good guess before you actually read this.
 
#5
The one that sounds better on the file might not be the one you like best for live use. Recording direct you only get the sound of the pu, live you get the sound of the pu though the amp (a different scenario) PLUS the acoustic sound of the bass. I prefer the sound of the first pu by itself, but live the second pu might be better. Then again, maybe not. My guess was 1. Realist 2. FC I detected more finger noise on the second, which is why I went with FC. However, the scooped sound of the first track is also FC-like. Not a cut and dry answer.

Fun experiment!
 
#6
I listened to the clips before reading the opinons that followed the initial post. Alexis, you should edit the first post and recommend everyone to do the same just so that they're not so biased before listening to the clip.

I've never heard a realist up close but own an FC. I concur with Mr. Sypher - the second clip sounds alot like the FC. The low notes just don't bloom that big and it had a more middy (I guess thats what "scooped" means), stringy sound. Whereas the realist had a nice bottom but wasn't so present in the upper registers.

Yeah... fun test! :)
 
#7
hdiddy said:
the second clip sounds alot like the FC. The low notes just don't bloom that big and it had a more middy (I guess thats what "scooped" means), stringy sound. Whereas the realist had a nice bottom but wasn't so present in the upper registers.
Click to expand...
No, by scooped what is usually meant is that the mids are removed or scooped out, so you are left with lows and highs - a smile on the EQ curve. To me, the first pu sounds like this.

BTW, what bass was used, and what was it strung with?
 
#8
Thats a cool idea.

I'd like the first fat more direct sound if it was mixed with a mic. I think the tone had more mids and a clearer presence. I think the first would sit in a track better in a dense mix but it would be to "electric" in a more open mix. I prefer not to use that tone by itself on a recording.

The second cut is a bit more authentic sounding. It captures the tone of a DB better and if used without any other sources it is more "real". Absent a mic I'd be more inclince to use that. #2 is a bit more "nasal" sounding. As I listen a couple times I like it less and less.

Through an amp in a room I bet #1 works better and supports the ensemble better. #2 sounds more transparent and would get lost in rafters and bouncing walls. OTOH it might be to big or boomy with a traditional electric bass rig. Hard to tell without it running into one.

Mix #1 with an AMT or some other mic and I'm thinking that would be the ticket.

I'm not sure which pickup is which.

Nice playing btw.

My 2 pence.
 
#11
I've never heard the Fishman Full Circle, but I use a Realist myself and have recorded with it a few times. I think the first pickup is the Realist.

BTW, I plan to cop some of your blues lines:D

- Steve

Link Removed
 
#12
The first is the realist, the second is the FC. I think.

unless it's the other way around. Both have strengths and weaknesses. I like the first a bit more, but as tbone said, live--hard to know which would be bettter. The second has a wierd harsh ring overtone to it that kind of bugs me. But both are good sounds

Cool idea! I'm going with 1 realist, 2 fc
 
#16
PB+J said:
unless it's the other way around. Both have strengths and weaknesses. I like the first a bit more, but as tbone said, live--hard to know which would be bettter. The second has a wierd harsh ring overtone to it that kind of bugs me. But both are good sounds
Click to expand...
Regardless of which pickup came first, I think this can be great example of how frustrating the task of trying to get the "best" sound out of your bass i.. At least for me, I keep flip flopping over which pickup sounds better, and it also depends on what I'm thinking when I'm hearing it too.

It would go something like... At first the #1 pickup sounds nice but not expressive enough. And then #2 sounds a little too artifical somehow. Then going back to #1 it's a really nice down low but it doesn't sound as good in the upper register. But maybe I want to electricky sound out of #2. No wait... it doesn't sound so good... no wait... etc. etc.

And then I pull my hair out and start buying something else altogether. :crying:
 
#18
Here's my analogy... bad though it may be. The first time your sound was like a nice, solid loaf of bread. And the second time through, it was like someone scooped out all the soft stuff from the middle, and all that was left was the crust.

Needless to say I far prefer the first pickup. I have no idea which is which, though.

Excellent idea for a thread, by the way!
 
#19
Hmmm... tuff call, I've never used either pickup and both sound good to me. Besides, since there's no EQ, I guess you could get a very nice sound of either one with a little EQ work. Flat as they are, I'd use the first one, it has a bit more bottom and more body to it, the second one is a bit nasal and scratchy to my taste and not so defined in the lower end.

I really enjoy the stuff all of you upload for our listening pleasure. Really inspiring and interactive! As soon as I get to record some of my awfull playing, I'll make sure to put it up for you to listen :smug:
 

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