Pick vs Fingerstyle volume difference

[PipeRain]

I'm a complete n00b, so take this with a grain of salt, but I have found that pick differences do make a huge difference. The Dunlop Jazz Stubby Purple Triangle give a very soft attack and release, more similar to my lame attempts at playing with fingers. They tend to have almost a George Benson sort of tone to them. The Clayton picks are also less aggressive than the Tortex green picks I seem to keep going back to, yet not as "Round" in tone as the Stubby triangles.

But then I like a pretty bright punchy tone, so what do I know....

 

[Ian774]

I disagree. I think fingers can bring out far more mids, picks bring out more treble. Contrary to the experience of others on this thread, I find that I get a volume drop and stop cutting in the mix when I use a pick.

Sincere apologies for digging out this 8 year old thread.... but I noticed the same thing today in practice. I sit in the mix better with my fingers (Jazz Bass with DiMarzio DP123 pickups through a SansAmp BDDI V2, amp is the room’s Hartke 4x10/Ha2500... aka crap).
I feel like I have more presence, more low mids with fingers. When switching to a pick, I get less low-mids/lows and I don’t cut through as much.... slight drop in volume too.

Any workaround that?

 

[JRMK]

Use thinner pick. And in particular check Dunlop Flex. It's kind of autocompressing. I found that with tortex .5mm and flex .7mm the string excursion/loudness evens with my typical fingerstyle. Your break even point might be elsewhere but as long as you are willing to adjust your pick gauge it should be somewhere there for you

 

[Ian774]

I’m used to .88 picks. I tried thinner and don’t really like them.

Compression isn’t much an issue, I use a Keeley Bassist compressor first in my chain.

The main issue here is: I lack the fingerstyle punch and presence with the pick. And I don’t attack strongly with fingers....

 

[Vinny_G]

Sincere apologies for digging out this 8 year old thread.... but I noticed the same thing today in practice. I sit in the mix better with my fingers (Jazz Bass with DiMarzio DP123 pickups through a SansAmp BDDI V2, amp is the room’s Hartke 4x10/Ha2500... aka crap).
I feel like I have more presence, more low mids with fingers. When switching to a pick, I get less low-mids/lows and I don’t cut through as much.... slight drop in volume too.

Any workaround that?

Pick and fingerstyle don't require the same EQ settings, IME. I use a graphic EQ pedal to handle this.

 

[Ian774]

I want to keep the BDDI V2 as my main preamp. I have a great fingerstyle sound with it. As soon as I use a pick, I lose the punch and presence I get with fingers. What solution could I use that wouldn’t imply changing my preamp? I don’t want a programmable SansAmp, they’re not voiced like the V2.
EQ pedal? Any recommendations?

 

[Lobster11]

I’m used to .88 picks. I tried thinner and don’t really like them.

Try going in the other direction with a heavy, thick pick.

I'm not saying that heavy picks sound louder in general -- only that they require a different touch that might work better for a particular player.

 

[Zooberwerx]

I want to keep the BDDI V2 as my main preamp. I have a great fingerstyle sound with it. As soon as I use a pick, I lose the punch and presence I get with fingers. What solution could I use that wouldn’t imply changing my preamp? I don’t want a programmable SansAmp, they’re not voiced like the V2.
EQ pedal? Any recommendations?

You may have better luck with a programmable VT Bass Deluxe.

 

[Ian774]

When I said “I don’t want a programable SansAmp”, I meant ALL programmable SansAmps, including that one. I had a VTDI and I prefer the BDDI V2’s voicing

 

[sean_on_bass]

Definitely practice playing softer with the pick, as i think alot of people tend to dig in a little too hard initially. Another thought is the use of the volume knob on your bass. When switching to pick you might just turn the volume down a smidge to help even things out. Then of course you can use different presets/patches with your gear to help even things out as well.

I think a combo of all of these things is the answer. I've done a little of all of it. At home or in the home studio i tend to use totally different patches, but when playing with other people i might just depend on my technique and knobs on the bass.

 

[Ian774]

I don’t know if you were replying to the OP or me, but in my case, I need more volume and presence when playing with a pick, not the other way around

I’ve been thinking about a few ideas to try:

-I have an Earthquaker Devices Plumes pedal, it’s basically a Tube Screamer.... it’s got 3 modes and the mode 2 is like a clean-ish boost (with a bit of dirt when cranked, which is nice with a pick). I could use that to enhance my volume, presence -more mids- and add a bit of dirt too.

-get another small preamp before the SansAmp, like the MXR M81.... and use one for fingers, one for pick, each tailored and tweaked accordingly.

 

[Vinny_G]

I want to keep the BDDI V2 as my main preamp. I have a great fingerstyle sound with it. As soon as I use a pick, I lose the punch and presence I get with fingers. What solution could I use that wouldn’t imply changing my preamp? I don’t want a programmable SansAmp, they’re not voiced like the V2.
EQ pedal? Any recommendations?

Yes, you can see my answer to your question in the post just above this one.

 

[Roxbororob]

Try the round edge instead of the tip. Also try Herco flex 75 picks. My 2 cents.

 

[Ian774]

Try the round edge instead of the tip. Also try Herco flex 75 picks. My 2 cents.

Me can’t do

 

[maturanesa]

Just use a signal compresor like the other 99.9% of the pro players...

 

[Ian774]

Got a Keeley Bassist already. Basically, I get a great tone with fingers but I just need to find a way to boost my volume and low-mids ever so slightly when playing with a pick. The compressor doesn’t fix that.

 

[Vinny_G]

I just need to find a way to boost my volume and low-mids ever so slightly

EQ pedal...

 

[Antti Kuittinen]

Im playing mostly fingerstyle, but when song requires, I use pick. When we play really loud, I play downstrokes only, otherwise up and down, then its equally loud with fingers

 

[Droopy_TX]

I second the suggestion to try a different pick.

For years, playing rock and metal, I used a standard Fender medium pick. I liked the really bright “piano” sound of new strings and a fast attack. Nowadays, playing classic rock, blues, and R&B, I want a softer, but still full, sound. I’ve experimented with various pick construction: thick, thin, rubber, felt. I’ve come to find that it’s not so much the thickness or the material, but rather the edge contour of the pick that’s important.

Currently, I use Dunlop Jazztone 208 (477P208) picks. They’re made for jazz guitarists who want a smooth release from the string. It’s a heavy gauge (.208 mm) pick, but about the same size as a Fender medium. Its semi-smooth edge allows me to pick smoothly, but also to dig in for an edgier sound. I do revert to a Fender medium sometimes if I want a really scratchy hard attack.

Oh, also, I support the recommendation to practice. I play bass about 80/20 pick/finger style, because I began music as a guitarist. It really is a matter of what you’re accustomed to. I play bass much more consistently with a pick than with my fingers. Funny thing, nowadays playing acoustic or electric guitar, I almost always play with my fingers.

 

[Ian774]

Call me stubborn but I’ve tried different picks and always come back to my triangle tortex .88.
I’ll try using my Plumes in Clean Boost mode, it may help increasing the volume and the mids when playing with a pick.

If it doesn’t work, I’ll try an EQ pedal.