[Poll] Do you think playing quieter make your tone fatter?

[gtirard]

In an interview, Pino Palladino explains that although it might seem counter intuitive, playing quieter make your tone fatter. What do you think?

Please play the game, answer the poll before watching this video.



I love this guy.

 

[Nashrakh]

It's a point Gary Willis also makes, and I agree.

 

[Docduval]

I’m not going to pretend I know better than Pino, so yes, I agree .

 

[SteveC]

A number of players say this. I tend to agree. I wish I could lighten my touch but I’ve played kind of heavy for so long….

 

[Killing Floor]

I like Pino.

All of the albums Pino played on between 2013-2021 were edited in a recording studio and produced by a producer.

 

[gtirard]

@Nashrakh, @Docduval, @SteveC, @Killing Floor did you watch the video?
I wonder how you would have answered if I hadn't quoted Pino...

 

[Aussie Player]

Depends on the amp. Some accentuate notes and sustain because lower volume reduces being overpowered in stage. If bass is not volume competing with drums and guitar, it can appear as Pino states, particularly with open string notes on a slower tempo song.
Some amps, however, thicken notes as the amp is pushed, particulatly tube amps which is where there reputation was largely established.
I have tube, hybrid and class D amps and tubes win every time for thick notes. Bass players introduce themselves and tell you so, but I have never experienced that using modern bass amps.
During a recent busy stretch I alternated my amps each night, just to give them a work out. The Marshalls drew the bass players like bees to honey. The hybrid and class D not a single time.
Used the Alembic every night to remain constant which incidentally, flows thick warm notes through a tube amp. The perfect match.

 

[SteveC]

@Nashrakh, @Docduval, @SteveC, @Killing Floor did you watch the video?
I wonder how you would have answered if I hadn't quoted Pino...

The same. Did you read my response?

 

[Wood and Wire]

If you hit hard, two things happen :

1. The timbre is brighter, giving the impression of less bass.

2. There's a larger dynamic range between the attack (transient), and the sustain portion of the envelope.

Hitting softer keeps the timbre warmer, and the narrower dynamic range allows the preamp to increase the over all level, meaning the bass actually is louder in RMS terms.

 

[gtirard]

If you hit hard, two things happen :

1. The timbre is brighter, giving the impression of less bass.

2. There's a larger dynamic range between the attack (transient), and the sustain portion of the envelope.

Hitting softer keeps the timbre warmer, and the narrower dynamic range allows the preamp to increase the over all level, meaning the bass actually is louder in RMS terms.

But the video demonstrates the contrary - nothing happens except for extremes (if you normalize)

 

[Wood and Wire]

But the video demonstrates the contrary

No it doesn't; you can both hear, and see the increase in overtones / high frequency content - until the strings begin to smack against the fretboard, at which point additional (non-string related) information is added.

There's a sweet spot around the 4th - 6th pass, where the dynamic range in terms of over all increased volume is more apparent than the increased frequency content, which gives a more consistent tone.

 

[Wisebass]

Salut gtirard

What do you think?

A harder touch results in more attack and faster decay.

=> The wave form changes! So does the tone.

Does it sound fatter?

For me it sounds rounder or more even (in lack of a better word )

And of course it sounds a lot "thumpier" when you play like Pino does on his P bass

instead of playing like Geddy.

checkout "playing soft vs hard" (starts at 12:06) in the video!




greetings

Wise


P.S. I voted yes because the tone changes, but a carrots option would have been better!