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Question about isolated bass tracks .. Is it possible?

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THany

THany

Jul 24, 2019
408
383
Israel
#1
Hi, dear members, I'm not "in business" for years, so it's my first time seeing isolated tracks of bassist on youtube.
I have listened to one, and was stunned: The bassist, wasn't keeping it together at all! he has a great sound, but boy, I was embarrassed to listen to his timing.
Now, I thought it might not be him, but I listened to the vocals of the same song, uploaded by the same youtuber, and they are 100 % legit.
I went and listened to the bass of another song of the same band, and this one was worse!
My question is:
Is it possible? that his timing is so bad, but the song sounds amazing? (electric guitars "cover up"? 🙃)
Is it possible the process of isolation did this? (hard to believe)
Please help me!
I'm just so.... mmmm shocked.
It's not that he missed a note or had a glitch, most of the 2nd song is eight notes bass line. He plays with a pick, so how can he be so "off"?
Just the other day I comment in another thread about how good he sounds, playing with a pick, and then I listened to the isolated track and got soooo confused.
Help me out, is it possible?
(I dont even want to put a link because it's so bad, I hope it is some mistake)
 
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#2
I've noticed this phenomenus as well. Recently I have used YT to find isolated bass tracks to songs that have baffled me for decades only to find questionable timing, muddy sound and other surprises. But together in the mix the magic happens and it all sounds great. There is a recent post here on TB with the isolated bass line of 'Touch Me' by the Doors, which I play at home occasionally. Brooks' timing is great, but I was surprised how 'dirty' the bass sounded.

Last year I looked up 'Back in the Saddle' by Aerosmith and the notes stated that Joe Perry did the bass track for that, not Tom Hamilton (you can hear the bass being played with a pick. The link I used was taken down for whatever reason and the link provided is an 'AI powered' isolated track (whatever that means), but it sounds very much like the other track). Again, very dirty sound and the timing of the main riff (and other parts) seemed odd to me and I had to adjust.
 
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#3
I find isolated tracks very useful. For songs we're thinking of covering, it's one of the first things I search out, to get up to speed quickly... some isolations are horribly done, to the point it sounds like the bassist is playing under water.

Regarding the timing, the studio engineers earn their pay, stacking those tracks, don't they?

I want the human element in music... it doesn't have to be a perfect process, but... when it all comes together, so good.
 
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#4
I'm not talking about "dirty s ok sound", I'm talking about not being able to play eight notes on time.
On other isolated track someone wrote: "If it was the bassist, he was fired at the spot, maybe it's you playing"... or something like that.
I'm baffled.
 
#5
Spidey2112 said:
I find isolated tracks very useful. For songs we're thinking of covering, it's one of the first things I search out, to get up to speed quickly... some isolations are horribly done, to the point it sounds like the bassist is playing under water.

Regarding the timing, the studio engineers earn their pay, stacking those tracks, don't they?

I want the human element in music... it doesn't have to be a perfect process, but... when it all comes together, so good.
Click to expand...
Of course it's very useful, it's not the point.
I like human too, but with some sense of rhythm.
I don't know who does that and the sound is not the problem, actually sounds pretty nice, (recording from 1978, I think)
 
#12
THany said:
Oh, come on, a bass "out of context should be able to keep the rhythm. Anyone can hear its off
Click to expand...
What is it off from? You said in your OP
THany said:
but the song sounds amazing?
Click to expand...
So I’m saying again, maybe the bass track was recorded with the live band or at least the rhythm section, and not in isolation.
You may be hearing the bass player pivoting to lock with the band instead of the bass player laying it down with a click track in isolation. Has nothing to do with the bass player’s timing.

By your own observation, if the mixed product sounds good but the bass isolated does not, that means the bassist had the skill to match the other instruments.

Edit
Gagliardi was a solid player.
 
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#13
Killing Floor said:
What is it off from? You said in your OP

So I’m saying again, maybe the bass track was recorded with the live band it at least the rhythm section, and not in isolation.
You may be hearing the bass player pivoting to lock with the band instead of the bass player laying it down with a click track in isolation. Has nothing to do with the bass player’s timing.

By your own observation, if the miced product sounds good but the bass isolated does not, that means the bassist had the skill to match the other instruments.
Click to expand...
I dont agree with you, in this case, but never mind
 
#15
THany said:
I dont agree with you, in this case, but never mind
Click to expand...
You can be right if you want to. But there will be others who read through the thread.
Play this. His attack is deadlocked to the drums. But he’s also dragging where needed to fill space because there’s a lot of air in the guitar. I’m certain it would sound pretty sketchy isolated.
 
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#17
We don’t know if the bass lines on YouTube vids were indeed played by Gagliardi. Anyway, I love Foreigner’s first two albums and there is no sloppy parts on them. Given Mick Jones’s perfectionism, he would never have allowed sloppy playing. Of course, live playing might sound sloppy to those who swear by heavily edited tracks recored in modern DAWs.
 
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#18
I am so confused about this. Is this just a troll thread? A bass player from the 70's recorded a track that might not be in time and now we get to crap on their timing 50 years later because our technology allows us to hear the isolated track out of context?

Do you like the song? Did you have any problems with the bass part before? Just listen to the art and choose to enjoy it or don't.
 
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#20
cxcxcx said:
So lemme get this straight - are we listening to music for enjoyment and refreshment of the soul and all that, or are we listening to it to find mistakes?

You must be new. Recordings done before the introduction of DAWs with non-destructive editing often have instrumental tracks with performance errors, some even much worse than this. Prior to the Disco era, almost all recorded music was done without click tracks.

Rock musicians don’t play at the level of conservatory trained orchestral musicians. That’s OK, and an entire cultural movement and a body of impactful work spanning decades proves it.

The examples of performance errors on classic Rock recordings are numerous to mention. There’s a couple bass flubs on AC/DC’s “Back in Black” album. That doesn’t mean that Cliff William sucks, it doesn’t mean we have to get our torches and pitchforks out, and it doesn’t change the fact that the album sold 50 million copies. Ultimately, performance issues and timing concerns on the bass guitar get lost in the density of the mix often - this does not affect the overall feel of the track. That’s what sells records, gets people on dance floors, and makes songs timeless. It’s simply not all about even eighth-notes and hitting the “one” and “three” with the kick drum every time.

It’s often lamented that the best popular music made was of these times, prior to the current standards of perfect, on-the-grid time. The priority was on capturing the energy and attitude of a collective group sound and having that be the end product. As mentioned above, if you actually went in to classic recordings and quantized and pitch corrected every note, the qualities that made the recording special in the first place are completely made absent. Doubt it?

I’ve used a lot of big words here and my argument makes sense. Of course it’s going to be discounted. Se la vie. If you can play “Hot Blooded” more precisely than what’s heard on the original track, awesome. I can as well, just as thousands of Talkbass posters can. In terms of the big picture, that means absolutely nothing. The recording and its popularity will still stand. High performance standards are a great thing to have, but they’re not requirement for creating a memorable music.

Anyway, if it’s an absolute imperative to hear bass guitar tracks that are almost perfect that were done before the advent of digital editing, seek out Anthony Jackson’s work. He plays at that level, but he’s not a Rock player. There’s different goalposts involved in what he does.
Click to expand...

Hi,
'm sorry you got my intentions wrong, I wasnt looking for errors, and O wasnt trying to "pick" on anyone! I didnt even feel comfortable posting the link.
Again, I wasnt talking about errors, but about the basic rhythm.
I'm glad to hear this is common, after all, it doesnt matter, I was so not aware of that, maybe because I had a very strict teacher for drums, I really thought any average bassist can kick a 8 note beat.
It maybe sound like I patronize to you, but I really don't, I really thought so.
Anyways, maybe I was too dramatic (its a tendency of mine) in my "opening statement" and that's why I came of like a "monster" who's out to get the bassists for their errors,
Well, I'm not.,,😊
 
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