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Squire Precision Bass

D

danniee

Jul 29, 2009
26
1
#1
I am trying to record a bass track in Cubase (have been recording for many years but have used midi bass before). I use a Squire Precision bass, TubeMP (micpreamp) and Amplitube SVX. I have two problems though.

1.) The sounds is kind of flat and dull, not at all like when you plug it into a speaker or what you hear on professional recordings. I guess this is maybe the case when using modeling like SVX? Or are there any general tips on how to get a really good bass sound?

2.) I have a lot of hum and noise. I'm guessing this is because of bad pick ups? (single coil?). My Les Paul Humbucker is quiet but my Fender Stratocaster is noisy too. If I buy a Fender P-Bass will it eleminate all hum and buzz?
 
#2
danniee said:
I am trying to record a bass track in Cubase (have been recording for many years but have used midi bass before). I use a Squire Precision bass, TubeMP (micpreamp) and Amplitube SVX. I have two problems though.

1.) The sounds is kind of flat and dull, not at all like when you plug it into a speaker or what you hear on professional recordings. I guess this is maybe the case when using modeling like SVX? Or are there any general tips on how to get a really good bass sound?

2.) I have a lot of hum and noise. I'm guessing this is because of bad pick ups? (single coil?). My Les Paul Humbucker is quiet but my Fender Stratocaster is noisy too. If I buy a Fender P-Bass will it eleminate all hum and buzz?
Click to expand...

ok, what interface are you using? Thats very important, is it just the computers in-built input? If so then thats part of the problem.

Its not a problem with modelling plugins, they can sound great, but they need a nicely recorded tone to sound any good, just like any effect.

The lack of highs might be because you are plugging straight into a mic pre amp with no impedance conversion first (ie not using a di box) unless its a preamp designed specifically for bass? In which case that shouldn't be a problem.

General tips on how to get a good bass sound, well, for a setup as simple as you have its simply a case of use a good preamp, good di if necessary, good interface and then adjust effects to taste. Maybe a bit of compression and light eq to shoulder it into the track. If all those are in place then it should be easy.

A more elaborate setup involves a direct signal plus an amp signal with one or more mics, that takes a bit more money, a bit more gear and there are more things to consider but from your post it sounds like you are not looking for that sort of setup!

For your question 2, hum and noise can be a lot of things, buying a pbass will not necessarily get rid of the problem. single coils can be more buzzy but that alone shouldn't cause them to be unusable in the studio, on the contrary they are used all the time! Your squire pbass probably has a split single coil with set up humbucking style doesn't it?

It could be nearby equipment, try moving around and see if the noise changes, try the ground lift on a DI or preamp if there is one. Do not manually remove the ground from a plug, thats dangerous. Could try a nicer cable if you are using a cheap one. Its quite possibly creeping in on the interface if it is a cheap or a 'built-in' one.

The SVX will make any buzz sound more noticable as well, especailly with a compressor!
 
#4
Charling, thank you for a great answer. Very kind of you.

I don't use a DI box. Just straight into the TubeMP Preamp and then Cubase.

I talked to people at a music store and they say it is definately a single coil problem. They say all single coil buzz and that you basically cannot get around it. They say that I should develope a style where my hand is always in contact with the bridge (which silences the buzzing) or get a humbucker instrument.

They also said that changing pick ups on my bass to a more expensive one necessarily won't get rid of the hum and buzz and buying a p-bass wont either.

Should I trust this?

My bass and my single coil Fender are buzzing but when I connect my Slash signature Les Paul (humbucker) with the same settings it is dead silent.
 
#5
Establish a good ground connection first a lot of the noise is from computer digital equipment, so try to keep as much distance from the computer. And check there is a physical connection between the Bass ground and the Earth (to a water pipe etc.)
The Bass output is high impedance, and a mic preamp is low impedance, the mismatch will make your recording sound like crap.
See if you can borrow a bass head or preamp, or use a graphic E.Q between the Bass and recording interface, with the bands shaped something like a "W" (but slightly).

As you know, your recording will only be as good as the worst part.
 
#6
I don't think it is any electric equipment. I tried all of that. Also, my Les Paul humbucker is dead silent.

And the Mic Preamp (TubeMP) doesn't really sound like crap. I get a pretty good sound...you can listen to my recordings here Link Removed

It's just that I want to get rid of the hum and buzzing noise, but I start to believe more and more that it is simply impossible if you dont have humbuckers. As they said in the store, even a Fender P-bass will hum and buzz. Maybe people with experience of recording with p-basses can confirm or deny?
 
#7
Single coils always buzz. This is usually a very light buzz and won't be annoying in most cases. If you don't use an audio interface than the low quality built in audio interface of your pc can produce additional noise which is a lot louder than the single coil hum. Just google audio interface and look for the connections you need. (An audio interface is usually put into a firewire or usb port of your pc so look if you have firewire on your pc and if not look for a usb interface).

Edit: I just listened to some of those recordings and there is indeed no (annoying) hum. If the hum goes away when you touch the strings than it is a grounding or shielding problem of the bass which can be fixed quite easily.
 

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