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What Made This Bass Tone?

KenD

KenD

Oct 25, 2020
1,936
3,934
Vancouver Island
#1
I realize that this bass track as been EQ'd, mixed and mastered through the recording process. Any suggestions as to what gear/effects produced this tone? Listen especially for a bit of "sizzle" on the top end of the notes.



I looked up this track in allmusic but there is more than one bass player on the album and it didn't specify which one played this track.
 
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#2
The guy's touch on the bass, recorded with nice compression, tone, and possibly other light effects by a good engineer working with a good producer, mastered by someone who knew what he was doing.

There's no bass straight out of the box that sounds like a good player through a sophisticated recording process, playing a great chart well. That's 90% player and the situation, 10% whatever axe he's using. The head of that chain . . . is that guy, me, or you. That 'sizzle' in the high mids could simply be his hands and where's he's picking the strings with his right hand.

Over the years, I bought all three versions of the Yamaha BB5000 in white, and darnit, I never DID sound like Nathan East.
 
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#3
I'm guessing but, Larry Kimble is the only bassist listed as electric and he always has had a great modern tone on his basses. It just sounds like a good active bass played by an excellent player to me.
 
#4
Sounds like a DI, new strings (as in maybe a few hours old) and a mid cut, probably 6-9 db between 500-700 hz and a little boost between 60-110 hz. Mostly what you hearing though is the sound of brand new strings, which are probably stainless steels. The problem is for those of us who like that sound, new strings only sound that good for a matter of hours, not days or weeks, before they start going dead.

Bassically, Michael
 
#5
jerry said:
I'm guessing but, Larry Kimble is the only bassist listed as electric and he always has had a great modern tone on his basses. It just sounds like a good active bass played by an excellent player to me.
Click to expand...
Allmusic also lists Alex Al but doesn't say whether he played electric, upright or keys bass on the album.
Anyway, it's an old recording so probably no one remembers for sure what was played :)
 

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