Funny, Mr. Sadowsky Player himself, Will Lee, is on a Fender Precision for this track!
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Which records more easily: Precision or Stingray?
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
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Funny, Mr. Sadowsky Player himself, Will Lee, is on a Fender Precision for this track!
Funny, Mr. Sadowsky Player himself, Will Lee, is on a Fender Precision for this track!
Nice. I'm quite sure his jazz would have sounded just as good though. I have a P Bass pickup cover and have been contemplating putting it on but that means I'll have to play below the pickup and I prefer the tension playing above the pickup.
I wish people understood more that this is not the case and not how it works at all.
It really isn't that simple.
Learn about what? You never want to be in a situation where an engineer says "I have a plugin that changes your Stingray into a P!". That's not how it works, and it will never sound good.
Recording live bass, guitar, drums is all about incredible attention to detail and getting it sounding awesome before it's touched by any plugins.
I will add that if you are ONLY talking about cabs and amps, then there are indeed awesome amp sims that can replicate different amps and cabs rather well. But there is still the matter of the source sound, and that is very important.
There are plugins that can change the sound, eq and timbre of a bass signal. I've experienced it. I agree, you want to get the best sound out of the existing bass signal. However, I did not say you could make a Stingray into a P. It was the amp modeling I was referring to.
You said any bass could sound like any bass using plugins. Thats what i took issue with. That appears to have been a typo, but I figured it was not since it was on right on topic.
Plugins can definitely do a ton of cool things but its much better to be using them on high quality source audio and to be tracking in with the bass sound you want from the beginning.
If you go into that situation with a bass you know how to control IME you don't need to dumb down the choice to what people think engineers prefer.
And by control I mean get a solid full sounding signal that sits in the mix. I usually record with two pickup basses but I also set my basses up so the results are not left to chance. Balancing the outputs from two pickups by adjusting their heights is pretty easy IMO. So my basses can go from very solid to I didn't think a bass could sound that good in the mix.
P basses are currently going through a major popularity resurgence. And, no doubt they have an inarguable pedigree in the studio. But, let’s not get the chicken confused with the egg.
On a given recording, the sound engineer has upwards of 16 tracks to sort out. Most studios already have the P bass dialed in. So, no question that especially on a jingle take, they are going home to momma with their P settings. Probably, they even have their own P there which the bass player is told to use.
That does NOT mean you can’t get a great sound from some other instruments. Alembics, for example, have produced some utterly stellar tracks. But, the issue with a non P is that the engineer has to work back through all the voicing factors on the individual track and then figure out just how to slot that into the mix. None of which is impossible. But, since extra effort is required, there needs to be a reason for the effort and time. Since bass is often considered a back up instrument, the default P voicing is usually going to be considered the economic choice.
On a given recording, the sound engineer has upwards of 16 tracks to sort out. Most studios already have the P bass dialed in. So, no question that especially on a jingle take, they are going home to momma with their P settings. Probably, they even have their own P there which the bass player is told to use.
That does NOT mean you can’t get a great sound from some other instruments. Alembics, for example, have produced some utterly stellar tracks. But, the issue with a non P is that the engineer has to work back through all the voicing factors on the individual track and then figure out just how to slot that into the mix. None of which is impossible. But, since extra effort is required, there needs to be a reason for the effort and time. Since bass is often considered a back up instrument, the default P voicing is usually going to be considered the economic choice.
Seriously, why is it so hard for so many bass players to accept that many of us just happen to like the sound of a good Precision better than anything else? Why does it always have to be about expediency and familiarity and brainwashing and trying not to make waves? I can play any bass I want. Nobody in my bands tells me what bass to use. I choose to play Precisions most of the time because I love their sound.
Who questioned your preference? OP was simply asking what is “easier” to record. As I stated, that’s pretty clearly the P; but that ease is significantly due to familiarity. That’s just a fact.
And all the snide passive-aggressive shots at people who use Precisions by others in this thread are just a figment of my imagination? And I still don't get what's so hard about making other basses work in the studio.
I haven’t read through the whole thread. I think you are on pretty solid ground with the P, and don’t have to be concerned about comments to the contrary.
I agree with your last sentence.
I'm not going to read back through the whole thread looking for examples of people taking "snide passive-aggressive shots at people who use Precisions", but I have to say I don't recall seeing any, and I certainly never intended to criticize or mock P-bass players in any of my comments. I remember lots of comments saying that the only reason some engineers (not players) prefer Precisions is because of their familiarity. Whether or not that's true, it isn't a criticism of P-basses or people who play them.
Oh I'm not at all worried about it personally
I just think people who say that kind of thing are just mad that their choice of bass isn't the most popular, so they have to take little passive-aggressive potshots at those of us who use them, like their popularity is the only reason we use them, and like they're some great creative geniuses for not using them. Go back through the thread as well as other threads discussing the Precision's impact and you will see plenty of it.
Perhaps. But, so what? I mean the situation with the P is so completely cast in concrete that a few negative nancies are almost refreshing, if somewhat laughable. I’m not personally gigging a P at this point; but, I’ve definitely got that sound in the arsenal. And, I could be quite definitely happy gigging one if necessary; no problem. My $0.19 is to let that one roll right off your back, FWIW.Oh I'm not at all worried about it personally
I missed that, Jimmy. Then again I wasn't looking for it either
.There are people who say if you're going to record you better have a P bass. I'd be willing to bet that much of the following are true:
1. Many of them don't actually do recordings
2. Many of them don't have P basses
3. There are a lot of suspect "engineers"
Use what works for ya is my stance. As much as I want to like a P bass the only one I actually play is a 24" scale Samick Greg Bennett Corsair. The name is bigger than the bass. Never recorded with one. Don't see it happening anytime soon.
Oh I'm not at all worried about it personally
If the potshots are hitting their mark... mission accomplished for them. Don't let their mission be accomplished. You control that.
