(Why) do Stingrays sound killer in the mix?

[Deleted member 380707]

Yep. Like it or not it's just the way it is. The P with its distinct mid profile just slots in there most of time. Same goes for a Ray or a J IMO, but they "slot in" to a different "slot" if you will

I tend to agree. Can we define a bit more where this slot is in the frequency range and how it is different for these three classics?

1k and up, is treble dude.

Actually its high mids. Check where the EQ knobs of your amp grab dude!

And you should always cut 200-300...always...on just about everything.

That sounds very generalized and wrong to me. Can you elaborate why that would be the case?

8 Health Benefits of Carrots

Thanks, that was enlightening!

Speaking as a Stingray disbeliever, that recording sounds very nice until he gets up a bit high then it gets into the Stingray sound that I don’t particularly care for.

He is playing a P though!

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but the example you give in the video is not a Stingray but an Ibanez!

Its mentioned in the very post you quoted

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Actually its high mids. Check where the EQ knobs of your amp grab dude!

You ever turned it up? It's a tick/click

That sounds very generalized and wrong to me. Can you elaborate why that would be the case?

You obviously haven't mixed sound before. 200-300 is where mud lives. Every instrument gets dropped in this range. From the kick drum, to the singer. Most everything going wrong with your mix, is happening in this range.

 

[Windreaper]

You ever turned it up? It's a tick/click
You obviously haven't mixed sound before. 200-300 is where mud lives. Every instrument gets dropped in this range. From the kick drum, to the singer. Most everything going wrong with your mix, is happening in this range.

This is also the area where the snare body lives - the part that hits you in the chest. Also the warmth of vocals - although you'll most likely end up cutting here if using a poopy mic like the SM58. You also want to be careful cutting 200Hz on bass, but I agree 250Hz+ is fair game to remove boxyness.

But yeah, especially heavily distorted guitars often benefit from a cut in that range. The rest of the drum kit also. Anyway, not everything, and it depends on the mix and the room.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

This is also the area where the snare body lives - the part that hits you in the chest. Also the warmth of vocals - although you'll most likely end up cutting here if using a poopy mic like the SM58. You also want to be careful cutting 200Hz on bass, but I agree 250Hz+ is fair game to remove boxyness.

But yeah, especially heavily distorted guitars often benefit from a cut in that range. The rest of the drum kit also. Anyway, not everything, and it depends on the mix and the room.

Well, "most everything"

 

[FirewalZ]

I posted a link earlier to a webcast show i did using a Stingray 4H 3-band with a trio. A trio rock/blues/funk trio screams Jazz Bass, but the Stingray can work as well. I also own x2 P's and x2 J's so have spend a lot of time playing each and comparing. I go through different seasons where I happen to like a passive Fender or it fits the group/genre better. However, with all other aspects being equal, IMO the Stingray seems to pop out in the mix a bit more, it sounds more "separated" and out front, but not necessarily volume wise. However I do think the G string and upper requester notes are fuller on a P or J.

 

[58kites]

I just saw this thread.
Two years ago I posted in the thread below how versatile a Stingray can be...
if you don't just dime all the controls and slap the crap out of the stainless roundwounds you put on it.
Meanwhile lots of people came to tell their tale of why it was not versatile, so they had to sell theirs.
Kinda funny.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/stingray-the-most-divisive-bass-sound.1514774/

 

[Geri O]

I just saw this thread.
Two years ago I posted in the thread below how versatile a Stingray can be...
if you don't just dime all the controls and slap the crap out of the stainless roundwounds you put on it.
Meanwhile lots of people came to tell their tale of why it was not versatile, so they had to sell theirs.
Kinda funny.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/stingray-the-most-divisive-bass-sound.1514774/

Never understood the “it’s not versatile” bunch…

That one thing the Stingray does very well is the very reason I have one.

As well as a Precision-style for the one thing it does very well.

As well as the Jazz-style for the one thing it does very well. And the other thing it does (bridge pup solo).

 

[58kites]

I love the sound of a Precision bass but it is not able to cover the territory of a Jazz or a Stingray.
The front pickup of a Jazz can sort of cover the P Bass sound, and a Jazz can slap pretty well, it's also got it's Jaco sound we all know.
The Stingray can cover P bass territory, J bass territory and also can do the typical scooped slap/funk that many folks think is it's only sound.
It can also do heavy music better than a P or a J.

 

[FRoss6788]

I love the sound of a Precision bass but it is not able to cover the territory of a Jazz or a Stingray.
The front pickup of a Jazz can sort of cover the P Bass sound, and a Jazz can slap pretty well, it's also got it's Jaco sound we all know.
The Stingray can cover P bass territory, J bass territory and also can do the typical scooped slap/funk that many folks think is it's only sound.
It can also do heavy music better than a P or a J.

Heavy music better than a P or a J?

We'll have to agree to disagree...

 

[Deleted member 380707]

Will drop this here:

 

[Nebadon2000]

I just saw this thread.
Two years ago I posted in the thread below how versatile a Stingray can be...
if you don't just dime all the controls and slap the crap out of the stainless roundwounds you put on it.
Meanwhile lots of people came to tell their tale of why it was not versatile, so they had to sell theirs.
Kinda funny.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/stingray-the-most-divisive-bass-sound.1514774/

Yes there is a possibility of user problem I find Stingrays very versatile just the 4H

Here is video of fellow TB member with his Band; one of my favorite Stingray tones
go about 5:30 minutes to avoid prelim stuff

Link Removed

 

[FRoss6788]

Will drop this here:

Tim used a J for years...

Scores of bassists in successful heavy bands use P's and J's.

 

[58kites]

Tim used a J for years...

Scores of bassists in successful heavy bands use P's and J's.

He used a StingRay to begin with and has returned to the Stingray.

Yes that is true, but I think more use MusicMan and other active basses.

 

[FRoss6788]

He used a StingRay to begin with and has returned to the Stingray.

Yes that is true, but I think more use MusicMan and other active basses.

I would argue that the Stingray is used the least in heavy music compared to any other pickup configuration.

 

[58kites]

I would argue that the Stingray is used the least in heavy music compared to any other pickup configuration.

You may be right.
I think active EMG pickups are the most often used in metal, in all it's sub genres.
I guess defining heavy music is probably a factor.
I guess Doom and Stoner use more to the old passive basses of the 60's and 70's.

 

[FirewalZ]

Yes there is a possibility of user problem I find Stingrays very versatile just the 4H

Here is video of fellow TB member with his Band; one of my favorite Stingray tones
go about 5:30 minutes to avoid prelim stuff

Link Removed

That was me, thanks for the plug I must say I was happily surprised at the tone when I heard the playback, you never know on webcasts like that. My signal was Stingray(1995 4H 3band, w/Slinkys)=>Lustihand Alma Compressor=>BDDI v2=>Board.

 

[Deleted member 380707]

One more for the Stingray live archive

 

[makanudo]

Depending on which ray preamp, the natural sound of the bass seems to follow the EQ curve that favors bass and treble. More so on the 3 band. A bass bump at around 80-100 hz with a built in hpf and a sharp spike at 4 kHz leaves a lot of space for the rest of the mix while filling up the low end and having enough zing to poke through.

 

[Deleted member 380707]

Ok, I will just keep feeding this thread. Could be a fun resource to come back to in a few years and trigger another sound search surge. Thanks @makanudo, exactly what I was looking for!

Just came across another track:


The sound and where it sits in the mix is very similar to the ATK in the initial post. However I've seen him use P's, Ricks and some strange builds with danelectro-looking single coils in P position. But all I am hearing is stingray without treble. What would you say was used on that recording?

Live version with Rick:

He retains the sound. Doesnt matter which pickups.