Help Me Out?

[7String]

I tried something new with my bass guitar. It has a lot of boom to it, in my opinion so I tried using a multi-comp on it where I just compressed the lows and the mid-highs. I like how it sounds but I'm thinking that maybe it's a bit over compressed. Can you take a listen to this 30 second clip and tell me what you think? It's a cover tune from back in the early 70s.

Thanks!

If You Wanna Get To Heaven

[Greg_L]

Yes that bass is a mess IMO. It's flat and dead and just a giant mash of rumble. Don't compress it when you really just wanna EQ it.

[7String]

Yes that bass is a mess IMO. It's flat and dead and just a giant mash of rumble. Don't compress it when you really just wanna EQ it.

Thanks, Greg! Yeah, the more I listen to it the more I hate it. The bass just sounds bad and nothing will help. I'm gonna order a new Standard P bass...

[Greg_L]

Thanks, Greg! Yeah, the more I listen to it the more I hate it. The bass just sounds bad and nothing will help. I'm gonna order a new Standard P bass...

Yes well that's one way to take care of it.

[rayc]

Yes well that's one way to take care of it.

An extreme way to manage the situation.
How was it recorded? Mic's? DI? What map, speaker, DI devise, other processing?
I usually, through laziness, just use a DI, (Behringer Vtone BDI21), but it has tone shaping included - it's a clone of a Sansamp 21.
There's alos a VST of it that Minerman posited a link to - ditch the MBC and anything else for the moment and try the VST with a little normal compression and EQ...
I nicked the link from Minerman's 1st post on the topic...TSE BOD

[7String]

An extreme way to manage the situation.
How was it recorded? Mic's? DI? What map, speaker, DI devise, other processing?
I usually, through laziness, just use a DI, (Behringer Vtone BDI21), but it has tone shaping included - it's a clone of a Sansamp 21.
There's alos a VST of it that Minerman posited a link to - ditch the MBC and anything else for the moment and try the VST with a little normal compression and EQ...
I nicked the link from Minerman's 1st post on the topic...TSE BOD

Yeah, it's extreme but this bass just sucks. It's an Ibenhad SR 305DX and it has the FAT EQ or some such knob on it. It doesn't matter how you set the knobs, I can't really get a decent sound out of it. I have the TSE BOD so I'll give that a shot and see how it comes out.

I recorded the bass direct in to an M-Audio 2496 but I just got a Focusrite 18i8 so maybe I'll recut the bass track over the weekend and see if that improves it any.

I appreciate the pointers and the comments but listen, as far as the wife knows, this bass sucks and I really need the Standard P bass, ok?

[Audio Monster]

You couldn't just throw up an mp3? Not signing up to fucking dropbox to hear a piece of shit bass sound.

[rayc]

You couldn't just throw up an mp3? Not signing up to fucking dropbox to hear a piece of shit bass sound.

You don't have to sign up to Dropbox.
Click off the login/join box and the streamer will appear.

[JD01]

Yeah, that bass is pretty grim.

I'd second what Ray says on the Behringer BDI21 - I bought this on Ray's recommendation and it was a supercheap way of improving my bass tone.
However, my bass was also shit to the point of being nearly unplayable so I also bought a Squire Jazz Bass - I'm pretty happy with my bass tone these days and most people who've listened to my mixes since I started using it have commented that it sounds good and that my mixes in general have improved as a result of it.

[SweetDan]

...this bass just sucks...

Well, maybe. A set of new strings is cheaper than a new bass. How worn are the set you've got on it right now? (Not that I'm saying I disagree with the story you're telling the SO about the need for a new bass...)

[7String]

Yeah, that bass is pretty grim.

I'd second what Ray says on the Behringer BDI21 - I bought this on Ray's recommendation and it was a supercheap way of improving my bass tone.
However, my bass was also shit to the point of being nearly unplayable so I also bought a Squire Jazz Bass - I'm pretty happy with my bass tone these days and most people who've listened to my mixes since I started using it have commented that it sounds good and that my mixes in general have improved as a result of it.

I will look into the BDI21. I thought about the Squire series but couldn't find a straight Precision. Best I could find was a P/J combo and I really don't like Jazz basses. I've been in bands with bassists who used Jazz basses and they sounded like crap to me. Of course, it could be the player(s).

Well, maybe. A set of new strings is cheaper than a new bass. How worn are the set you've got on it right now? (Not that I'm saying I disagree with the story you're telling the SO about the need for a new bass...)

Strings are fairly new. Not more than a month old and hardly used in that month. That's part of the strategy. "See, Babe? I put new strings on it and it STILL sounds like shit! I just NEED the new bass!"

[rammer24]

You couldn't just throw up an mp3? Not signing up to fucking dropbox to hear a piece of shit bass sound.

HAHA! Don't ever post at 2:06am again.

Jeff, I have an Ibanez bass, but I don't know the model. It's an active bass is all I remember about it. As you know, it needed some external help in the way of pedals/plug-ins. I think they're decent basses, but maybe just a little "flat" and generic sounding.

Try this. It might help. https://www.tseaudio.com/software/tseBOD

[7String]

HAHA! Don't ever post at 2:06am again.

I am curious though... what is the difference of posting a short WAV or MP3 on Dropbox?

Jeff, I have an Ibanez bass, but I don't know the model. It's an active bass is all I remember about it. As you know, it needed some external help in the way of pedals/plug-ins. I think they're decent basses, but maybe just a little "flat" and generic sounding.

Try this. It might help. https://www.tseaudio.com/software/tseBOD

Hey, Rami! Thanks for the tip. Ray also suggested that one. I do have that plug but have never used it. I'll give it a shot but first I'm going to recut the track through the new Focusrite. That HAS to be an improvement! But (just in case the wife is reading this) I'll still need that new bass.

[7String]

Ok, I couldn't wait until the weekend so I recut the bass track today. The bass is direct into channel 4 of the Focusrite 18i8. I also tried running it into channel 7, which doesn't have the pre and it was VERY quiet. I couldn't get the level up loud enough so I rolled with channel 4. I have both pickup's up full and the fat EQ knob just a touch to give it some roundness. In the mix I have it running through the BOD and into the Red 3 Compressor that came with the unit. Not much compression at all. I'd like to get a little more definition out of it but this is just the a quick mix.

Better?

Worse?

Gettin' there?

Still gotta get the new bass?

If You Wanna Get To Heaven NEW BASS

[rammer24]

It sounds ok to me, but it's hard to tell. When you replace that type writer with some drums, it will be easier to assess.

[TripleM]

The second clip sounds better. To me it has a low end that's too strong and a low-midrange that isn't strong enough.

The playing style is not quite aggressive enough. It kind of sounds like you're phoning it in. The part should be attacked a little harder.

[7String]

It sounds ok to me, but it's hard to tell. When you replace that type writer with some drums, it will be easier to assess.

I know! I hate the snare! Well, if my disability ever goes through maybe I can afford to have you track some drums for me. Till then, it's EZD. I do want to replace that snare though.

The second clip sounds better. To me it has a low end that's too strong and a low-midrange that isn't strong enough.

The playing style is not quite aggressive enough. It kind of sounds like you're phoning it in. The part should be attacked a little harder.

I think you may be right about that one. I'm going to try a few different things with this. I mean, why not? What I've tried so far isn't cutting it.

[rammer24]

I know! I hate the snare! Well, if my disability ever goes through maybe I can afford to have you track some drums for me. Till then, it's EZD. I do want to replace that snare though.

I'd do it for free (you know that). I can't make that offer right now, though. I'm working on a new CD and it's really time consuming. I already have Roman thinking I forgot about him, but I didn't. I just haven't had time to do much other than get this CD together. If you still need a drum track when I'm done, I'd be happy to do it for you.

The snare just sounds overly compressed, by the way. It might be a decent sound under all that over-processing, if I'm hearing it correctly.

[7String]

The second clip sounds better. To me it has a low end that's too strong and a low-midrange that isn't strong enough.

That is EXACTLY what I think about it! It makes the bass sound way too boomy. I usually use a low shelf and cut quite a bit but that accentuates the high end, which isn't good either. It's just way too hard to find a happy medium with this thing, hence the need for the new bass.

I'd do it for free (you know that). I can't make that offer right now, though. I'm working on a new CD and it's really time consuming. I already have Roman thinking I forgot about him, but I didn't. I just haven't had time to do much other than get this CD together. If you still need a drum track when I'm done, I'd be happy to do it for you.

The snare just sounds overly compressed, by the way. It might be a decent sound under all that over-processing, if I'm hearing it correctly.

You are far too kind to us old folk. Maybe after I get the new bass I'll recut some bass tracks and if you have the time. I'd rather save it for the originals, though. Not the covers.

The snare sounds that way right out of EZD. I've never liked it so I end up replacing it most of the time. Sometimes it's hard to tell the snare from the kick!

[Audio Monster]

You couldn't just throw up an mp3? Not signing up to fucking dropbox to hear a piece of shit bass sound.

You don't have to sign up to Dropbox.
Click off the login/join box and the streamer will appear.

And viola, it works.

When listening to the overall groove of the provided clip and without focusing on any particular instrument, I think this has potential to be a petty groovy tune.