Amazing how much distortion on bass you can squeeze in a rock track

[SweetDan]

I was watching some toanz videos on youtube the other day (as you do) where the topic was distorted, grungy bass sounds, and how that's what you really want in a rock/metal mix. As an experiment, I thought I'd see for myself how it all works. I recall thinking the bass in rock tracks I heard growing up was pretty clean; I may have been wrong....


First, here is the bass by itself. Sounds pretty nasty and grungy, right?

rnw2fuzzy_bass.mp3

Next, throw in the (fake) drums with it, it starts to lose some of the edge.

rnw2fuzzy_drumsBass.mp3

Up next we get the doubled rhythm guitars; the bass sounds less and less distorted, but you can still hear it, and it fits in pretty well despite the initial sound:

rnw2fuzzy_rhythmSection.mp3

Finally, all the parts together.... Warning! Layers of fuzzy guitar solos and harmonies ahead!

20220204_rnw2fuzzy.mp3

By this time the bass sounds almost clean. Go back and listen to the first snippet, just the bass. Sounds nothing like it does in the full mix. How 'bout that?

[Tadpui]

I love a good distorted bass sound. The grit usually helps it keep some definition outside of the low frequencies, and the compression from the distortion helps level it out and make it hold down the low end nice and evenly. Sounds good!

The fuzz lead could use a bit of an EQ dip somewhere in the mids/upper-mids. But I like the fuzz sound. Which fuzz is that? Sounds a bit like a Fuzz Face, which has been my favorite fuzz in my years-long search for one that's right for me.

[SweetDan]

Which fuzz is that?

Some DIY stuff: this - viewtopic.php?t=2082 - into one of these - http://effectslayouts.blogspot.com/2016 ... stack.html - into a clean amp.

[rayc]

My most recently finished song, GBH, has a fairly dirty bass. It doesn't sound like it at all IN the mix but needed it to sound "normal".

[Armistice]

I've been putting a bit on of late but like a cleaner, but not pristine, bass sound, so copying the track and applying some distortion to the copy is one way to go.

I was shocked by the amount of distortion, via Kemper, I had on a recent track. I ended up retracting as the timing of the bass wasn't working and cleaned it up at the same time. Depends upon what goes over the top. My stuff? Fuzzy bass doesn't really work but I give it a little bit of grit.

[CrowsofFritz]

I never knew how the bass on While My Guitar Gently Weeps sounded until I watched McCartney 321. It sounds weird and distorted as hell.

[Greg_L]

I run my bass through guitar amps so it's always a little distorted.

[Farview]

I've been almost always use an amped svt-esque sound for most things since the mid 90s. In the 80s, for anything progressive, I favored a super clean, piano-like tone.

[rayc]

While My Guitar Gently Weeps seems to have had two basses in spots.

[vomitHatSteve]

I run my bass through guitar amps so it's always a little distorted.

Isn't that how Lemmy did it?

I've futzed around with various levels of distortion in my bass tone. The abomination bass is always pretty distorted. My latest track has a ton of distortion on the standard bass.
Nowadays, I'm using a pretty gritty bass for my live tone.

[Greg_L]

Isn't that how Lemmy did it?

Technically, no, he used a Marshall Super Bass. It's designed to be a bass amp.

But, like the Fender Bassman, it's pretty much a bass amp in name only. It's very good for guitar and more people prefer them for guitar than as actual bass amps.