Bored with my bass tone

[JD01]

Just wouldn't mind a few ideas really.

While I'd like to start micing up a bass amp I know that it wouldn't work for me, I'd barely use it, I tend to write/record basslines at the same time, often at weird times of the day. A "real" amp would never fit in with my work-flow.

I currently use a Behringer BDI21 which is basically a copy of a SansAmp (or so I've been lead to believe). It works fine, but I'm a bit bored with it.
I don't think I want to use an amp sim (although I would if there's a really simple one that sounds good). I'd rather just having a "better" amp in a box than my current one. Any other ideas?

[Greg_L]

Just wouldn't mind a few ideas really.

While I'd like to start micing up a bass amp I know that it wouldn't work for me, I'd barely use it, I tend to write/record basslines at the same time, often at weird times of the day. A "real" amp would never fit in with my work-flow.

I currently use a Behringer BDI21 which is basically a copy of a SansAmp (or so I've been lead to believe). It works fine, but I'm a bit bored with it.
I don't think I want to use an amp sim (although I would if there's a really simple one that sounds good). I'd rather just having a "better" amp in a box than my current one. Any other ideas?

Use your guitar amp line out and cab sims.

[Lt. Bob]

I have mostly started just using my Art Prochannel strip .... lots of room for dialing in some 'tubey-ness' and plenty of EQ possibilities

Or do you have an old POD sitting around?
I still use mine for bass occasionally

[JD01]

Just wouldn't mind a few ideas really.

While I'd like to start micing up a bass amp I know that it wouldn't work for me, I'd barely use it, I tend to write/record basslines at the same time, often at weird times of the day. A "real" amp would never fit in with my work-flow.

I currently use a Behringer BDI21 which is basically a copy of a SansAmp (or so I've been lead to believe). It works fine, but I'm a bit bored with it.
I don't think I want to use an amp sim (although I would if there's a really simple one that sounds good). I'd rather just having a "better" amp in a box than my current one. Any other ideas?

Use your guitar amp line out and cab sims.

I actually didn't think of this. My amp has a built in cab sim too. #FuckWit

[JD01]

Thinking of getting a PJ mustang bass. Maybe a normal mustang, but I'll have to see what's in stock.
What's pissing me off more about bass is that I play so infrequently my hand aches like fuck after playing it.

[Armistice]

I feel ya...

I've been doing a bit of recording these last few months and it involves probably more complex bass work than I've done previously, plus I'm making myself play things more before recording so I can get better takes - but man, the hands...

[rayc]

I haven't changed the tone going in much but a couple of recent songs have required different tones to stand up in the mix against lots of layered guitars n stuff. That was when I tried this and it works for different tracks - not all but it's useful...

[JD01]

I feel ya...

I've been doing a bit of recording these last few months and it involves probably more complex bass work than I've done previously, plus I'm making myself play things more before recording so I can get better takes - but man, the hands...

Yeah, I think we have a relatively similar work-flow don't we? Riff ideas, guitar parts, get them roughed out, arrange the parts and put the drums together then work on the bassline, before the keeper guitar parts and the vocals.

Now the bass, I don't really give it any thought aside from just imagining it, until I record it. Then I'll spend a couple of hours working out the parts and playing them continually until I get it right - this is generally done in one sitting. Knackers my hand switching up to standard bass scale/action and I think contributes to my bass sound being a bit clacky.

I've never sat down and enjoyed playing bass just the sake of it since I was living in a house in Bristol with a guy who has a mustang that I really liked and I'd enjoy playing on that for hours.

[paulman]

I have two different approaches to recording bass, depending on whether it's me or my friend Matt that I'm recording. For me, I record a pretty simple direct bass and mold it in the mix however I need to. I do use preamp and compressor plugins while recording, but that's about it. For Matt, with whom I'm recording an album as a bass/drum duo, I have a more elaborate setup. He's playing bass as a lead instrument, or I should say the only harmonic/melodic instrument. I run his bass into a splitter. One signal goes dry into the recording interface so that I have a normal bass tone to work with, and the other signal goes through my guitar pedal rig and then direct into the interface. The main tone shapers are an Orange Kongpressor and an Empress EQ, and at various times he'll use my Big Muff and Tube Vibe pedals. It sounds fucking killer. He plays a lot of harmonics on bass, which really makes the Big Muff sing.