Metal bassists - What sort of tones are you using?

[spiderjazz]

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1331547167' post='1574358']
I'm using clean signal myself at the moment.

One guitarist and programmed drums. I found it just allows me to stick out that little bit more. Also I've found newtone strings to be an absolute godsend. They make me custom sets of strings especially for drop C tuning.

I'll have a listen to the recordings when I get a mo but so much of it depends on the guitarists really.

If you want to hear my particular sound then follow the link below
[/quote]

Also, what gauges are you using? I'm planning on ordering this set [url="http://daddario.com/DADProductDetail.Page?ActiveID=3769&productid=154"]http://daddario.com/DADProductDetail.Page?ActiveID=3769&productid=154[/url] and either using the BEAD strings, or using BADG.

[spiderjazz]

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1331548704' post='1574392']
I haven't had a metal/rock set up for many years, but once upon a time I was a metal bass player. I used to use Warwick Quad 6 amps which were nice and crunchy and growly when cranked, but I also liked to switch between clean and crunchy. As there was no way of doing that via a channel footswitch I used to run the amps clean and used a DOD Bass Overdrive with the wet/dry at 25% bias to the dry signal and the drive at 50%. That gave me a really nice crunchy undertone when I wanted to dig in and give the bass good ol' fashioned hiding! Finger style or pick, it sounded awesome and it really cut through.



+1 I had one a few years back and sounded amazing.
[/quote]

I must experiment more with putting a pedal in front of the amp, I found even with blending that it was affecting the low end more than I like, but I probably need to mess around with settings a bit more.

[spiderjazz]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1331549930' post='1574428']
I've never been a big fan of heavily detuning a 4 string bass....much prefer a 5 string for those lower notes, plus it means normal strings, normal (ish) tuning, no nuts to file, etc. But, I can see why people want to do it.

I agree with the above regarding clean tone. Give it a try...some growl on a bass from a Sansamp can sound wonderful, but if everything is heavily saturated in high gain, I tend to lose what is going on.

If the guitarist were aiming for a more rock n roll grit (like QOTSA) then distorted bass sounds great because the guitars are less crunchy...relying more on tubes breaking up than full on high gain modern distortion.

Even though I grew up with some fairly 'heavy' linfluences, my heart was always in punk rock, Modern punk still has the aggressive mid scooped guitars with quite high gain, but there seems to be much more room for bass because they don't tend to detune as much. I think this is why I have never played in a proper heavy band.
[/quote]

My guitar tone is pretty heavily gained up (typical enough boosted 5150/dual rec type tone), so they don't need too much help in getting more grit into them

I'll make up a clip in the next few days with the first clip and a cleaner setting and see how they compare.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1331549930' post='1574428']
I've never been a big fan of heavily detuning a 4 string bass....much prefer a 5 string for those lower notes, plus it means normal strings, normal (ish) tuning, no nuts to file, etc.....[/quote]

Ah well, first imagine a 4 string drop tuned as being a 5 string in open tuning without the redundant string there to get in the way. Then if you use a "normal" 5 string set, strangely enough you're actually tuning [b]up [/b]to get drop C, not down as is the perception.
Then because with the style of music you are often using the open strings as an integral part of your riffs a 5 string in standard tuning won't cut it so well. True, on a 5er in standard tuning your final note goes down a semi tone lower than (for example) me in CGCF and all the other notes are there... but for this reason standard tuning doesn't have that required "evil" sound.
I have nothing against 5ers. I have one and have a 4 banger strung BEAD. It's just a case of the right tool for the right job.

[shizznit]

[quote name='spiderjazz' timestamp='1331552276' post='1574502']
I must experiment more with putting a pedal in front of the amp, I found even with blending that it was affecting the low end more than I like, but I probably need to mess around with settings a bit more.
[/quote]

Not all overdrive/fuzz/distortion pedals will work with bass as some of them will soak up the bottom end. For full on buzzsaw bass I have always turned to my RAT pedal. The filter control on it is very useful for placing a bit more low end gurth in the tone.

These days I will run a fuzz pedal through a BOSS LS-2 Line Selector and mix a dry and wet signal so I don't lose the articulation and punch from the clean bass. Tim Commerford from Rage Against The Machine uses this 2 channel method and it works really well.

Edited March 12, 2012 by shizznit

[spiderjazz]

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1331552843' post='1574522']
Not all overdrive/fuzz/distortion pedals will work with bass as some of them will soak up the bottom end. For full on buzzsaw bass I have always turned to my RAT pedal. The filter control on it is very useful for placing a bit more low end gurth in the tone.

These days I will run a fuzz pedal through a BOSS LS-2 Line Selector and mix a dry and wet signal so I don't lose the articulation and punch from the clean bass. Tim Commerford from Rage Against The Machine uses this 2 channel method and it works really well.
[/quote]

I was running something similar before with a RAT model as well, basically had the bass going into the ampeg model, and splitting off after it so that a clean signal went straight to the cab, and the second signal went through a RAT before hitting the cab, mix levels to taste then. I'll give a look at it again and see how it sounds with the new bass. With the clip I posted above, I'm splitting the signal off before the signal hits any amp, so it has the ampeg clean tone, and the dual rec tone mixed in, with the dual rec hi passed at around 800hz.

Big fan of Tim C's tone, the self titled gives me serious GAS pains for a stingray.

[charic]

[quote name='spiderjazz' timestamp='1331552060' post='1574498']
Also, what gauges are you using? I'm planning on ordering this set [url="http://daddario.com/DADProductDetail.Page?ActiveID=3769&productid=154"]http://daddario.com/...9&productid=154[/url] and either using the BEAD strings, or using BADG.
[/quote]

[font=arial, sans-serif][size=3].110 / .085 / .07 / .05 but the cores/tension are specially catered for drop C[/size][/font]

[charic]

[quote name='spiderjazz' timestamp='1331551955' post='1574493']
Good stuff man, the bass does sit nicely in that while still being audible. Did you record an amp and process afterwards or is it a DI? I do the one man guitarist/bassist/drum programmer as well, here's a quick clip of what my bass tone was like with my old bass, an Ibanez SRX500 [url="http://soundcloud.com/spiderjazz/samuel-l"]http://soundcloud.co...erjazz/samuel-l[/url] I'm looking to get a bit more thump and attack out of my tone though, so hence this thread
[/quote]

Post EQ DI on the RH450. Barely any changes done at mix time

[Chest Rockwell]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1331552813' post='1574518']
Ah well, first imagine a 4 string drop tuned as being a 5 string in open tuning without the redundant string there to get in the way. Then if you use a "normal" 5 string set, strangely enough you're actually tuning [b]up [/b]to get drop C, not down as is the perception.
Then because with the style of music you are often using the open strings as an integral part of your riffs a 5 string in standard tuning won't cut it so well. True, on a 5er in standard tuning your final note goes down a semi tone lower than (for example) me in CGCF and all the other notes are there... but for this reason standard tuning doesn't have that required "evil" sound.
I have nothing against 5ers. I have one and have a 4 banger strung BEAD. It's just a case of the right tool for the right job.
[/quote]

exactly. A lotta people ask me why I dont get a 5 string, then I tell them it's drop B (BF#BE) and they reply 'Oh'. it's not just having one phat string, they're ALL phat

personally sound-wise I've kinda gone with the non-scientific 'plug in a Big Muff, that sounds fuzzed up and meaty' and left it at that. im long overdue for some sounds homework, but between what you get on stage/different cabs, i'm never really fully in control so as long as it's fairly reliable, I'm happy. We usually get complimented on sounding meaty/rumbling/fat, so thats cool

I would also suffer from distortion getting covered by the two guitars as they're distorted too, but I'm pretty damn low n bassy, so there should be (even more) low end there.

[url="http://thorun.bandcamp.com/track/god-particle"]http://thorun.bandca...ck/god-particle[/url] my bass kicks this one off. Probably our best riff to highlight my dodgy timing, it's an odd bastard and im always glad when the band kicks in around me!!!


to answer the OP, Distortion 3 sounds Awesome to me!!! \m/

Edited March 12, 2012 by Chest Rockwell

[TDM]

I'm personally a fan of the sound new strings and a little bit of grit gives. The guy from Killswitch Engage, for example:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhejPhdnwj8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhejPhdnwj8[/url]

[thodrik]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1331552813' post='1574518']
Ah well, first imagine a 4 string drop tuned as being a 5 string in open tuning without the redundant string there to get in the way. Then if you use a "normal" 5 string set, strangely enough you're actually tuning [b]up [/b]to get drop C, not down as is the perception.
Then because with the style of music you are often using the open strings as an integral part of your riffs a 5 string in standard tuning won't cut it so well. True, on a 5er in standard tuning your final note goes down a semi tone lower than (for example) me in CGCF and all the other notes are there... but for this reason standard tuning doesn't have that required "evil" sound.
I have nothing against 5ers. I have one and have a 4 banger strung BEAD. It's just a case of the right tool for the right job.
[/quote]

Exactly.

[shizznit]

[quote name='TDM' timestamp='1331561580' post='1574789']
I'm personally a fan of the sound new strings and a little bit of grit gives. The guy from Killswitch Engage, for example:
[/quote]

I saw these guys play at Download a few years ago and the bass mix was really loud. Happy days, but not on this occasion. Not only this guy was incredibly sloppy but I thought the bass tone was awful. I know you can open up a debate that FOH often doesn't do wonders to backline tone, especially at open air gigs, but sometimes you can just tell something wrong is going on up on the stage.

[spiderjazz]

[quote name='Chest Rockwell' timestamp='1331556554' post='1574627']
exactly. A lotta people ask me why I dont get a 5 string, then I tell them it's drop B (BF#BE) and they reply 'Oh'. it's not just having one phat string, they're ALL phat

personally sound-wise I've kinda gone with the non-scientific 'plug in a Big Muff, that sounds fuzzed up and meaty' and left it at that. im long overdue for some sounds homework, but between what you get on stage/different cabs, i'm never really fully in control so as long as it's fairly reliable, I'm happy. We usually get complimented on sounding meaty/rumbling/fat, so thats cool

I would also suffer from distortion getting covered by the two guitars as they're distorted too, but I'm pretty damn low n bassy, so there should be (even more) low end there.

[url="http://thorun.bandcamp.com/track/god-particle"]http://thorun.bandca...ck/god-particle[/url] my bass kicks this one off. Probably our best riff to highlight my dodgy timing, it's an odd bastard and im always glad when the band kicks in around me!!!


to answer the OP, Distortion 3 sounds Awesome to me!!! \m/
[/quote]

That song is sweet man, love that old school heavy vibe. Certainly not lacking any low end from it anyway, so fat!

[quote name='TDM' timestamp='1331561580' post='1574789']
I'm personally a fan of the sound new strings and a little bit of grit gives. The guy from Killswitch Engage, for example:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhejPhdnwj8[/media]
[/quote]

I'm a big fan of the sound Adam D get's on the Killswitch stuff. I thought his tone was more distorted, but listening to it in this, it's about the same as the clip from my curse

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gQzwbcK-l8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gQzwbcK-l8[/url]

[mike257]

I've always kept it fairly simple for metal. The guitars have had plenty of dirt on them already, so I'm more in the 'keep it simple' camp. My special brew was a Stingray 3EQ with new strings straight into my SVT3 - the only drive was coming from the amp tone, which gave it enough bite for the attack to make its mark amongst the guitar tones. Always left my dirt pedals at home!

Edited March 12, 2012 by mike257

[spiderjazz]

Did a bit more tweaking (less gain, more fundamental) and made a short clip. There's a clip with guitars, and without, to let you hear the bass just with drums

[url="http://soundcloud.com/spiderjazz/chug"]http://soundcloud.com/spiderjazz/chug[/url]

[url="http://soundcloud.com/spiderjazz/chug-noguitar"]http://soundcloud.com/spiderjazz/chug-noguitar[/url]

[Gust0o]

[quote name='Chest Rockwell' timestamp='1331556554' post='1574627']
exactly. A lotta people ask me why I dont get a 5 string, then I tell them it's drop B (BF#BE) and they reply 'Oh'. it's not just having one phat string, they're ALL phat

personally sound-wise I've kinda gone with the non-scientific 'plug in a Big Muff, that sounds fuzzed up and meaty' and left it at that. im long overdue for some sounds homework, but between what you get on stage/different cabs, i'm never really fully in control so as long as it's fairly reliable, I'm happy. We usually get complimented on sounding meaty/rumbling/fat, so thats cool

I would also suffer from distortion getting covered by the two guitars as they're distorted too, but I'm pretty damn low n bassy, so there should be (even more) low end there.

[url="http://thorun.bandcamp.com/track/god-particle"]http://thorun.bandca...ck/god-particle[/url] my bass kicks this one off. Probably our best riff to highlight my dodgy timing, it's an odd bastard and im always glad when the band kicks in around me!!!


to answer the OP, Distortion 3 sounds Awesome to me!!! \m/
[/quote]

Ah, Chesty - I like that, right up my street! £3? Bargain!

[Mog]

Since we got another guitarist in I've changed my tone to something similar to Rex Browns. Its probably a little more scooped than what he uses but I've had great feedback at every show since changing. All Im using is Spector basses with fresh blue steels. A mxr m80 to add some very slight grit and a Hartke LH 500 with the EQ set to 5 across the board.
In the studio I cut the grit from the mxr and re amp the bass signal into a jcm 900 for the dirt and blend the signals.
I really can't stress how great Spector basses are for this type of tone. They're like warwicks on steroids. And their customer service is amazing. (unlike warwick which is non existent)

[Icarus_147]

I think the latest tone you have there is pretty awesome. I'd say maybe just boost the bass just a tiny bit, and roll off the treble so it isn't quite as harsh, but that's just me. Still an awesome tone though!

[chrismuzz]

[quote name='spiderjazz' timestamp='1331742644' post='1578138']
Did a bit more tweaking (less gain, more fundamental) and made a short clip. There's a clip with guitars, and without, to let you hear the bass just with drums

[url="http://soundcloud.com/spiderjazz/chug"]http://soundcloud.com/spiderjazz/chug[/url]

[url="http://soundcloud.com/spiderjazz/chug-noguitar"]http://soundcloud.co...z/chug-noguitar[/url]
[/quote]

That is a sick tone dude \m/

[Gust0o]

[quote name='Mog' timestamp='1332200253' post='1584869']
I really can't stress how great Spector basses are for this type of tone. They're like warwicks on steroids. And their customer service is amazing. (unlike warwick which is non existent)
[/quote]

Bingo. I don't think Rex made any great secret of his love for the Spectors, nor their contribution to his tone.

Some great examples on here. Think I need to do some more feedling, I don't think mine quite compares!

[spiderjazz]

I must give a trip to a good bass shop at some stage in the near future to try out some different models of basses. If you're not looking for a Squier or Fender, the local shops aren't much use!

Got a new book on mixing the other night (The Systematic Mixing Guide, well worth a purchase if you're into mixing Rock/Metal, nice to have a guide for every instrument in one single collection), and I've tried some new bass processing. I found rather than compressing the clean and distorted track seperately, that compressing them altogether helped glue them into one tone.

[url="http://soundcloud.com/spiderjazz/clippity-clop"]http://soundcloud.com/spiderjazz/clippity-clop[/url]

[Gust0o]

I enjoy how this lad makes it look easy

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mol6awk_aDo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mol6awk_aDo[/url]

[Gust0o]

That's very nice Spider - what are you recording/mixing with?

[spiderjazz]

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1333113863' post='1597634']
I enjoy how this lad makes it look easy

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mol6awk_aDo[/media]

Ola's stuff is great, all his tutorials are great starting points.

[/quote]
[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1333114077' post='1597639']
That's very nice Spider - what are you recording/mixing with?
[/quote]

Thanks. I'm using Reaper as my Daw for recording. I use a lot of the plug ins that come with it, the EQ's and compressors aren't bad at all. I some other VST's as well, I like the Stillwell Audio Compressors, and I use a couple of free compressors and saturators that I got from [url="http://www.kvraudio.com/"]http://www.kvraudio.com/[/url] as well.

For Drums I use Superior Drummer 2, sometimes I use the plugins in SD, sometimes I use external plugins, it's a mix of both in the clip.

Bass was a DI and an Ampeg sim from an Axe FX. I also used a free amp sim for the distorted bass track, it's called Juicy 77. Used my Overwater in my link to record the track.

Guitars was my les paul copy into the Axe FX.

[Gust0o]

I think I need a new laptop, as running my DI is gash at the moment - something to investigate this weekend. I'm still a little back-to-basics of mic and amp