rhythmbug Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 I'm working on a part of a track where I use some slow slides and bends, which, bear with me, I'm trying to make sound like drunken cow mooing. The articulation is right but the tone in the mix is too dark, not enough voice. I'm playing a Fender P with the tone on 100% treble, the slidey bendy stuff just seems to collect the low freqs and sounds super deep. As a reference point, Les Claypool's bass sound in Pork Soda. I'm pretty sure he's playing an upright of some sort with a bow, so I'm gonna have to cheat with effects. Has anyone attempted anything like this? Maybe a smidgen of overdrive, wah and reverb? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rOB Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 No idea but good luck with it. Sure someone will come along with a useful suggestion soon. Please can we hear it when its done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnDeereJack Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 E-bow, fretless bass & mild OD might get you close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 I'm sure a bit of compression would help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhythmbug Posted October 8, 2013 Author Share Posted October 8, 2013 I'd never heard of the E-Bow before, seems interesting. The fretless would probably work better, good suggestion. Mine is out of action unfortunately. I'm using compression, but the ratio could do with a boost for this bit. Will attempt to EQ it out. Scott Reeder from Kyuss also springs to mind, not exactly bowed but groany animal like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprocketflup Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Mr Claypool does indeed use an electric upright at times. I really cant give nay help with your dilemma, but good luck with it. I am intrigued to hear what youre putting together tho....sounds mad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Ebow on bass sounds amazing if you are a genius with it, but its insanely frustrating to control.... Of course if you are a fiftieth level dark lord of bass madness you use two at the same time:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx1RccwlF5g Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 [quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1381235500' post='2236123'] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx1RccwlF5g[/media] [/quote] Wow, that's incredible! A lot of his stuff leaves me cold, but that is awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alyctes Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 [quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1381235500' post='2236123'] Ebow on bass sounds amazing if you are a genius with it, but its insanely frustrating to control.... Of course if you are a fiftieth level dark lord of bass madness you use two at the same time:- [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx1RccwlF5g[/media] [/quote] That is [i]bonkers[/i]. Four detuners on the headstock, and another on the bridge ... ?! I think. And some stuff I didn't understand at all - was he pushing on the back of the neck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 4 detuners on the tuning keys and two on the bridge in fact.... Yes it's insane, it's also an amazing sounding instrument that takes him about ten minute to tune up before he starts a set! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolo Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 That got annoying when he stacked all that feedback. I have beaten guitards down for pulling that sh*t! Good craftsmanship controlling all what was going on though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhythmbug Posted October 9, 2013 Author Share Posted October 9, 2013 Wow, Manring really takes bass playing into another art form. From observations I presume the E-Bow isn't something you can bung on in the middle of a song? I'm only playing 8 bars of this cow lick...no pun intended. Anyhow, I've arrived pretty close to the sound I wanted with EQ, compression, reverb and mild OD on Guitar Rig. Demo version of the track is nearly done, will post a link soon to demonstrate what the heck I was on about. Cow mooing bass what are you mad? Yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Fwiw, I tried a mate's e-bow on a fretless 'ray5. It wouldn't shift more than the C and G strings. D, A and E wouldn't move. Do they do a bass version, then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnDeereJack Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 (edited) [size=4][quote name='Lfalex v1.1' timestamp='1381337296' post='2237848'][/size] Fwiw, I tried a mate's e-bow on a fretless 'ray5. It wouldn't shift more than the C and G strings. D, A and E wouldn't move. Do they do a bass version, then? [/quote] There's no bass-specific version but I've had one for about a year now and I can get all four strings to move quite easily. Don't get me wrong - it definitely takes practice and the intensity of the effect depends on the placement of the ebow in relation to the pickups as it creates a magnetic field which vibrates the string. Edited October 9, 2013 by johnDeereJack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 [quote name='Bolo' timestamp='1381315609' post='2237346'] That got annoying when he stacked all that feedback. I have beaten guitards down for pulling that sh*t! Good craftsmanship controlling all what was going on though. [/quote] That wasnt feedback That was harmonic chords swelled with the volume control into a stereo delay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhythmbug Posted October 20, 2013 Author Share Posted October 20, 2013 (edited) Alrighty then, the demo track is done. Cow bass at 3:57 mins. Another bass nerd item of interest, twin bass (lead and rhythm) at 2:32 mins. Wasn't my intention but my guitarist didn't learn the part in time [url="https://soundcloud.com/loscrujientes/room-3"]https://soundcloud.c...ujientes/room-3[/url] Edited October 20, 2013 by rhythmbug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-L-B Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 I once was chasing a similar sound in my head to what you describe here. I even described it as a bit of a mad cow like sound. It was on this track: https://alphamaleteaparty.bandcamp.com/track/mutha-hubbard-wha-choo-doin-in-ma-cupboard At 1:45, 2:01 & 2:18 I chuck in a few slides with more of a mooing feel than a traditional bass slide. Then immediately after it kicks in with a more pronounced sound. This finished version ended up having a more extreme tone than originally planned as it suited the song more but the drunken cow was definitely achieved along the way. It would take an age to list the gear and settings I used but you'll need to double track to get something satisfying. Emphasise the mids and use a bit of overdrive for the slide but you'll need a clean more sub tone underneath it to hold it down. When a cow lows you hear the raspy throat/nasal sound most prominently but there's always the bass note from their chest resonating underneath it. The sound in that track above from 2:18 onwards was done with a bass whammy just sweeping up an octave but with a clean sub tone along side it. I ended up using an auto wah and some pingy short delay with it to bring it out in the mix more but before that it was very much the cow sound! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhythmbug Posted October 21, 2013 Author Share Posted October 21, 2013 (edited) Vicious tune mate, and that's some fine bass work! Towards the end there you've got another farmyard animal like tone that I can't quite verbalise. Great stuff...mooo!! Edited October 21, 2013 by rhythmbug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickH Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Agreed, awesome track Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 [quote name='rhythmbug' timestamp='1382309830' post='2250579'] Alrighty then, the demo track is done. Cow bass at 3:57 mins. Another bass nerd item of interest, twin bass (lead and rhythm) at 2:32 mins. Wasn't my intention but my guitarist didn't learn the part in time [url="https://soundcloud.com/loscrujientes/room-3"]https://soundcloud.c...ujientes/room-3[/url] [/quote] I've just had a listen to this track and, having seen Les and Primus play on numerous occasions back in the days of Pork Soda and the few years leading up to that point , I can honestly say that they were never as good as this demo you have put together here . Very impressive indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rOB Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 Loving this track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rOB Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 [quote name='D-L-B' timestamp='1382359385' post='2251085'] I once was chasing a similar sound in my head to what you describe here. I even described it as a bit of a mad cow like sound. [/quote] Listening now. Awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriswareham Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 That track's the dogs doodads - if Primus are in a similar vein I'll have to check them out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowender Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 [quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1381235500' post='2236123'] Ebow on bass sounds amazing if you are a genius with it, but its insanely frustrating to control.... Of course if you are a fiftieth level dark lord of bass madness you use two at the same time:- [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx1RccwlF5g[/media] [/quote] That sounds nice, but I must say...I think it's the perfect reason why every musician should play some keyboards...[i]not[/i] necessarily to have piano chops, but just to do exactly what he's doing here. It would be quite easy and the end result would be the same. And after all, how often would you really need it? Unless you're playing on making recordings for massage therapists and yoga classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 It's called 'art' he is expressing himself on his chosen instrument in the manner that gives him (and his many fans) greatest pleasure. Why climb Everest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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