Do you always use drive,grind etc etc

[Twincam]

Been messing around with the valve drive on my amp. It's alright and useable for some things.
I'm wondering does anyone use it all the time even for tunes traditionally played clean?

[discreet]

I'm sure people do. Thing is, when 'in concert' a bass with a bit of drive, grind etc. on it can actually sound very clean. A lot of songs that appear to have clean bass on them turn out to be quite hairy when you listen to them in isolation.

[spyder]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1460659026' post='3027713']
I'm sure people do. Thing is, when 'in concert' a bass with a bit of drive, grind etc. on it can actually sound very clean. A lot of songs that appear to have clean bass on them turn out to be quite hairy when you listen to them in isolation.
[/quote]

This very true.


Also I have found over the years the actual bass might dictate what kind of sound you use. For the past 5 or 6 years I've used only jazz style basses and found cleaner sounds complimented the jazz two pickup sound. Now I'm using a P bass I can't get enough of those dirty sounds via a Tech 21 VT500. This amp never really did it for me until I got the P , now a perfect match.

[Graham]

Yeah, my HD350 has an overdrive circuit built in, which I also have on at about 12 o'clock. I go for a really clear, punchy tone, but use the drive to cut through the mix, it's not really audible out front

[JTUK]

Nope... spent a lifetime getting away from it.
However, of late, it is is there, I'll deal with it.

Never a pedal tho..

[chriswareham]

With my current band, I have a Darkglass B3K switched on almost all the time for a nasty, Lemmy kind of sound. The exceptions are two songs, our slow one which I use no effects on, and a track called Hail Hydra that has an EH Clone Theory chorus on it:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDtY1Ev2-Kg[/media]

[Number6]

I doubt many people still use a Zoom B2 in live situations but i do. I use it for the Acoustic 360 sound which gives a good middy but mild overdrive. In my band which is a 3 piece it seems to help the bass cut through.

[paul_5]

Yes. My VT1-EQ is on all of the time - if I need less drive then I just back off on my (agricultural) right hand technique. Nice to know that if I need a particular note or phrase to be dirty then I can just dig in again and "oof, there it is"!

Like many have said - in a full band mix a bit of dirt goes a LONG way.

[ubit]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1460659026' post='3027713']
I'm sure people do. Thing is, when 'in concert' a bass with a bit of drive, grind etc. on it can actually sound very clean. A lot of songs that appear to have clean bass on them turn out to be quite hairy when you listen to them in isolation.
[/quote]


I concur. Some " clean " sounding bass when heard on its own, is pretty dirty sounding. Personally, I like to have a dirty edge to my sound when played with gusto but you can still get it to sound smooth when you tickle the strings. It's down to taste, but I think a bit of grind gives more depth.

[Lozz196]

Yep, always play with a touch of drive/gain. In my originals band I hit hard so get the drive I need, but when I play covers I play "normally" so it doesn`t sound like there`s any drive, but it is there. Many of the iconic basslines we all love, if isolated, have so much gain/clankiness on them it`s amazing.

[bartelby]

I've use a modded DIY Zen Drive clone (blended 75% clean) that's always on.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1460704290' post='3027923']
Many of the iconic basslines we all love, if isolated, have so much gain/clankiness on them it`s amazing.
[/quote]

Yes, but they were recorded by mere youngsters, not by experienced guys like what we are ...

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1460704290' post='3027923']
Many of the iconic basslines we all love, if isolated, have so much gain/clankiness on them it`s amazing.
[/quote]

Far from iconic, but I remember the time I first heard one of my isolated bass tracks in a recording session when I was 14... clank, buzz, parp, slap, clang... and a few notes in between...

During a session last year I heard some more of my isolated bass... yep still the same

[Skol303]

There's a good rationale for using some - or lots! - of overdrive/ distortion on bass.

Adding distortion increases the density of upper harmonics in bass sounds: it adds harmonic information that's not present in the original signal.

This gives more options for EQ'ing the sound and generally speaking, helps the bass to still be clearly heard on small speakers.

Science, innit

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1460672891' post='3027848']
Personally, I like to have a dirty edge to my sound when played with gusto but you can still get it to sound smooth when you tickle the strings. It's down to taste, but I think a bit of grind gives more depth.
[/quote]

Another +1 for using an on-the-edge-of-overdrive sound, like you I control what the sound is like by how hard I play. I also like the warmth/grit that a good drive circuit adds when its not run overtly into distortion.

Edited April 15, 2016 by bassman7755

[lowhand_mike]

previously i never used any drive at all, liked the clean sound but for certain songs where i need to up the ante on certain parts it required really digging in. Now with my RM800 and footswitch i can bring in a bit of dirt when needed and requires less aggression on the strings. Been slowly incorporating it into more songs and it sounds great but i still like it clean. horses for courses.

[Cameronj279]

I do have a darkglass for when I want serious grit in the sound but my only always on pedal is the TC Hyper Gravity compressor. I've set it in such a way that if you really really dig in it actually adds a little grit to the sound so I can get that when I need as it's always on but can have a super clean sound by just easing up a little.

[operative451]

I prefer gain to compression. I'd rather tip over the edge into growl on a clean-ish tone that have it just be flattened. I'm also aware i may have just been using crappy compressors! Deffo for a lot of stuff i've been playing lately that has a more vintage thump (Shadows and Carpenters, believe it or not!) a bit of overdrive gives the 'big speaker working hard' sound on a smaller quieter set-up..

[TimR]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1460705874' post='3027939']


Far from iconic, but I remember the time I first heard one of my isolated bass tracks in a recording session when I was 14... clank, buzz, parp, slap, clang... and a few notes in between...

During a session last year I heard some more of my isolated bass... yep still the same
[/quote]



It's all masked by the drummer anyway.

[Geek99]

[quote name='Number6' timestamp='1460671623' post='3027839']
I doubt many people still use a Zoom B2 in live situations but i do. I use it for the Acoustic 360 sound which gives a good middy but mild overdrive. In my band which is a 3 piece it seems to help the bass cut through.
[/quote]
I do - on ampeg setting - with a precision it makes those church folks look up from their sherry