BassLine4Jesus Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 So, I am new to the whole world of Bass playing and I am liking it. I'm not all that new to recording though but I do want to know what bass players think is best...plug ins. By plug ins I mean software that makes the bass sound "juicier" into the computer for recording. Or is there another route..like using effect boxes that plug into the Audio interface? This is where it gets a bit hazy to me. Anyone out there?? And I really am a little tired of people saying there is no better route its up to the you response... When all is said and done...there actually might be a better way. We might have to put our opinions away and face what could be a single truth. I don't mean to sound stingy. I'm really not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterMute Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 Using plug-ins for tone is at the mercy of latency, as plug-ins add latency to the round trip from bass to monitors via the DAW. Thunderbolt interfaces help as do hardware accelerated systems like Universal Audios UAD2 systems. I use both approaches, a Sansamp pre or a Pod XT Pro into the DAW, with bass DI’d to a separate track with plug-ins, then you can use plug-ins during the mix as well to achieve the mix tone you’re looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 (edited) I'll mostly record the bass 'dry', and add any fx afterwards, mostly as Vst software, but occasionally 're-amping' through hardware. As a minimalist, though, I use little in the way of fx anyway. I have no latency issues, as what I'm hearing is the end result, not the 'real time' whilst playing. The 'right' way..? There are as many 'right' ways as bassists and songs to record, so, yes, you do have to try things out for yourself, make some mistakes and decide what, for the track you're doing, is the result you want. There is no 'magic bullet', no miracle. Try any and all methods and see which please you the most, is my advice. Edited April 3, 2018 by Dad3353 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Smalls Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 As Wintermute says, latency can be a problem, this not only depends on interface but also on amount of fx. The guitarist in one of my bands uses ampsims on a laptop with no noticeable latency, but I've found that with about 8 fx there is enough for it to be a problem. So live I use a ridiculously oversized pedal board... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 I tend to record 2 acts at once; a clean DI to channel 1 and another through the pedalboard and Ampeg pre. From there I can use an amp sim or reamp through a big amp in the studio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 If you're looking to play around without investing a lot of cash (initially) there is a lot of free software around at the moment. I've recently rediscovered Guitarix as a surprisingly good amp sim. Unfortunately, the latency is the kicker, as several have already said - with my current setup, it's too much to turn my computer into a replacement for a practice amp. But a combination of dialling in a satisfying sound, then recording without sending the Guitarix signal back out to the monitor, allows me to get a passable bass amp sound for laying down demos etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 When I record i put the bass through a a Zoom B1on multi effects pedal then put the signal from that in to the PC. That gives me a range of basic sounds and effects,for any further tweaking of the sound I adjust the tone controls on the passive basses or EQ on the active basses. It's basically the most ludite/technophobe approach to modern recording that i coud come up with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterMute Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 I think the multiple input approach works really well if you're unsure as to the tone you're going to need in the final mix, if you're certain it'll be the one you're using, print it and damn the torpedos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassLine4Jesus Posted April 4, 2018 Author Share Posted April 4, 2018 I made a very wise choice (in my awesome opinion) and switched my DAW software from Apple Logic Pro to Ableton live. The only thing I really regret is how good their guitar amp plugins sounded. They even had 20 different amps specifically made for Bass. Ableton not so much. If you want any guitar amps you have to buy Ableton live Standard which is about $400 USD or more. Once you have Ableton Live Standard then you have to purchase their AMP plug in which is another cost. But hands down I still like Ableton Lite over any Digital Audio Workstation software I've tried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Smalls Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 I use Ableton 9 intro... For amp sims I got a freebie through Focusrite - BiasAmp. It's pretty good for free! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassLine4Jesus Posted April 4, 2018 Author Share Posted April 4, 2018 I'm looking at a Digitech BP90 Bass effects pedal. It has 17 good reviews at my favorite music store website. Musiciansfriend. Correct me. I would plug the bass guitar into the BP90 then plug the BP90 into my Audio Interface? If anyone has used this or something like it shed some light ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 1 hour ago, BassLine4Jesus said: ...shed some light ! You've not stated yet what interface you're using, nor on what platform (PC..? Mac..? Linux..? Other..?). With most interfaces, one does exactly as you've mentioned above: plug instrument into pedal, plug pedal into interface, and set the DAW to take input from the interface. I'd be surprised if that didn't work for you, but it depends a bit on knowing exactly what you're using. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterMute Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 The line6 Pod XT kit has a USB socket that allows it to act as an interface in it’s own right, you just select it as the input device in the DAW and it passes the audio through digitally. I don’t know if Digitech does the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 I have a LOT of pedals, and I really like using them, but to record anything other than very weird music I just DI the bass dry and add a bit of compression and/or dirt and EQ using VST plugins I like Blockfish as a compressor and Quadrafuzz is an awesome filter/distortion/fuzz plugin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 (edited) For me, it's DAW >Plug-ins every time. Dry signal at low-ish volume (maybe -14db) while tracking to minimise latency then load a chain of VST's onto the recorded track. A good starter chain might be: Sonalksis Free-G as a trim to optimise the incoming signal level for your chain Klanghelm MJUC jr compressor or a VoS Ferric TDS to smooth out any humps and bumps while adding some punch Helian 2nd Bass (amp sim) - very versatile for an easy to use plug-in Room Machine 844 to add a touch of room noise and life (Optional but not essential) Sonimus SonEQ - old school three knob equalizer Another Sonalksis Free-G as a trim to optimise the outgoing signal level for your mix. All the above are easy to use, relatively low CPU usage, sound nice and are freeware (the Sonimus requests an email address but they've never subsequently contacted me). Edited April 5, 2018 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassLine4Jesus Posted April 5, 2018 Author Share Posted April 5, 2018 Papa, I have a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8. Cheddatom, I looked up Quadrafuzz and it seems to be a Cubase sorta thing. Can I get that retail? I think you are onto something just using compressor and distort /fuzz with limits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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