Ba55me15ter Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Last night I recorded some bass using my Hartke VXL Bass Attack, something I've been meaning to do for ages but never got around to. Very nice! I recorded both the output of the VXL and a direct clean feed out of its parallel output onto seperate tracks. The results were great - I could choose between ultra-clean and polite DI or the fuller, more aggresive and harmonically-rich VXL output. A blend of both was perfect and did not have any phase issues. Nice (and pretty cheap!). I also love the way you can power it off 48v phantom power from the mixer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 [quote name='JPJ' post='365937' date='Dec 30 2008, 01:23 AM']I think the producer wants a very pristine but defined tight sound "almost hifi but with some implied warmth" his words not mine.[/quote] Devil's advocate here - but isn't his job to make your bass sound like that and not yours? You just supply the talent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 I never use a pre-amp while tracking. Split the signal direct from the bass with a quality DI box, feed one back into my rig so I have the sound I'm used to for playing and the other goes via a quality compressor/limiter with very subtle compression and just enough limiting so if I get carried away during the recording I still get a good hot signal without any nasty digital clipping. All the tonal decisions are made at mix down when ALL the other instruments are in place (which is normally at least twice as many as there would be from just a straight live recording and probably many more vocal harmonies). Then I can either use a plug-in EQ in the DAW or re-amp via my rig or send to some other piece of outboard kit depending on what is right in the context of the whole track. Putting on EQ while you're recording can limit what is possible at the mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisyjon Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 +1 for the MXR M80 D.I.plus - I Love my one. Also a big up for the Sadowsky pre-amp/D.I. pedal - a REALLY nice bit of kit that I use all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted December 31, 2008 Author Share Posted December 31, 2008 [quote name='stingrayfan' post='366898' date='Dec 31 2008, 10:28 AM']Devil's advocate here - but isn't his job to make your bass sound like that and not yours? You just supply the talent![/quote] Oh well in that case the recording project is doomed from the outset, supply the talent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorris Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 [quote name='BigRedX' post='366934' date='Dec 31 2008, 11:09 AM']I never use a pre-amp while tracking. Split the signal direct from the bass with a quality DI box, feed one back into my rig so I have the sound I'm used to for playing and the other goes via a quality compressor/limiter with very subtle compression and just enough limiting so if I get carried away during the recording I still get a good hot signal without any nasty digital clipping. All the tonal decisions are made at mix down when ALL the other instruments are in place (which is normally at least twice as many as there would be from just a straight live recording and probably many more vocal harmonies). Then I can either use a plug-in EQ in the DAW or re-amp via my rig or send to some other piece of outboard kit depending on what is right in the context of the whole track. Putting on EQ while you're recording can limit what is possible at the mix.[/quote] +1 I'd always recommend splitting off a pure bass signal to one track whatever other signal paths are being recorded. Depending whether you are playing in the studio or the control room affects what you need to hear through the amp / monitors. And it's good to try and record what is likely to be the final tone anyway but yeah - having the clean track keeps all the options open and takes some pressure off agonising about the tone too much. EQ can, to some degree, be 'undone' in the mixing / re-mixing though it's best not to have to. But if you are using any form of harmonic enhancement / distortion etc then you can't get rid of it. It helps if you have a co-operative recording engineer of course and hopefully number of tracks isn't a limiting factor in a hard disk digital environment as it might have been with either digital or analogue tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted January 5, 2009 Author Share Posted January 5, 2009 Ok peeps, I've gone with the PJB Bass Buddy care of our own Vern-Icepick and wow, what can I say. Big fat warm tone on my home recordings whereas without the PJB it was just a little flat and lifeless. Hopefully, the studio guys will have the same experience later this month. BTW just to clarify, without the preamp and plugging straight into the desk, my J-Retro equipped Overwater J5 wasn't really 'driving' the mic input on the desk. Yes, we had to back the trim gain thing back a bit to stop it distorting, but in backing it off, I seemed to loose some depth or oompth. With the PJB, I can back the gain on the bass buddy back to avoid distortion but still provide a big fat signal to my desk. Does that make sense, I hope so 'cause thats what seems to be happening? Anyway, I'm not/will not be eq'ing the bass using the preamp but I will be horrendously tempted to leave the compressor switched on as this is the most bass friendly and musical compressor I've come across so far and all from just one knob too. Thanks for all the suggestions and the help, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 (edited) Either record with a clean valve preamp, such as the now out of production Warwicks/Aguilars, or with a gritty solid state DI, such as the ones built into Gallien-Krueger heads. Out of all the ones on your list, I'd go for the SWR. I have the EBS and I love it for live stuff. I wouldn't record with it though. Edited January 5, 2009 by The Funk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 [quote name='The Funk' post='370678' date='Jan 5 2009, 10:24 AM']Either record with a clean valve preamp, such as the now out of production Warwicks/Aguilars, or with a gritty solid state DI, such as the ones built into Gallien-Krueger heads. Out of all the ones on your list, I'd go for the SWR.[/quote] Keep up at the back, son! JPJ - I thought about that PJB 'cos I really need a good microphone / iPod amp thingy, but... I'm skint at the mo. I'd like to try it, tho... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 [quote name='wateroftyne' post='370682' date='Jan 5 2009, 10:26 AM']Keep up at the back, son![/quote] Just got back from abroad - jetlagged and sloooooow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 [quote name='JPJ' post='365575' date='Dec 29 2008, 04:47 PM']....I recently completed my first recording assignment (nothing flash, honest). For that job I just plugged my Overwater direct into the desk and whilst it sounded ok, I think I need a bit more beef next time around....[/quote] Mmm. I would have thought that the power of the EQ on the desk would have done the job better than an outboard unit! You have control of the preamp but the engineer has control of the desk and can still change your sound to his, unless you can work together to get the sound that [i]you[/i] want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorris Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 interesting. What was the desk used ? [quote name='JPJ' post='370670' date='Jan 5 2009, 10:10 AM']Big fat warm tone on my home recordings whereas without the PJB it was just a little flat and lifeless. Hopefully, the studio guys will have the same experience later this month. BTW just to clarify, without the preamp and plugging straight into the desk, my J-Retro equipped Overwater J5 wasn't really 'driving' the mic input on the desk. Yes, we had to back the trim gain thing back a bit to stop it distorting, but in backing it off, I seemed to loose some depth or oompth. With the PJB, I can back the gain on the bass buddy back to avoid distortion but still provide a big fat signal to my desk. Does that make sense, I hope so 'cause thats what seems to be happening?[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 [quote name='JPJ' post='365615' date='Dec 29 2008, 05:33 PM']It'll have to come down in price quite a bit to match the others considering its £699 list price in the UK That said, I have a huge SWR bias so who knows what could happen in the sales Anybody (other than Stuart Clayton) tried one yet?[/quote] Yup. Tried one out at BP Magazine in the US next to the Demeter. The Demeter blew the SWR out of the water. I know that it's all opinion, but we all felt that the Demeter could so everything the SWR could do (with a little icing on top) and more. Hope you PJ works out though dude! When it comes to this stuff, it all depends on what sounds you are trying to achieve I guess! Things may not always be better - just different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ba55me15ter Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 [quote name='JPJ' post='370670' date='Jan 5 2009, 10:10 AM']BTW just to clarify, without the preamp and plugging straight into the desk, my J-Retro equipped Overwater J5 wasn't really 'driving' the mic input on the desk. Yes, we had to back the trim gain thing back a bit to stop it distorting, but in backing it off, I seemed to loose some depth or oompth. With the PJB, I can back the gain on the bass buddy back to avoid distortion but still provide a big fat signal to my desk. Does that make sense, I hope so 'cause thats what seems to be happening?[/quote] Were you plugging direct into a high-impedence instrument input on the desk? Sounds exactly like what would happen if you weren't. I must try plugging my PJB Briefcase into the desk sometime - I think the preamp is essentially the same as the bass buddy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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