How to get even volume with both finger and slap technique

[netcarlos]

After last few years of playing bass only with fingers, I'd like to get back to slap that I used to play many years ago.

 

Unfortunately, I'm finding that the volume of my finger plucking technique is much quieter than my slap and specifically pop. A possible reason is that I was used to practicing slap on "dry" bass without any amp. I remember getting blisters on my thumb and index fingers from slapping and popping.

 

I know that there are compressors, and I've already tried some mild compressions, but the difference in volume is too big to make any difference with compressor.

 

If I play on rehearsals, I can turn gain of my amp down, but the problem is when playing live where I'm pretty sure I'm getting the mixer guy very upset when I change the technique between songs unexpectedly. 

 

I'd say that if I play fingers with maximum effort in terms of power (much more than my average plucking volume) the volume is roughly the same as if I try to play slap very carefully and quietly. 

 

Also I'd say that I'm able to control the volume of slap better than the volume of pop. There is a narrow line between getting the bright sound of a string striking into a fret and getting "dull" sound similar to finger pluck.

 

So.. How to get even volume with both finger and slap technique?

Edited March 24, 2022 by netcarlos

[paul_c2]

1 hour ago, netcarlos said:

 

 

I know that there are compressors, and I've already tried some mild compressions, but the difference in volume is too big to make any difference with compressor.

 

Of that, I am surprised - it should be possible to set a compressor up to be able to do the necessary.

 

1 hour ago, netcarlos said:

 

So.. How to get even volume with both finger and slap technique?

 

I don't think its physically possible by technique alone, the physics suggest that the amplitude of the string movement/vibration will be higher with slap than normal plucking, so some kind of volume adjustment between the two, be it a manual change (possibly via a pedal) or some automatic way (ie compressor or limiter) is the way to go.

[Guest]

Get a decent compressor and configure it properly. Studios have been recording bass for decades with finger style, pick, slap, tap and pop