Indulge me. Does this sound right? My first time recording dirt

[lidl e]

All,

just getting into recording adn wondering does this sound right?

 

it is my first attempt at recording dirt. i think the tone is alright. but i don't now is this is a viable sound

 

Anyone mind listening? only 3o seconds

[uk_lefty]

I guess we need to know if there's anything else to be layered over it and the rest of the context of the piece to determine if it sounds "right" or not... Otherwise, on its own, I like it. I can't offer any technical recording advice I'm afraid but I like the sound and the playing, particularly the higher parts really come through well. 

[Baloney Balderdash]

As already said it entirely depends on the context.

 

Not exactly a regular high gain bass dirt tone though, this would be a more of a really fuzzed out tone.

 

But at that to me it sounds perfectly fine.

 

For a more standard high gain tone I would blend a clean track with something like the bass run through a Turbo RAT (record both in parallel simultaneously on two separate tracks and blend/mix together, or just record a clean track, copy, and then add VST dirt to one of them, this is an amazing free VST distortion, emulating a RAT: https://www.tseaudio.com/software/tseR47).

 

Edited March 3 by Baloney Balderdash
https://www.tseaudio.com/software/tseR47

[lidl e]

Cheers, lads

 

I suppose there realiy is no context. 

 

I am literally just starting out into recording. This is like the third thing I've recorded on my new setup and the first with effects.  

 

I'm just wondering if it sounds "right" as in a viable tone. Like wpuld that work if i were to layer stuff over it. Are the levels good? Does it sound sfarty at all? Should i crank the input on the focusrite?

 

I dont know. Just trying to figure out if im doing it right i suppose, byt from tour respo ses it siunds like youre hearing bass! Which is what i was hoping.

[lidl e]

I dont kniw...

 

I question everything i am learning! 

 

As in it sounds alright to me but am i just happy I'm actually getting sound... or is it shite.

[uk_lefty]

The only way to find out is to go for it. See what you can try to create. Then I'm sure far more knowledgeable folk can help you with specifics like making the bass stand out more, is there enough compression, etc.

[krispn]

9 hours ago, lidl e said:

All,

just getting into recording adn wondering does this sound right?

 

it is my first attempt at recording dirt. i think the tone is alright. but i don't now is this is a viable sound

 

Anyone mind listening? only 3o seconds

It could sound muddy or quite ‘thick’ in a mix (it does to my ear but then we might have different ideas of what we’re trying to achieve with dirty bass) but if that’s the sound you’re going for of and/if it works for demo purposes  then there’s no right or wrong.. Are you using a daw which has the ability to eq and make some changes? I started out experimenting with eq and figuring out how to get my bass sitting where I liked it - the clean blend/mixing a clean and dirt track and Eq-ing both to get the best of both worlds is great learning too.
 

If you have some Cab sims/cab IR you can apply it might be fun to hear it through those too - a matter of trial and error all this home recording stuff. Adding cab sims can help make the bass fit better as it can massage the high end etc. 

 

Something like a zoom or hx stomp can be a good investment as an interface for daw effects etc. 
 

 

Edited March 3 by krispn
Tidy up

[lidl e]

14 minutes ago, krispn said:

It could sound muddy or quite ‘thick’ in a mix (it does to my ear but then we might have different ideas of what we’re trying to achieve with dirty bass) but if that’s the sound you’re going for of and/if it works for demo purposes  then there’s no right or wrong.. Are you using a daw which has the ability to eq and make some changes? I started out experimenting with eq and figuring out how to get my bass sitting where I liked it - the clean blend/mixing a clean and dirt track and Eq-ing both to get the best of both worlds is great learning too.
 

If you have some Cab sims/cab IR you can apply it might be fun to hear it through those too - a matter of trial and error all this home recording stuff. Adding cab sims can help make the bass fit better as it can massage the high end etc. 

 

Something like a zoom or hx stomp can be a good investment as an interface for daw effects etc. 
 

 

Nice one!

 

This is the stuff i need to understand better.

 

I like the fatness and fullness of the sound but i think the low end can be tighter.

 

This is the tube DI of my ampeg pf20t with a jam red muck. That is going dorectly into ableton.

 

So i do have a DAW but i am terrible at using it. All i can do is push record and get sound down.

 

Hence this thread!

 

The DAW isnt super intuitive to me, so i am teying to do all my sounds before my interface

 

My latest plan is EQ, but instead of using the DAW, which I'm sure any competent person would do, I've been planning on getting an empresse paraeq deluxe and doing all my EQing before it hits the DAW. 

 

That's fairly ridiculous solution if i can just do it digitally i suppose, but i like the tactile feel of outboard gear. 

 

I did also recently purchase a 2 notes opus to get into the idea of IRs and it is simply amazing. Again, i preferred the idea of outboard gear instead of doing it in the DAW

 

Im planning on doing a blind test of the opus vs the ampeg with the same setup using a dynIR. Same tubes and same pre and see how close they sound.

 

Ill post it here.

 

Thanks for the reply!

 

 

[MrDinsdale]

There are some great videos on YouTube that will help you with eq in the DAW. I wouldn’t rely on a pedal as you’ll more than likely need to tweak it as you introduce more instruments etc.

[Baloney Balderdash]

Yeah, you can't really pre-mix a track, something that needs to be done once all layers has been applied, if you want it to turn out sounding properly.

 

EQ'ing and balancing and otherwise tweaking the individual tracks against each other in the full context.

 

What might sound great isolated or at a given point of a recording might not work at all, or at very least not likely optimally, in the full context, and there is really no way of knowing this in beforehand. 

 

It would be the equivalent to preprogramming a car to navigate through the traffic for a trip downtown, simply not viable. 

 

You are of course welcome to ignore that fact, but you are going to find out yourself the hard way eventually anyway.

 

Edited March 3 by Baloney Balderdash

[lidl e]

10 minutes ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

 

 

You are of course welcome to ignore that fact, but you are going to find out yourself the hard way eventually anyway.

 

Seems to be my MO on almost everything! Not just music kit!

 

Currently I'm just getting everything setup to be able to record my own basslines and send them to our bandleader/producer so i dont have to drive down to wexford to record. He'll do all the EQing and mixing for our band, but i do have the dream of making full songs with drums and guitars.  I knowni can do it, but i need to work on the DAW side of things.

 

I'm so adverse to digital,  I've been planning kn getting a beat buddy to do drum tracks with as it's a physical pedal! So ridiculous when there are things like EZ drummer, right? 

 

I tjhnk you mentiomed you have a beat buddy before?

 

Anyway, great advise all. Once im more comfortable recording lines to send to your man, I'll loekly upgrade from ableton lite to standard and try and start getting into DAW more

 

I do still want that empress eq though!

[ahpook]

1 hour ago, lidl e said:

My latest plan is EQ, but instead of using the DAW, which I'm sure any competent person would do, I've been planning on getting an empresse paraeq deluxe and doing all my EQing before it hits the DAW. 

 

That's fairly ridiculous solution if i can just do it digitally i suppose, but i like the tactile feel of outboard gear.

 

I'm with you on this E.

 

I usually get a sound I like using external stuff and pedals and the use the DAW as a recorder to tweak the EQ slightly, compress a bit, whatever fits. Same with guitars too. Hardly modern, but it's my workflow baby

 

What I would suggest, especially with bass, is recording a clean/DI track at the same time as your effected sound. What can sound good now might need something later, and having than clean track about to have later can be a boon.

 

Nice heavy sound on that clip BTW

Edited March 3 by ahpook

[lidl e]

21 minutes ago, ahpook said:

 

I'm with you on this E.

 

I usually get a sound I like using external stuff and pedals and the use the DAW as a recorder to tweak the EQ slightly, compress a bit, whatever fits. Same with guitars too. Hardly modern, but it's my workflow baby

 

What I would suggest, especially with bass, is recording a clean/DI track at the same time as your effected sound. What can sound good now might need something later, and having than clean track about to have later can be a boon.

 

Nice heavy sound on that clip BTW

My main man!

 

What's up, pook. Cheers.

 

I've been toying with the dual track idea. I assume you mean simultaneously and not doubled after. 

 

I think i have at leat a few options on hand to test, but might need a boss LS2 to do itnright if im getting what youre saying. I do have a switchblade pro but id trust a boss moreso for recording.

 

My ampeg has two xlrs out i could use one of those and the use the LS2 to do a direct signal into the focusrite. Or go to the Opus instead of direct

 

So many options.

 

What soukd you use for the clean side? Just guitar cable directly into interface?

 

Or are you just doing the sensible thing and doubling it on the DAW

 

Edited March 3 by lidl e

[ahpook]

56 minutes ago, lidl e said:

My main man!

 

What's up, pook. Cheers.

 

I've been toying with the dual track idea. I assume you mean simultaneously and not doubled after. 

 

I think i have at leat a few options on hand to test, but might need a boss LS2 to do itnright if im getting what youre saying. I do have a switchblade pro but id trust a boss moreso for recording.

 

My ampeg has two xlrs out i could use one of those and the use the LS2 to do a direct signal into the focusrite. Or go to the Opus instead of direct

 

So many options.

 

What soukd you use for the clean side? Just guitar cable directly into interface?

 

Or are you just doing the sensible thing and doubling it on the DAW

 

 

All frosty buddy

 

Yes, as two separate tracks, recorded simultaneously.

 

For my clean signal, I have a preamp/HPF pedal first in my effects chain that has a pristine DI out and that just goes straight into my interface. Everything after that in the pedalboard goes on the effected track.

 

Even if you don't have a dedicated DI box, getting something clean onto a track in your DAW is going to be useful, so deffo try the LS2 approach - it's all solid tinkering time and that's always a good thing, isn't it ?

[MichaelDean]

Solid "yes" to also recording a dry signal. If you have the switchblade pro, run a line out of that into the instrument input on your audio interface plus the XLR out the back of the amp as before. Mute it while recording too. You don't need to hear it, but it could save you later. 

 

My band did some recording in a studio a last year and the recorded bass and guitars both sounded great in the room, but terrible at home. We had to re-record EVERYTHING, which was made much less painful by having the dry signals to work with. 

[Downunderwonder]

Sounds like it glitches out with a limiter from time to time. Otherwise fine if it's what you want.

[krispn]

The clean track/dorty track is a standard and as others have said a clean DI track can alway be though if as a ‘safety track’ if things don’t work out/as a clean blend to ensure a strong low end without getting too muddy etc. lots of producers and artists like that clean solid low with the dirt being added to the higher frequencies doing that x-over type thing. The Darkglass X pedals use that principle clean compressed lows worh face melting dirty mids. 
 

See what features your daw has and if you can pull up an eq pelf the track play about with it, even on a clean bass, and hear what the main frequencies are doing in terms of punch, mud, woolly, bright, nasal, zing, air and all these other ‘eq’ descriptions. It’ll stand you in good stead for gigging and general sound management- say you’re gifs a doom and you get one of those eq anomalies you’re likey gonna be in a better position to problem solve and get a sound you like. 
 

It’s time well spent. “Produce like a Pro” on YouTube has some good videos on recording as do a heap of others. 
 

There’s a a school of thought about putting the track in as complete as possible or the old “fixing it in the box”  but it’s good to try both options if only to figure out which option is better for you. It’s good to make our own mistakes even if we’re told differently sometimes. 

Good luck and stick with it!