Recording tapped sections

[Geoff]

Im recording with my band in just over a week and have to record a tapped section in one of the songs. Whenever I play it though, the bass just seems to drop out of the mix and wondered if anyone had any tips to keep the bass presence there whilst doing that section. Should I play a bassline following the chords and then record the tapped section over that or are there any effects tools I can use to keep the sound beefed up?

Im using a Sandberg JM4 through my EBS TD650, so can get a range of tones out of it. I just want to be prepared before I go in so im not wasting time.

[Guest]

Does your amp have a compressor built in? As a compressor should sort it out?

[Geoff]

It does do yeah, but I havent noticed that much difference using it. Saying that I have to use that shoddy cab in the practise rooms so that probably negates anything I do with my amp. I'll try through my cab at home.

[jonny-lad]

[quote name='Geoff' post='608618' date='Sep 25 2009, 01:32 PM']Should I play a bassline following the chords and then record the tapped section over that?[/quote]
This could be a good way to go. It's amazing how much different recording is to playing live - often things can sound great live, but then kind of weak and maybe a bit pathetic when recorded. IME, overdubbing parts like this is quite common when recording. For an example, Jaco Pastorius overdubs some parts on Joni Mitchell's Hejira.

Compression could be useful to keep dynamics even, but I'd think it may be quite intrusive if you had to use loads to bring the volume of the tapping up a lot.

[Golchen]

I'd go for the record separately route, then figure out how to get it better live afterwards. A recording is forever so it needs to sound right.

[shiekaa]

strange and logical suggestion, but doing the old hairband round the neck trick is usually a great noise muter and can make your tapping much clearer, again overdubbing but thats all i can suggest!

[Geoff]

Yeah I think i'll have to go down the overdubbing route. I ramped up the compression on the amp, but like jonny-lad said, it was quite intrusive. Ive been playing this song live for over a year now, so im going to be interested to hear how these parts sound properly in the mix. Recording is always the time when you realise youve been playing something glaringly cack for the last couple of years haha

[51m0n]

IMO & IME no amp one knob compressor is going to help you in this one.

Generally speaking amp compressors tend to be very obvious, they need to appear to do something to sell the feature in the shop!

What you need is a comp set up to gently compress almost always (lowish ratio, low threshold), a good 20 to 40 ms attack to let the tap articulation through and the shortest release you can use without artifacts so that each subsequent tap retriggers the comp, with the subsequent attack delay. You may need a limiter afterward to curb the most violent peaks though. This will not sound obviously compressed, but it will really even things out. You better have really clean technique though, or you will bring the noise/crud up too loud.

Setting this up for tracking is extremely hard to do. You are best off setting it up at mix down for that one part (which would need to be overdubbed on a seperate channel ideally)

Live I use a more forgiving comp setting (higher threshold, lower ratio) and never struggle to be honest. This is partly to do with the way the Roscoe produces rdiculously loud taps (louder than anything else I've ever played) and I have no idea why!