String change for recording?

[chud]

When is the best time to change strings before recording? I thought if you changed them on the day of recording you would have problems with them going out of tune and they would be to "metally" sounding, same with changing them a few days before. Would it be correct in changing them say a week in advance, giving you time to break them in whilst also maintaing the clarity you get from new strings.

What method do you use?

[Mog]

Day before for me. A good stretch or two and they should be fine. If there is slippage then they aint on right. If you dont want a fresh string sound change earlier, simples!

[JTUK]

sure..what sound do you go for..?

As a general rule I like clean strings as it is easier to add bass than to try and get rid of thud which old strings can be famous for.

If you like a cleaner sound, then a couple of days prior to an important session should do. That way, if they are recleaned strings, you should be able to hear and feel any potential problems like tuning or dead spots etc.

[Dirty Soul]

I agree with Mog, day or evening before and a couple of hours playing (with clean hands!) to break them in. Although the last session I did, the strings were over a month old still sounded good but not too bright. If the strings are over 2 months old, I use a fresh set.

[chris_b]

New strings or old, a decent engineer can make any bass sound good.

[cheddatom]

I can change strings on the day as long as I stretch them, the same as for a guitar.

[51m0n]

[quote name='chris_b' post='819444' date='Apr 26 2010, 02:43 PM']New strings or old, a decent engineer can make any bass sound good.[/quote]

Completely disagree.

Old strings can never sound like new strings. They lose a lot of their harmonic content, so they get progressively darker.

On the other hand you can eq out overbright strings relatively easily.

In other words I can make new strings sound lovely and dark and full if you want (albeit with a bit of grind, which is almost always perceived as a very good thing), or even dead as a doornail with some creative compression and eq. But I cannot go the other way, I cannot impart a bucket load of harmonic content into a bunch of knackered old strings, boosting treble doesnt do it, you cannot boost what is not there to begin with, you just boost hiss.

Doesnt mean you wont like the results, doesnt mean that in some contexts I cant get a good sound, but it does mean that you cannot always get a suitable sound with dead strings. You can with new strings (IMO).

Personally I find that a properly changed set of brand new strings dont slip out of tune at all (its all in the stretching, kids), so I have been known to slap a set on and tune them up ten minutes before a session, then warm up for ten minutes, then record. Never ever had a problem with excessive string noise, or out of tuneness or 'metallic' sounding strings either. Mind you I love to have loads of harmonic content, it makes mixing bass far far easier IME.

[tom5string]

[quote name='chud' post='819092' date='Apr 26 2010, 12:28 PM']What method do you use?[/quote]

Change strings the day before and give them a fair 10 minutes of heavy slapping to "egalise the tension", well to prevent from detuning.
And - I never record with old strings, as "51m0n" already said, you can always take things from the sound but never add what's not in it.

Tom

[Mog]

[quote name='chris_b' post='819444' date='Apr 26 2010, 02:43 PM']New strings or old, a decent engineer can make any bass sound good.[/quote]
(probably a sound engineer)
Nobody tells me how my bass is going to/should sound. I have a tone which I like and the only time I change it is if the guitar sound is total pants. That goes for live and studio work.

[51m0n]

[quote name='Mog' post='820854' date='Apr 27 2010, 05:01 PM'] [b](probably a sound engineer[/b])
Nobody tells me how my bass is going to/should sound. I have a tone which I like and the only time I change it is if the guitar sound is total pants. That goes for live and studio work.[/quote]

Not a chance.

Every decent sound engineer I know (and me) would rather have new strings on a bass to record unless they know in advance that you are specifically trying to go for a really old school Motown sound, and the supporting instrumentation matches that vintage era too. For modern pop, funk, fusion and even most modern jazz, country, ska, whatever it is, newer strings sound better in a mix, and can be taken to more places in a mix (ie you have more options with the result).

[Rimskidog]

[quote name='chris_b' post='819444' date='Apr 26 2010, 02:43 PM']New strings or old, a decent engineer can make any bass sound good.[/quote]

That may be right in theory but what 'sounds good' is a very subjective matter. What sounds good to me as an engineer might not sound good to you. I tend to try and live by the old adage of quality in = quality out or in other words 'capture the sound you want going in and you won't be in turd polishing territory with the final product'. But what do I know...

and for the OP, depends on the sound you want. My ethic agrees with everyone else above overlaid with the above adage.

Edited April 27, 2010 by Rimskidog