Low End Bee Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 (edited) At the level check [u]every[/u] time I record ... [i]"The bass isn't sounding very clean"[/i] "Yeah. That's right" [i]"Do you really want it like that?"[/i] "Yep" [i]"Really? It's quite dirty sounding?"[/i] "Absolutely" [i]"OK. If you're sure..."[/i] Anybody else get this or is it just me? Edited August 16, 2011 by Low End Bee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 (edited) Yep, very common. Though to be fair, I went through the opposite when recording a few bands "That'd sound great dirtied up a bit" [i]"The bass?"[/i] "Yeah" [i]"Overdriven, you mean?"[/i] "Yeah" [i] "Really? Are you sure?"[/i] Edited August 16, 2011 by Doctor J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudewheresmybass Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 (edited) It seems to be very common, especially whenever I sound check with someone other than my 'tame' soundman. The assumption of soundmen seems to be that the bass player will play only with a clean sound With each of my bands I have normally at least two drive sounds and possibly chorus and filters or octave These days if I have a soundman I'm not used to, I'll just give them my core sound and then add the other stuff when required. I always ensure my relative levels are sorted before the line/ sound check begins Edited August 16, 2011 by dudewheresmybass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 It does also happen a lot at gigs where I'm DI'd too. It always makes me want to turn the gain up even more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I'm not sure what their issue with it is. Personally i love a bit of dirt in the sound, and from a production point of view, it really does a good job of flattening out the dynamics which is quite helpful with loud, heavy music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I am currently reading 'The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions' by Mark Lewisohn. Basically its a day to day diary of their sessions at Abbey Road studios back in the '60,s. There is an entry from the White Album sessions where they are recording a track called 'Savoy Truffle' And they recorded a powerful brass section for it, and then they distorted it. The engineers where horrified! - nothing like that had ever been done before, but its what The Beatles wanted!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bremen Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 [quote name='Hobbayne' post='1341707' date='Aug 16 2011, 11:43 AM']I am currently reading 'The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions' by Mark Lewisohn. Basically its a day to day diary of their sessions at Abbey Road studios back in the '60,s. There is an entry from the White Album sessions where they are recording a track called 'Savoy Truffle' And they recorded a powerful brass section for it, and then they distorted it. The engineers where horrified! - nothing like that had ever been done before, but its what The Beatles wanted!![/quote] Nothing is more blasphemous than a properly played distorted guitar. It is capable of making blasphemous noises, and that's what first attracted me - F. Zappa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Vincent Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 From an engineers point of view,players wanting a deliberately distorted Bass are definately a minority.And I'll always ask if it's required,rather than their speakers are about to blow up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 [quote name='Spike Vincent' post='1341739' date='Aug 16 2011, 12:04 PM']From an engineers point of view,players wanting a deliberately distorted Bass are definately a minority.And I'll always ask if it's required,rather than their speakers are about to blow up.[/quote] Fair point. It's the [i]way [/i]some of them ask. Current bloke is fine and buys into sonic mayhem without batting an eyelid. He only asks for the reason you outlined. Blimey. I'm a minority. Do I get a grant or something? Or do I just get scapegoated in the Daily Mail? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveK Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 [quote name='Low End Bee' post='1341568' date='Aug 16 2011, 10:08 AM']At the level check [u]every[/u] time I record ... [i]"The bass isn't sounding very clean"[/i] "Yeah. That's right" [i]"Do you really want it like that?"[/i] "Yep" [i]"Really? It's quite dirty sounding?"[/i] "Absolutely" [i]"OK. If you're sure..."[/i] [b]Anybody else get this or is it just me?[/b][/quote] All perfectly reasonable! Can't see any problem with that conversation at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 [quote name='Low End Bee' post='1341761' date='Aug 16 2011, 12:19 PM']Blimey. I'm a minority. Do I get a grant or something? Or do I just get scapegoated in the Daily Mail?[/quote] Maybe we could apply for some kind of government grant to enable the promotion of our unique culture and arts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 [quote name='SteveK' post='1341763' date='Aug 16 2011, 12:20 PM']All perfectly reasonable! Can't see any problem with that conversation at all.[/quote] Agreed. I'm not having a dig at anyone that's been on the other side of a desk to me. I was giving you the condensed version of some of the conversations I've had in the past although everyone's been happy at the end of a session/gig and I accept I have a minority preference for my bass sound. I'm sure in defence they have had their fair share of young chaps with horrible fizzy distorted sounds who are convinced it will sound brilliant in the mix and then complain about how rubbish it sounds when they hear it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 While distorted bass might not be to the majority taste, I don't think that you are wrong in questioning the engineer's attitude. Wearing my producer engineer's hat I would get the bassist to set up how they want the bass to sound and then spend some time in the live room listening to the speakers in the rig to decide which one to mic up. I would only question the sound at this point if the DI from the amp was significantly different to the sound coming from the cab(s). After that I'd record a practice take the so the band can hear what they sound like. At that point again I'd only question an overdriven sound if I thought it was compromising the overall bottom end of the band sound. Also I'd be recording DI direct from the bass, DI from the amp and at least one close mic on the cab, so if on reflection the band weren't happy with the overall sound we could go back and re-amp the bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 [quote name='SteveK' post='1341763' date='Aug 16 2011, 12:20 PM']All perfectly reasonable! Can't see any problem with that conversation at all.[/quote] I can. How many times do you have to tell someone that's how you want it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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