lordfrog Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 I'm keen to add some bass tracks into my idea in Logic - but am unsure as tothe best way to record them Guitar (boo hiss) parts are easy as there is every amp/ config under the sun in Logic 9 and I just plug in with a phone to usb lead There are nowhere near as many bass parts to use though Is bass better recorded from a miked up amp? - or direct into a mixer or direct into Logic? Sounds a bit woody to me straight in but that could my set up? Any ideas/ suggestions apprecitated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimskidog Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 on most records you'll hear on the radio the bass was DI'd. Occasionally it was DI'd and mic'd (especially if the arrangement is a sparse one) but usually just DI'd. It will then often have been multed and processed. To get top sounds you'll need a top class DI (I have a Creation Audio MW1 for clean and an A Designs Reddi for tubey) but as long as your DI is a decent enough one (the BSS AR 133 is a great bang for buck) few people will be able to tell the difference in the mix. And yep, I'm a bass player too not just a cloth eared sound engineer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordfrog Posted August 22, 2011 Author Share Posted August 22, 2011 [quote name='Rimskidog' post='1347687' date='Aug 22 2011, 01:03 AM']on most records you'll hear on the radio the bass was DI'd. Occasionally it was DI'd and mic'd (especially if the arrangement is a sparse one) but usually just DI'd. It will then often have been multed and processed. To get top sounds you'll need a top class DI (I have a Creation Audio MW1 for clean and an A Designs Reddi for tubey) but as long as your DI is a decent enough one (the BSS AR 133 is a great bang for buck) few people will be able to tell the difference in the mix. And yep, I'm a bass player too not just a cloth eared sound engineer. [/quote] I've looked at the DI's you've suggested but how does that make a difference to the sound? As I said I currently connect to my Mac with a phono to USB, I don't have/ use a mixing desk at all - should I be? I'd still have to go from the DI box to the Mac with a phono USB surely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimskidog Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 (edited) [quote name='lordfrog' post='1347697' date='Aug 22 2011, 01:28 AM']I've looked at the DI's you've suggested but how does that make a difference to the sound? As I said I currently connect to my Mac with a phono to USB, I don't have/ use a mixing desk at all - should I be? I'd still have to go from the DI box to the Mac with a phono USB surely?[/quote] Your choice of signal chain will change the tone and depth of the sound entirely. A cheap DI can often sound thin and lifeless. DI's can differ in tone just as much as amps and speakers. Like choosing a microphone, an instrument or a tone setting it's a matter of choosing the one that's right for the job at hand. That said, I'm not suggesting for a minute you spend a grand on a DI. At the moment it sounds like your weakest link is your interface (sounds like you are using the onboard soundcard?). Don't bother with a mixing desk (most of the cheap ones sound pretty poor) but invest in a better interface and you'll probably find a world of difference right off the bat. All of this stuff of course comes down to budget. How much do you have to spend? Also be aware that this whole game needs a licence to print money. People spend hundreds of thousands chasing that extra few percent. Maybe ask yourself the question first whether it's worth it. Are you recording to release on an unsuspecting public or is it just for yourself? What is an improved recording worth to you in cash terms? I'm not saying don't do it, I'm just saying be clear on why you are doing it, what you want to achieve, and how much you are willing to spend to do it. Hope this rambling helps somehow. ;-) Edited August 22, 2011 by Rimskidog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordfrog Posted August 25, 2011 Author Share Posted August 25, 2011 I can understand how an interface would benefit me - I'm not looking to spend a huge amount of money - but again, I've got to plug the interface into my Mac in some way? - I use the onboard sound card plugged through monitor speakers It sounds OK to me - I'm not looking for high end studio quality sound, (I've looked at your rather impressive and no doubt hugely expensive studio build) - most people never listen to music on high end hifi equipment, so that doesn't concern me too much So back to my original question - how would I connect an interface? - is firewire best? - or is a firewire mixer the way to go? I'm no sound engineer/ producer wannabe, but I would like a clean(ish) sound! A lot of my recording is midi guitar/ bass - so no noise issues at all - but I do like a "live" guitar/ bass sound too! thanks for your replies btw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 [quote name='lordfrog' post='1351738' date='Aug 25 2011, 08:42 PM']I can understand how an interface would benefit me - I'm not looking to spend a huge amount of money - but again, I've got to plug the interface into my Mac in some way? - I use the onboard sound card plugged through monitor speakers It sounds OK to me - I'm not looking for high end studio quality sound, (I've looked at your rather impressive and no doubt hugely expensive studio build) - most people never listen to music on high end hifi equipment, so that doesn't concern me too much So back to my original question - how would I connect an interface? - is firewire best? - or is a firewire mixer the way to go? I'm no sound engineer/ producer wannabe, but I would like a clean(ish) sound! A lot of my recording is midi guitar/ bass - so no noise issues at all - but I do like a "live" guitar/ bass sound too! thanks for your replies btw[/quote] Depends on your Budget. I too just record Bass & Guitar as Audio - Or basically just one instrument at a time, and lots of Midi stuff. I have just upgraded to this [Link below] and it is excellent.Incredibly stable with ultra low latency and rock solid midi at both 64 & 32 bit. And quite a good pre-amp, and does sound nice. Plenty of great reviews about. [url="http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=1166"]Roland Quad Capture[/url] Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimskidog Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 (edited) [quote name='lordfrog' post='1351738' date='Aug 25 2011, 08:42 PM']I can understand how an interface would benefit me - I'm not looking to spend a huge amount of money - but again, I've got to plug the interface into my Mac in some way? - I use the onboard sound card plugged through monitor speakers It sounds OK to me - I'm not looking for high end studio quality sound, (I've looked at your rather impressive and no doubt hugely expensive studio build) - most people never listen to music on high end hifi equipment, so that doesn't concern me too much So back to my original question - how would I connect an interface? - is firewire best? - or is a firewire mixer the way to go? I'm no sound engineer/ producer wannabe, but I would like a clean(ish) sound! A lot of my recording is midi guitar/ bass - so no noise issues at all - but I do like a "live" guitar/ bass sound too! thanks for your replies btw[/quote] A firewire interface would be just fine for you. There are lots on the market which are pretty inexpensive nowadays. You need to decide how many inputs and outputs you need and choose from there. If you only need one or two inputs and have a mac the Apogee duet and solo are great quality little devices. If you need more i/o the focusrite range is very popular. You will hear a large step up from your onboard soundcard. Guaranteed. I wouldnt go for a firewire mixer. You would largely be paying for features you didnt need and inevitably a longer signal path at this level will degrade the sound. Good luck! Edited August 25, 2011 by Rimskidog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 It sounds like you have one of those jack to USB leads for recording your guitars, and that's working fine. This is a kind of interface isn't it? If you have a pedal just to raise up the level a bit and then add some EQ in your DAW it should be fine. I used to record everything through my 4 track as a pre straight into the on-board line-in on my PC. It was a little noisey but perfect for demos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mornats Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 I have a Guitar Rig Session interface that allows me to plug in my bass (plus it has another input for guitar/bass and a mic input) and that works in GarageBand and Reaper just fine without lag. It's only USB but as I said, no lag It was only £80 inc. Guitar Rig 4LE software so was an absolute bargain. Sadly, it's discontinued but there are others out there at this price point. But like you say, there are a lot of guitar amps and settings but only 1 bass amp/cab combination in Guitar Rig which sucks. Check out the Ampeg SVX plugin though as it offers loads of Ampeg amp sounds. I tried the demo and it sounded way better than the settings in Guitar Rig. I used it to find a nice sound then just tried to match the dials in Guitar Rig up to the ones in Ampeg and I got a similar sound. The good news about the Ampeg stuff is that you can buy it on a module by module basis so you could just go for a few heads and cabs (the BA-115 sounds sweet). Having said that, my Bass Collections sound pretty damn good without any amp attached (i.e. straight into Garageband without going through any amp emulation). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordfrog Posted August 27, 2011 Author Share Posted August 27, 2011 I like the look of the Apogee One - just have to save/ sell something else to pay for it! thanks for all your assistance everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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