nickhuge Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Hey guys! I'm at the start of a 6 week recording with my bass parts going down next week. I'm a p-bass man through and through but the engineers and producer don't really like it. They want me to record half the album on a jazz bass and only use the p-bass on the heavier tracks. In some instances a different bass on the chorus to verse!? What are people's thoughts on this? I always thought a bass along with the drums should stay constant throughout to help define an albums sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I don't see anything wrong with changing basses if that suits the song - I do it often, fretted, fretless, upright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanovw Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I have used more than one bass on a single track in the past. That can be part of the luxury of the recording process. It all depens on what result is required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamPodmore Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 (edited) I haven't had the need to use more than one bass yet, but i've done the same live. If a certain bass sounds better for a certain song, then there's no harm in using it if you ask me. If it was suggested that i try my Jazz instead of my P for a song, then i'd try it. If it sounds better, it sounds better, if not, just go back to the P. Liam Edited May 9, 2012 by LiamPodmore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Use whatever sounds best for the song or track. On the Dick Venom EP I used one bass for 2 tracks and a different one for the third. I've used different basses on different parts of the same song in the past. IMO he sound of an album is defined by the songs and the people playing them, not the individual instruments used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeBrownBass Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Listen to the engineers & producer. They're there for this very reason. To guide you in decisions to get the best sound for a recording. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 dunno, if it's someone else's project then I'll play whatever is needed and yes, that can mean changing basses for sections of the same song. If it's my stuff though I want 'my sound' on each track, so there's a lot less changing - often just between fretted and fretless Jazz basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTaff Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I play difference basses on different songs because of the tuning, but they both sound and play pretty much the same, I'd definitely have an issue if somebody wanted me to play a difference bass, unless of course I was being paid to play on somebody else's album in which case I'd play whatever they want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Who's paying for the recording/engineer/producer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krysh Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 whatever suits the music best... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Yep, I used the Franken P/J, the Ray and the fretless Corvette on the album, whenever the engineer suggested it, on the basis that this is the guy's job, so he knows more about it than I do. Also, it's worth mentioning at this point that I was initially unhappy with some of the bass sounds as recorded (as I thought he'd messed with 'my sound'), but once the process was finished, I could hear the end result was what was needed for the track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linus27 Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Absolutely, change basses. It might not make a big difference but there is no harm and as others have said, it depends on what works best for the song. I usually have in my head what bass I would use for each song pre-recording anyway but listen to the producer for sure and also the engineer as they may be hearing something different or trying to create a certain result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I have used several basses on sessions (some times it was my choice and sometimes not) but usually just play the one. Although it has happened, I usually don't have producers trying to record me playing their sound. Then again I don't know your genre or sound, so things may be different outside my bubble. As a large percentage of popular music of the last 50 years seems to have been recorded on a Precision, maybe there's something about your sound or technique which is bugging them. Ask the producer why they want you to change. There are many stories of Producers turning up at a session with a bass and saying "use this". Gary Moore used to insist that his bass players only used a 62 Precision. George Martin made the Beatles use Clem Cattini on their first recording sessions because he didn’t rate poor old Pete Best. Do you want to make a stand? One line could be "who cares what you think, I'm the bass player", but maybe the producer has a point or maybe it's his limitation and he isn’t good enough to get a good sound out of a Precision. Who chose this guy in the first place? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I think I`d be tempted to record the line with both basses, then see what the band thought. After all, irrespective of how good the engineers/producer are, if you all don`t like it with their suggestion of the J, don`t go for it. Likewise, you may all think that the J is so much better, and be really grateful. But to me, hearing the difference between the two would be the most important bit. This way, the band make an informed decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I used 6 basses on our last recording sessions, 4 were different P-basses though (black nylon strings, flats etc). I used a Rickenbacker on one track & upright on the more rootsy stuff (that actually wound up being held back for the next record). I believe too that you should listen to the engineer as (s)he does know the studio best BUT also agree, yes, you are the paying customer. I'm afraid I'd only follow Lozz196's advice if you had no worry about the budget. Bass tends to have the least input on recordings (sadly with vocals ironically so often being overlooked too - on demos at least) so it's best to just know your chops and get the part down as quickly and as best you can. Quite often tones can be fixed in the mix more too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 (edited) A good producer will help you be at your most comfortable, and listen to where you sound best and should have a demeanour that helps you feel good about whatever you end up playing. You should be flexible and have no preconceived ideas, listen with open ears and go for what suits the track best. I'm recording (actually recorded rehearsals) here this week: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/175951-olympic-studios/"]http://basschat.co.u...lympic-studios/[/url] The producer is a legend!! Edited May 9, 2012 by jakenewmanbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickhuge Posted May 9, 2012 Author Share Posted May 9, 2012 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1336563531' post='1647482'] Who's paying for the recording/engineer/producer? [/quote] The label are mate Thanks for all your help guys, I'm going to put my trust in these guys and I'll let you know how it goes down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 To pick up on Burritos thread, of course budget comes into it, and my suggestion would only be to do this on one track - that way get a feel for if their idea works or not. I had an experience years ago with an engineer telling me he`d get me a "great bass sound". Well it may have been great to him, but it wasn`t to either me, or the band, and was to the detriment of the songs we recorded. And being back in the 80s, it wasn`t so easy to fix, so we had to lump it. As such, I would always recommend people have a certain amount of control over their sound, so as to avoid similar experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimskidog Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 As many say above, it's all about what works best for the song. Be open minded and listen, but if you don't like the outcome don't be scared to say so. However, if a label is paying then the producer is usually responsible for delivering a commercial release so the final call may well be his. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 If the label is paying then it's pretty much their call and hopefully they'll have picked a producer who they think is going to get the best out of you as a band. If when you've done some tracking with the J, you really don't feel that it's working then try and get them to track you playing the P too so you can compare and contrast. In the end what makes your playing personal is the feel and the note choices before the sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JellyKnees Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Why wouldn't you use more than one bass on an album? Joe Public isn't going to notice that the bass sounds inconsistent between tracks. If a particular bass sound suits a particular song, then use it. But I would want to have my say in the matter. If YOU don't like the bass sound, what's the point? But then I've never done that much professional studio recording... I prefer the DIY approach as I like to have CONTROL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 There has been another similar thread recently. What I would say is it depends entirely on what sort of sound you're going for. Sometimes you may need different sounds for different songs or even the same song. I have always found that I can get away with just using one bass per song. But that is just because I like to keep things simple as far as the bass sound goes. I may use different basses for different songs that are in different tunings but that is about it. There are no "rules" as regarding this matter though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 [quote name='JellyKnees' timestamp='1336600764' post='1648403'] If YOU don't like the bass sound, what's the point? [/quote] Maybe you get paid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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