Recording Bass Question

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Thanks for the advice guys. The Firepod does have an instrument input,
yes. One of my concerns was that it's not a bass preamp, which
presumably will do a better job for DI tracking. By sending it through
a bass amp or bass preamp at a later date it may make up for some
lacking characteristics. That was my hope and seems to be the
consensus here. I'm a newbie at bass tracking, so thought I'd double
check and make sure.

Thanks.
Hibes

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Hibes" <peter@worldbreak.com> wrote in message
news:1117322549.992864.81750@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>I have access to a new Fender jazz bass and would really like to start
> tracking some songs with it, but I likely won't have a bass amp or
> preamp for several months. My thought was to record directly into my
> Presonus Firepod onto a Cubase SX2 track. Then in a few months when I
> get my hands on a bass amp, play my recorded track out the "preamp out"
> on the Firepod, into the bass amp, which I'll mic back into a seperate
> Cubase track. Then mix the 2 recorded tracks together on playback.
>
> My question is, will this work nicely or will it noticebly degrade the
> overall bass sound? Do you guys advise waiting for an amp?
>
> Thanks very much.
> Hibes
>

Try it and see.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

it's a very common productiion technique to lay the bass track down dry with
Direct Injection. in post, you can then simply run its output through
whatever efx you want, be it a vintage bassman or the newest digital/tube
hybrid gizmo and Over Dose it.

just gotta watch (with your ears) the phase relationship between the the DI
track (if you use it) and the efx track when you're mixing as there is going
to be some delay between the 2.

but phase shifting is cool. slip one of the tracks back or forth a few
milisecs in your DAW until it looks (to your ears) good. nothing to be
afraid of. in fact, it's fun to play. that's the whole point of working.

i play lots of instruments. but my studio is my favorite.

hope my 2 cents helps.

cheers.

/ba

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In article <1117344178.098520.97190@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> peter@worldbreak.com writes:

> Thanks for the advice guys. The Firepod does have an instrument input,
> yes. One of my concerns was that it's not a bass preamp, which
> presumably will do a better job for DI tracking.

A "bass preamp" (or any "instrument" preamp for that matter) usually
has many of the controls of an instrument amplifier, typically input
gain, output level, and tone controls of some sort, maybe even some
effects. A DI, or instrument input on a mic preamp, just sends the
pickup signal with as little damage as possible to the recorder. This
may not be what you really want to hear, though on bass it often works
when you use your normal mixing tools. And sometimes it doesn't.

--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

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"Hibes" <peter@worldbreak.com> wrote in message
news:1117322549.992864.81750@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>I have access to a new Fender jazz bass and would really like to start
> tracking some songs with it, but I likely won't have a bass amp or
> preamp for several months. My thought was to record directly into my
> Presonus Firepod onto a Cubase SX2 track. Then in a few months when I
> get my hands on a bass amp, play my recorded track out the "preamp out"
> on the Firepod, into the bass amp, which I'll mic back into a seperate
> Cubase track. Then mix the 2 recorded tracks together on playback.
>
> My question is, will this work nicely or will it noticebly degrade the
> overall bass sound? Do you guys advise waiting for an amp?

I often track bass DI and mic-via-amp/cab. More often than not I end up
using the DI track only, effecting that in my DAW to the desired sound. So
don't fret (pun intended) over not using an amp.

I assume that the Firepod has a high impdence instrument input ? If not you
will need a DI box .


geoff

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Great! Thanks for that boat load of information. That'll help
greatly.

Much appreciated.
Hibes

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Hibes" <peter@worldbreak.com> wrote in message
news:1117480090.447866.223890@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Great! Thanks for that boat load of information. That'll help
> greatly.
>
Just be aware that some of the information is flat out wrong (based on my 30
years of playing bass and 25 years, more or less, of playing and recording
basses in a studio environment. And you may have noticed that quite a bit of
the information doesn't have anything to do either with the actual process
of recording a bass or with your original question.

But that's what makes Usenet interesting.

--
Dave Martin
DMA, Inc
Nashville, TN

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Do any of you guys like the Bass POD for recording? One guy I know
swears by it, but seems too easy to be true.

Hibes

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Hibes wrote:
> Do any of you guys like the Bass POD for recording? One guy I know
> swears by it, but seems too easy to be true.
>
> Hibes
>

Okay, Bass Pod (Pod XT, Pro and Pro XT) as recording device...

It works fantastically because it is quite versatile. You can tweak it until you have the sound you
want and then print it right to a track. No "re-amping" required.

I use the Line 6 stuff alot in the studio because it does what you want and need it to do (the
guitars are another story). You don't have to haul around heavy gear and you can achieve feedback if
you need it and you can sound like a wall of SVT's or whatever amp you're fond of using that is
included on the unit.

You should have no reservations about using the Pod stuff at all.

Is it as good as the "real" thing? Well, duh, no. But absent the funds to buy the vintage gear, this
is about as close as you can come. Besides, why spend ten grand on that vintage JTM45 when the same
money will buy you quite a lot of studio toys to add to your rig??

--fletch

P.S.: I am in no way affiliated with Line 6; all opinions are my own, based on real world experience
using the equipment in question.

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"Hibes" <peter@worldbreak.com> wrote in message
news:1117597759.859624.128130@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> Do any of you guys like the Bass POD for recording? One guy I know
> swears by it, but seems too easy to be true.
>
> Hibes
>

No, I don't like the Bass Pod for recording. I've tried them in the past,
and have problems getting it to sound like a bass. I a whole lot happier
using a DI (An Evil Twin, an A Designs REDDI, a Valvotronics DI, or the
jacks on the front of a Great River NV) than the Pod. If I want the sound of
my bass through an amp, I'll plug it into an Ampeg B15 and put a mic on the
amp.



--
Dave Martin
Java Jive Studio
Nashville, TN
www.javajivestudio.com

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As far as rerecording is concerned, one important question is the
quality of your converters. I used to have some adequate, but not great
converters. They were fine for tracking, but no matter what I did when
rerecording, the two additional converstions killed the sound.

There are so many ways to get a bass soudn that's better than the pod,
that I'd stay away from it if possible.

I just did an album with Will Lee and he brought the Radial Bassbone an
we ran it infront of my usual bass path. I thought it sounded pretty
good and it was nice to have a set up where he could make little tweaks
as he changed basses from song to song.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

THe PDF on Bass is just a basic starting point. As Dave states there
are many other options
that are right/wrong. but the most important thing is to discover a
method of getting a great sound.
Things like gauge and half-cycle distortion are basic facts that many
players agree on.
all the best
kevin

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Ampeg B-15 is the tool...
Either DI it or Mic. up the speaker, always sounds great.
Good for putting the drums through too... and vocals.