Fretless in metal, string choice

[Igor Samurovic]

So uh, I want to put new strings on my fretless and use it to record metal. It has this incredibly middy sound that eats the whole mix which is great, I can really use subtractive EQ to slice away anything I don't want/like or isn't usefull, while not boosting anything, there it's a killer.

However, that's what a set of two year old stock rounds sound here. The bass has incredible punch that works really well with mutes, and when using a pick, it has this very retro bass guitar attack.

It works, and it sounds like some fretless metal records, minus the clack up there. But I have come to think that it's the lack of this 'clack' that makes it sound somewhat lifeless in the mix, while it sounds nice on its own.

So, if anybody has had an experience of tracking fretless for metal, what strings are advised and is it possible to find a set of strings (flatwound or otherwise) that'd clack for a long after strings could be considered dead (by roundwound means, obviously, since one could argue there's no such thing as a 'dead flat set' )?

 

[MIAnn]

i like nickel rounds on my fretless jazz but rarely use it in a metal context.. you could always epoxy your fingerboard and just use pro steels

 

[Konjurer]

I play a 5 stringed fretless bass and just ordered Ernie Ball Cobalt strings. I've read some reviews on the internet.
In short they seem to have more output, more clarity, better mids and they last a bit longer. Which, in my ears, sound like great strings for a fretless bass or any bass .
They are however quite expensive, 60 euros a pack
Also cobalt is a hard material, so you'll need some strong wood

 

[Konjurer]

I'll try to post more about them when I've used them a bit

 

[Igor Samurovic]

I have epoxy-ed rosewood here, this is a converted bass D: So it really seems I'll put some chromes onto this bass. Does anybody know how long their clarity or whatever lasts? I am not sure if I could even get cobalts around here