How to achieve that super clanky bass tone?!

[bryan_kilco]

Title says it all. I've gotten sort of close, but nowhere near what I'm trying to achieve.

Something like this:



New strings, picking hard, duplicate bass track and make a "dirty" track with the high end? What else!?! Surely there has to be some post process going on here.

I'd die happy if I could achieve something like this.

 

[tomas_almeida]

A big boost between 1kHz and 2kHz and having guitars and drums scooped as all fuck, specially in that region.

 

[Sloan]

Brand new strings and using a pick!

 

[He's Dead, Jim]

That actually sounds really muddy and gross hahah, but yeah all those things. Some people flipped out when I said this in another thread, but if you're using a DI and splitting the tracks, try inverting the phase of one of them, since I've found it can help with the note definition. I also EQ before, not after, any amp sim on the mids/clank track, so that the sim only processes exactly what I want to hear.

 

[jackobme]

Send one track through a guitar amp (real or sim). Also mess with overdrives on both.

 

[texisthebest]

What about the cabs? Do you use any cabs? Maybe some guitar cabs or bass cabs with the bass?
I have found that sometimes only with EQ and distorsion you get a nice tone without cabs in the bass tones.

 

[neptunian]

Split the track. Send one through bassdriver with mild overdrive for the lows and low mids.

Other one, hi-pass around 400-700Hz then into hi-gain guitar amp or sim with suitable cab/IR.

EQ and comp/limit each one and blend to taste.

 

[topsoul182]

Definitely sounds like a bass with humbuckers. Doesnt sound like the typical jazz/pbass

 

[AntonioPetrole]

Fresh Pro Steels and an RBI (sometimes with a TS before) is clank city

 

[xFkx]

yeah, sounds like a sansamp

 

[Ermz]

The character of the tone comes from the source. If you're not hearing the potential at the DI level, you're just never going to get it. 90% of it comes directly from what you're playing, and how you're playing it. As said before: fresh steel strings, humbuckers, pick, aggressive playing. The next most important part is shaping the distortion correctly. You generally want something which excels at moderate drive like a Sansamp unit (maybe even something more aggressive like a B7K). The clip you posted actually has very dull bass clank, which means it's either been shaped with a speaker or low-passed aggressively in the mix, or a combination of both.

Another thing you may not think about often is finding out where the bass clank is dominant and finding a way to remove obstruction there from the rest of the mix - namely the rhythm guitars (ie. 'the bane of all clarity').

The dominant part of the spectrum for tones like this tends to be around 2kHz. That does NOT mean you necessarily have to boost there with anything. Just be mindful of where the meat is at, and clear out the junk around it.

 

[Sloan]

rhythm guitars (ie. 'the bane of all clarity').

amen.

 

[DullElysium]

I was going to say try the TSE b.o.d and noticed someone already mentioned sans amp.

 

[Clockwork]

Fresh Pro Steels and an RBI (sometimes with a TS before) is clank city

This. Fresh strings and RBI on one track and I usually do a ts or proco on a second track and mix it to taste. RBI is king of klank though.

 

[newamerikangospel]

To follow up on ermz, setup plays a big part. More Loose, small gauge strings will sound different than higher tension, bigger gauge strings. String rattled/fret buzz can also help a bass cut through, but can also neuter the body of the tone. The bass DI will lay the foundation of you what you can do in the mix.

 

[Mago]

Everything has been said...you might also wan't to consider the thickness of the pick though, srsly.
(although angle/where the player picks matters more, but still)

If you're not having the choice but are given the DI...I'd try the Sansamp plugin of PT, and as Ermz said, around 2k is where that kind of presence sits

 

[Uros]

Right at the source
http://www.talkbass.com/threads/dem...ke-fingerstyle-playing-heard-in-metal.378173/

 

[shaggysi0]

+1 on the source. I bought prosteels for my Peavey and love how it sounds. I find it really easy to get heavy clanky tones from it.

 

[bryan_kilco]

Slight necrobump.

So I've tried pretty much everything mentioned. I think my problem lies in the duplicate (high) track. I can never seem to get the distortion right. It's either too much or too little, and never want's to blend nicely with the clean/DI track. Though what I've gathered from Ermz's book, I think with some patience and practice, I can get at least somewhat closer to what I'm looking for.

 

[Studdy]

I think that the ticket is the right instrument with new/the right strings, and proper technique to start with, then the "distortion/hi track" will sound more pleasing and it will resist the urge to want to "hide" it.