Massive bass distortion comparison, can YOU help?

[Trevoire520]

Hey guys, had this idea the other day and thought I'd test the water and see if anyone would be up for it.

Basically I want to record a bass DI track and get a whole bunch of people to run it through different distortion units so we can have a big comparison. I'm sure between everyone on here there must be alot of different hardware available, and it would make a great reference for everyone on here.

So basically we need:

Someone with a decent bass and signal chain to record a clean DI track. (would the forum have a preference on a certain bass to be used?)

A fairly standard song to play (should we use something that we have a mixed backing track for so we can reference these tones in a mix?)

A bunch of volunteers to reamp this bass track through their own kit. (We also need a way to decide on what settings to use, should we just do it with everything at 12 o clock? Or should each person set the pedal how they think it sounds best?)

Let me know your thoughts guys, I think this could be really cool.

EDIT:
Glad to see so many people liking the idea, should be getting the ball rolling on this after the weekend. Here's a list of what we've got coming in so far:

Basses
Trevoire520 - Fender Mexican P (with SD 1/4 Pounders)
C-Martin - Fender Mexican Jazz Deluxe (Active) & Squier Vintage Modified Jazz & Lackland Jazz
StefTD - Music Man Sub
Rex Rocker - LTD F-205
Tempe - Fender American Jazz & Modulus VJ4
Ermz - Spector
Fenixdoido - Rickenbacker 4003
Mago - Yamaha TRB

Pedals
Trevoire520 - Ibanez TS7
heshian46 - Big Muff Pi & Ibanez TS9
C-Martin - Sansamp VT Bass & RBI & Various guitar distortions
Rex Rocker - MXR M80
Jaymz - Darkglass B7K
Mago - Sansamp Bass Driver DI

For recording the DI's we're just looking for a nice clean signal chain. The more transparent the better but something like a in built DI on a M Audio Profire or Focusrite Saffire should still be ok. Obviously I don't expect everyone to be slapping on brand new strings just for this but as long as they're not ancient it should be ok.

Those reamping through their pedals we're looking for 2 clips. One with all knobs at noon, and one at whatever you think are the optimum settings for your pedal. I'll figure out a common RMS level for all DI's and reamps to be normalised to so that the loudness for all clips are roughly the same.

If you have a bass/pedal you'd like to record for the test please let us know and I'll add you to the list.

 

[nezvers]

Yeah this idea is grate!
I don't think we should be picky about bass guitar and take best possible.
Also I think each person use his preferred setting so you hear best sound, so you hear gear from best side.

 

[StefTD]

I think two or three different DIs would be best, like a Jazz Bass, a Stingray and a 5 stringed Spector
or something like that, nice idea, I may be able to record a DI with my Music Man Sub 4.

 

[Trevoire520]

Yeah maybe a couple of standard basses would be a good idea too, I've got a Fender P Bass with a duncan pickup in it.

P Bass
Jazz Bass
Stingray
Spector/similar (something with soapbars)

Covers most of the standard bass/pickup types.

 

[heshian46]

I have a Big Muff Pi and a TS9 I could run the DI's through.

I think it would be a good idea to offer up 2 processed signals. The first one should be a "control" signal for comparison with everything at 12 o'clock. This way we could hear the raw basic tone of the distortion unit. And then another one set to what we think sounds best (as most signals [epecially distortion signals] sound like garbage before a little massaging).

What do you think?

 

[Trevoire520]

Sounds like a plan dude!

I can definitely get hold of the 3 channel programmable Sansamp Bass Driver, possibly a Hartke Bass Attack aswell.

 

[StefTD]

I would choose a pretty simple bassline that everyone could play, maybe one slower and one faster riff or something
like that, but nothing like necrophagist - maybe I could get hold of the Spector bass of our bassplayer and record
a di with that, too.

 

[heshian46]

I would choose a pretty simple bassline that everyone could play, maybe one slower and one faster riff or something
like that, but nothing like necrophagist - maybe I could get hold of the Spector bass of our bassplayer and record
a di with that, too.

We should also specify the style of playing. Or maybe we want a couple different styles. Finger, picked, slap, etc.

 

[C-Martin]

I'm up for this, not sure if any of this would be of interest but here's what i have available that's bass related:

Basses:
Squier Vintage modified Jazz Bass (Stock Passive's)
Fender Mexican Jazz Bass Deluxe (Active Pickups)
Lackland Jazz Style Bass (Passive)

Hardware:
Line 6 POD HD Pro (Dunno if it's of any interest but there's a Ampeg Emulation in there)
Ampeg SVT-6 Pro with matching 4x10
Tech 21 Sans Amp VT Bass
Tons of guitar distortion boxes (Boss MT-2, MXR Dist., DOD 250, TS 808, etc)

DI/Preamp:
Countryman Type 10
Little Labs Redeye
Chandler Germanium
Standard DI from my Liquid Saffire or OctoPre

Converters:
RME ADI-8 AE

I'm no bassist but i do know how to play most songs on the Lamb of God album Sacrament and i have all backing tracks of that album and Wrath as well. I was thinking they could work since it's already pre-mixed stuff that people would already be familiar with? Something like Descending shouldn't be too hard to play for most IMO.

 

[StefTD]

really digging the idea of pick, slap and finger playing, I suck at slapping and this wouldn't work
with the part of using a song but I still like it

 

[Trevoire520]

I think just playing something with a pick would really be the best option, helps to keep things consistent.

 

[StefTD]

Than I would vote for an easy riff, medium hard hitting (too bad many bass players hit the strings
to soft, but that way it would be a normal situation) I actually have no clue about what songs
would be ok, I always play my own stuff and almost never learn songs from someone else

 

[Rex Rocker]

I've got an MXR M80. I haven't got a reamp box, but I've got a Radial ProDI. Maybe I can run that in reverse?

I've got an LTD F-205 bass with passive EMG's... maybe I can help too?

Either way, yeah... there NEEDS to be DI's to both a Jazz bass and something with active EMG humbuckers. That's what this both tends to prefer mostly, right?

 

[Michiel]

Definitely up for this! Just a reamp? or can we process as well?

 

[Trevoire520]

For the sake of comparison I say it would be better to just reamp, we'll have a bit stash of files at the end and people will be able to mess about and process stuff themselves.

 

[Jaymz]

I got a Darkglass B7K that could be used.

 

[Teddyboy]

What you think of Darkglass so far?

 

[Jaymz]

What you think of Darkglass so far?

Fantastic. Used it on everything ive done since ive gotten it.

 

[C-Martin]

Just scored a Sans Amp RBI on ebay for cheap so i got that to add to the list.

 

[tempe]

I'm a fairly competent bass player and have a range of stuff to run it through. Could play the song / riff with fingers / pick and slapped as well if necessary.

Basses available are;
Modulus VJ4 (like a jazz bass on crack)
Fender American Jazz, 50th Anniversary.