Recommendations on recording bass?

[Rex Rocker]

Hey!

I'm kinda having trouble recording my bass as of late... I use my POD but I don't have the Bass expansion pack. I've tried compression, EQ, and a lot of stuff, but nothing quite gets me what I want. I love the bass tone of Rex Brown from Pantera on I Can't Hide, so I'd like to get as close to that as possible, but at this poing, I'm just desperately seeking anything that works!

This is how my bass patch is at the moment:

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6656947

Notice how the low end gets out of control pretty easily! I have the low-end boosted like A LOT on my POD patch, but if don't have it that way, It doesn't really do it's job of filling up the mix.

Any recommendations? Perhaps I should try a free bass plug-in instead of my POD or something? Or Perhaps I should just save up for the bass pack?

Thanks!

Oh... BTW, I do have the MS pack, and I've read the Big Bottom gives you a pretty decent tone for bass... any input on that? I don't usually like distorted bass tones, but at this point I just want something that works...

 

[JBroll]

Erm, have a RAT handy? That, through an impulse (and you can also blend the 'dry' tone for more grit), should be great for anything.

Jeff

 

[Rex Rocker]

what's a RAT? like a ProCo Rat?... I kinda don't, but I have the RAT model on my POD...

 

[Zombietakeover]

yeh thats what he means

 

[Sloan]

I almost always do this:
BASS DI> EQ> COMPRESS > LIMIT

 

[Tommy Gun]

Yeah, track a straight Clean DI and a "RAT"-style grit on 2 separate tracks at once. Then blend. You want to roll-off almost All the high end and alot of mids on the Clean DI track, and just use it for that nice punchy low end. Then just boost some high mids in your "Gritty" track so it helps give you a nice growl. then find a happy balance between the 2. And if you want a Rex Brown tone, it's going to need to be fairly loud in the mix, so you don't loose any of the fundamental.

BTW... Rex has tracked a TON of his parts with the MXR M-80. So has Trujillo and a few others. Never a bad idea to own one of those bad boys, or a SansAmp Bass Driver DI.

 

[whitedamp]

If you upgraded your firmware you should have the Bass Driver stompbox, which is the Sansamp BDDI model. Try it.

 

[Rex Rocker]

thanks for the recommendations, dudes! gonna give it a try right now...

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

My recommendation (no model packs needed, unless the POD doesn't come with this model, this is a toneport UX2)

 

[Rex Rocker]

It doesn't come with that model, indeed... I'm dying for the Bass Pack, actually, and I think I might just buy it soon enough... I'm so pleased with the MS pack I'm thinking on getting the gold bundle with everything including the plug-in so that I could use it for vocals...

 

[Cacoph0ny]

I have this problem too. One thing that helps a little bit for me is to add a leveler to the bass track in my DAW.

 

[izzyrock]

Try a ribbon mike. it sounds fantastic on bass. There's an Oktava thats cheap and awesome
IMO, DI doesnt have that punchy low end that you feel in ur chest, I often use Di for definition mostly

Cheers

 

[Djabthrash]

I love the bass tone of Rex Brown from Pantera on I Can't Hide

Same for me. Love this song also !

 

[sparkyness]

Rex has a pretty profound Spector w/EMG's into overdriven Ampeg tone.

Active electronics, new strings, distortion (mid/highs only), a healthy dose of compression and big bump in the low end will get you in the ballpark.

You didn't mention what bass you're using?

 

[D20]

I love the bass tone of Rex Brown from Pantera on I Can't Hide

His tone is amazing IMO.

I gonna try tonight using my Spector 4LX-35> Sansamp BDDI> Ampeg SVX and see what i can come up with. Hopefully i'll have a clip to post tomorrow.

Question: Just wondering if everyone thinks if i should run the BDDI clean and then drive the Ampeg? or drive both?

 

[Rex Rocker]

I have this problem too. One thing that helps a little bit for me is to add a leveler to the bass track in my DAW.

Could you please elaborate a bit more? what is a 'leveler' and what does it do? thanks! (sorry for the noobness)

Rex has a pretty profound Spector w/EMG's into overdriven Ampeg tone.

Active electronics, new strings, distortion (mid/highs only), a healthy dose of compression and big bump in the low end will get you in the ballpark.

You didn't mention what bass you're using?

I don't hear THAT much overdrive on I Can't Hide... maybe the bass running a little hot because of the active pickups, like it's about to break up, but not quite therere. I love that!

I'm running an LTD F-205 with EMG HZ's. Mahogany body, bolt-on maple neck, 35" scale, EMG active EQ (which I rarely use, to be honest)... nothing too fancy, but I personally love it. I know the HZ's have a VERY mediocre output and overall tone compared to actual active EMG's, but I really like the clarity and tightness these suckers pump.

 

[Aaron Smith]

I almost always do this:
BASS DI> EQ> COMPRESS > LIMIT

+1. New strings!

 

[D20]

So I tried to get a good tone close to the one Rex uses on "I Can't Hide"

http://www.mediafire.com/?4zfnm0dt5jt

I don't feel that i nailed it, but its kinda close. (I = beginner at newbie)

I let everyone be the judge. Let me know what you think?
Equipment used:

Spector 4 LX-35
Sansamp BDDI
Cubase 4
Ampeg SVX
waves RBass : Freq=34 Intensity= -1.0 Gain== 0.0

Here are the pics:

The Spector:

 

[Tommy Gun]

Check out this online .pdf M-80 instruction manual. The 3rd page or so has some "all-star" recording presets, Rex's is the first...

http://www.jimdunlop.com/files/1145590528_m80_manual.pdf

Might help you guys get a little closer if you know what he liked on the way in. BTW, you can get the SansAmp pretty damned close to sounding like the MXR. The M-80 just has more distortion than the BassDriver, but that shouldn't be an issue in this case.

 

[D20]

I have an MXR at the house too. Maybe I'll give these settings a try...