Tuning the bass while recording

[HandsOfDespair]

I'd like to know, do you guys always do manual tuning correction on the bass after recording? What I noticed is that because I ask the bassist to hit the strings hard they always sound a bit sharp, but if he hits them softer it sounds weak....Maybe I could just tune the bass a couple of cents more flat during the tracking ?

 

[jipchen]

That's what I hate about tracking bass. Also if the bassist presses the strings too hard, they are completely out of tune (and not a few cents like on guitars).
I always tell them to play consistent and let them play to the tuner to see how hard the strings should be hit / pressed, but it doesn't help a lot.

Personally I never tuned a bit flat, because if the strings are played "empty" (0) which happens pretty often depending on the music, everything will be out of tune.
What I do is tuning the bass with Melodyne after the tracking is done.. Helps a lot and isn't really audible if you are careful.

 

[Jordon]

I almost always Melodyne the bass. I tune the lowest string on the bass and guitars slightly flat on the sustain (tuning so the attack is in tune) because with my experience, the lowest string is the on players bash on the most (obviously).

 

[HandsOfDespair]

Yeah I always melodyne the bass too...I was just wondering if there was a way to eliminate this step since it takes a bit of time and is really boring to do...

 

[Jordon]

For me, it's become an integral part of how I keep my low-end in check. The sound of an out-of-tune bass sticks out like a sore thumb to me. I think it's become a go-to method just because of my OCD with tuning.

The best things to do to avoid having to do it:

Properly set up bass with proper strings
Great bassist who can play in tune
Tuning and playing to compensate for differences in pitch while tracking.
Stopping and tuning as often as possible.

 

[Leon--]

first of all i put new string and check if the bass setup is cool
i'm just tuning the bass in every take and examine if the tuning is OK after each take no matter if it's a few seconds.
same goes when i record someone else,if the guy doesn't understand and follow my process,then i put someone from his band to speak with him,or i don't cooperate at all.
tuning has the same importance with the performance for me.

 

[Star Ark]

If the nut is cut too tight it pinches the string and gives the attack higher pitch. If it is cut to high it does the same thing one the lower frets. I found from 3 years selling guitars that almost every non american/japanese guitar came out of the box with the nuts pinching or cut too high or low. A setup might be what you need, and you need to stick to the exact gauge.

 

[OneDaySky]

What im doing on a Thrash Metal record im currently still recording (2x 7 string Guitars and 5 string bass) is if the low stuff sounds out after recording is using the sine wave trick and hi passing the bass or im still toying with maybe using Trillian just for the super lows underneath the hipassed bass.

 

[Uros]

sine wave trick on bass?

 

[Fama]

sine wave trick on bass?

Sturgis talked about it (he used it on Speaker of the Dead), basically just having a sinewave doing the really down low stuff of bass (the tuning was so low a real bass wouldn't really work). Just a sinewave, playing exactly what the bass plays, just really low.

 

[Uros]

I understand what are you guys talking about (I've used that trick for kick), but how do you set it up to play the notes you want it to play?

 

[Fama]

I don't think there's any other way than doing it manually, either programming it in your daw or playing with a keyboard.