Edmonton is the center of the music cosmos, bebeh! It's the chemicals they put in Alberta water.
Now that you clarify a few things about the recording itself, it all starts to make more sense. Such as the tone block. Of course that's not a side stick snare!
Also, the standup bass must be the hardest instrument on the planet to record in a manner that it is heard clearly. I've joked with bassists about this. Standup players can wiggle their fingers around and make all kinds of orgasmic facial expressions, and the audience will think they are brilliant. This is because most of what the bassist plays is inaudible.
Interesting how you describe capturing the room sound in different instances. I find that there's a real art in getting the reverb just right. Often the perfect amount is just on the threshold of actually distinguishing "bone dry" from "lightly seasoned". It can be a very subliminal thing.
Other times, reverb is great for 'lengthening' or to give an instrument 'depth'. Good to see that you're using the room to its full advantage.
I remember the moment I heard my first convolution reverb. I nearly pissed myself with glee!
