how do i get a killer bass sound

[gtaus]

Been reading your thread, and am wondering if anyone has an opinion on the Hartke VXL Bass Attack Preamp Pedal direct box Hartke VXL Bass Attack Preamp Pedal at AmericanMusical.com which is now down to less than $70 U.S.? I'm fairly new to playing bass, but I see more and more people just using a direct box to the mixer - out to the mains. I'm wondering if the direct box for recording and gigging is the way to go and not even bothering with stage amps/cabs.

For playing guitar, I have a GNX4 and don't even bother with a stage amp anymore. I just go straight into the mixer and listen to myself through the stage monitors. Would like some "real" bass players (I still don't consider myself a bass player, yet) opinion from this forum on going direct into the mixer and not having much sound on stage other than perhaps some monitor. I'm at an age where I don't need, or want, lots of thump behind me. As long as the sound gets out front to the crowd where it belongs, I'm happy. But I am wondering if I am shorting myself on the bass sound by not having an Ampeg/Hartke/GK stack behind me.

I'm always looking for a better bass sound, too. So any opinions are most welcome.

[jojo707]

I really like double mic'ing as I like the fullness it gives. But I do experience the phase problems. What is the proper way to deal with phasing issues

[garageband]

Are you double miking a bass guitar speaker cabinet?

[Vain Melody]

Originally Posted by gtaus

I'm wondering if the direct box for recording and gigging is the way to go and not even bothering with stage amps/cabs.

Playing live: I have always gone direct to the mixer and just used my amp as a monitor. I haven't tried it any other way. I suppose the quality/features of your board may impact your decision.

Recording: If you have a good bass and a good DI box then you should be able to get a great tone. I am able to capture a good tone using a $1000 bass and a $150 DI box. Having read Bassplayer Magazine for a number of years, I think it's safe to say a large percentage of modern bass recordings are done direct.

I also think its safe to say you will get a DIFFERENT tone from mic'ing, which may be more suitable for the genre you are in.

And no one says you can't do both and then combine the two tracks into a single track.

Budget is also a concern: a good AMP, cabinet and mic is WAY more money than a DI box.

[Freddy G]

My killer bass sound consists of bass going direct into a very high impedance tube pre-amp. Basically my tube mic pre... but I installed a 1/4" jack bypassing the mic input transformer, thus going straight to tube having super high impedance...passive pickups love it, no loading at all
Preamp output into an LA2a using about 10db or more reduction.
Salt and pepper to taste...Voila! Sometimes take a DI split at the bass to a separate track for re-amping.

[TonyB]

Originally Posted by Freddy G

My killer bass sound consists of bass going direct into a very high impedance tube pre-amp. Basically my tube mic pre... but I installed a 1/4" jack bypassing the mic input transformer, thus going straight to tube having super high impedance...passive pickups love it, no loading at all
Preamp output into an LA2a using about 10db or more reduction.
Salt and pepper to taste...Voila! Sometimes take a DI split at the bass to a separate track for re-amping.

You lucky dog!!!!

[tylerxfury]

specification would be nice...
by killer, ill go with the assumption you mean powerful, with the right balance of boom and punch...

the way i achieve this tone is to double track--

track 1- bass through cab, lots of low end on cab eq, or use an eq pedal; track with a bass mic direct on the grille and a small diaphragm condenser a little over a foot away from the center of the speaker; because youre going for the low on this track, mix the room overhead slightly louder than the direct mic to pick up some of the cab 'rumble'

track 2- bass through cab again, eq for more punch, almost a bit tinny just to differ the two sounds; mics placed same as above but with more direct sound coming through than 'room'

i usually pan these tracks semi-hard left and right;
if you dont have whats necessary for this, you can always record 2 DI and use an amp sim to adjust accordingly

hope this is helpful

[TerenceSharp]

The crazy experiments I have done to capture a Nice bass sound but I always return to the simple setup of:

D.I Out on Gallien krueger amplifier
SM57 about 2 Feet On axis at center of cone (I have no Idea why, but It sounds nice)

How I process this differes as the same setup can sound different every day but usually it's as simple as a bit of a 600Hz boost on the DI to bring out the notes (This is how I roll live, it works for recording too) and then Low-pass the mic track, where can differ but I find the mic has a more natural sounding low end.

Some interesting things I tried when experimenting with our last track was to record the bass track twice, One with my musicman stingray and one with a jazz bass, this can yield interesting results but requires your timing to be TIGHT or the track starts to sound a bit loosey loosey.

The other Idea was Tracking damn near everything: Post and pre EQ DI (using the effects send as a post EQ) and double micing with a SM57 2 foot away and a Behr C2 in some random position vaugly pointing at the Bass cab.

(Needless to say that last one was pretty much unusable, but my studio, to me, Is about discovering new sounds and experimenting finding interesting ways to do things)

Good old DI+Mic seems to work day-to-day.

[TonyB]

Originally Posted by TerenceSharp

The crazy experiments I have done to capture a Nice bass sound but I always return to the simple setup of:

Right on! There's nothing like experimenting!

Originally Posted by TerenceSharp

D.I Out on Gallien krueger amplifier
SM57 about 2 Feet On axis at center of cone (I have no Idea why, but It sounds nice)

Intuitively speaking (and if I did the math, I could be a little scientific about it), this gives those long wavelengths a chance to breathe so you get the effect of the speaker cone.

[C. Hanson]

The double tracking idea (a few posts above) is interesting. I'm gonna try it, but I might even stuff around and try a mic on the 4x10 coupled with a direct in (yeah, maybe phase problems, but fuck it anyway).

(editing in):
Add another vote to what TonyB said about giving the wavelengths a chance to breathe. It sounds utterly unscientific (wavelengths "breathing" and all), but is easily demonstrated when you sit right in front of a loud speaker at a concert (as we've all done, I guess), and then comparing that with the sound about 5 feet away, then 15 feet away.
I'm certainly not advocating the micing of gear at 10 feet, but the principle is the same.