Is it possible to get a good bass tone with di and interface

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Hey guys, its truly hard to get a bass tone through my chain that sounds good. I know I might end up needing to do a clean bass track and a dirty bass track to thicken it up to sound good, so I do understand that much.

What I dont understand is why I cant get a decent sound with my chain... Fireface UFX, DI (Reddi, or Little Labs Redeye 3D Phantom), Music Man StingRay HH 4-String Bass.

I have set all levels to where I think they sound good but it just dosent have a good sound for the harder styles I play, ala... Perfect Circle, Tool, Mastadon or even heavier stuff such as Animals as leaders, Periphery, ect

The question might be stupid, but hell I dont care... is the gear that I have sufficient enough to get the trick done for what I need? Can you guys or someone out here kindly offer me some advice to get a good thick bass track for these more aggressive sounds with my gear possibly? I would really appreciate any angle you might be able to give me. I just thought it wouldnt be so hard to lay down some decent sounds before post processing, am I wrong about this, or does it all have to do with post processing?
 
pfapin05":3l4bylbg said:
Hey guys, its truly hard to get a bass tone through my chain that sounds good. I know I might end up needing to do a clean bass track and a dirty bass track to thicken it up to sound good, so I do understand that much.

What I dont understand is why I cant get a decent sound with my chain... Fireface UFX, DI (Reddi, or Little Labs Redeye 3D Phantom), Music Man StingRay HH 4-String Bass.

I have set all levels to where I think they sound good but it just dosent have a good sound for the harder styles I play, ala... Perfect Circle, Tool, Mastadon or even heavier stuff such as Animals as leaders, Periphery, ect

The question might be stupid, but hell I dont care... is the gear that I have sufficient enough to get the trick done for what I need? Can you guys or someone out here kindly offer me some advice to get a good thick bass track for these more aggressive sounds with my gear possibly? I would really appreciate any angle you might be able to give me. I just thought it wouldnt be so hard to lay down some decent sounds before post processing, am I wrong about this, or does it all have to do with post processing?
Click to expand...


I'm thinking some kind of preamp could help, i'm using a Sansamp DI solution into a mic tube pre that sounds pretty awesome,

maybe some kind of plug in / bass amp vst ? even something like guitar rig or whatever might induce cool results

something like this maybe (freeware)

http://www.kvraudio.com/product/free_am ... ynth_audio

and bass amp download for it:

http://rekkerd.org/fretted-synth/
 
Cool, some of those might help out. I also forgot to mention that I havent tried using the Vintech X73i preamp with my RME yet, and Im sure that would sound different, if not better than the Reddi... wouldnt you think? I want one clean bass track, and then another bass track with a little grit to thicken it up with a plug in like you are suggesting. Is this the best way to get a good sounding metal bass, or should I try a different approach?
 
I would check out a bass di, like a Tech21 Bass driver DI or Tech21 VT Bass. Record it once with the gain low and then try again with the gain high, then I would try to mix to taste. IF you use the VT bass, you could split the signal and run into 2 tracks, one clean and the other through the VTbass for your dirty ampeg sound.

At the start of the year I picked up an Eden WTDI, and really like it. Not sure if it will have the gain you are looking for as the only band in your list that I have heard is Tool
 
I don't know about other DAW's but Presonus has bassamp sims built-in that work remarkably well. Sort of reamping I guess ?

Giga
 
The SansAmp VT Bass pedal is killer for DI'ed bass tracks, the dirty tones are stellar in it IMHO.
Personally I have never had good luck with doubling bass tracks, as in playing the same thing twice with different settings like you do with guitar tracks....I always end up with comb-filtering I cant seem to make sound right.

I always split my signal before the DI's and record one clean and one dirty then mix to taste.

Good luck!!
 
If you can't get a di bass track to sound good, you have a junk bass / pickups.
 
pfapin05":3v3n6ii5 said:
Cool, some of those might help out. I also forgot to mention that I havent tried using the Vintech X73i preamp with my RME yet, and Im sure that would sound different, if not better than the Reddi... wouldnt you think? I want one clean bass track, and then another bass track with a little grit to thicken it up with a plug in like you are suggesting. Is this the best way to get a good sounding metal bass, or should I try a different approach?
Click to expand...

the preamp could make a difference, try it out =)

to give you an idea, here's what the sansamp bass vt pedal is like direct (lots of distorted tones at start, clean parts in the second half)



it's that ampeg kind of tone, with various levels of drive, but you see the difference it makes , i'd think that a plugin should go someway towards that
 
I have also the REDDI, try 2. Sans Amp Track with Distortion, mix both => I really like Jazz Bass and Rickenbacker with Distortion, a Preci Bass is also cool but very dominating the mix due to its midrange, could collide with guitars.

Brand new strings also help.

Kai
 
mindseye":35d0clca said:
The SansAmp VT Bass pedal is killer for DI'ed bass tracks, the dirty tones are stellar in it IMHO.
Personally I have never had good luck with doubling bass tracks, as in playing the same thing twice with different settings like you do with guitar tracks....I always end up with comb-filtering I cant seem to make sound right.

I always split my signal before the DI's and record one clean and one dirty then mix to taste.

Good luck!!
Click to expand...

Yes, or reamp one signal!
 
I have heard good things about the new Hartke Bass Attack pre-amp pedal for recording applications.
 
Rezamatix":2xx6i7g6 said:
IMG_0390.jpg
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip on that one Rez... I did a bunch of looking up on that Tone Hammer and really liked what I found. Just ordered one and cant wait to try it out. Maybe you could give me some nice pointers on how to blend that in with my Reddi... the Reddi is straight clean all the way, and it sounds nice but I just need it to sit louder in my mix. Maybe I am setting the levels completely wrong on my tracks and master tracks or something... who knows???
 
Avalon U5 is, and will probably always be my fave DI for bass.. so much warmth and sound. Next u is the DI on an API 512c.
 
Avalon vs REDDI? No way....

Check this riff, played it wacky and fast to show you a mix of REDDI and SANS Amp I added one mixed and 2 separate tracks.

Played a Fender Jazz Bass (70ties with both Pickups), Yellow Tortex Pick, Rotosound Steel Strings (used for 2 weeks).
Bass=>REDDI=>RME AIO=>Reaper=>1 Track
Reddi Through into Sans Amp=>Breant Averill 1272=>RME AIO =>2 Track

http://www.file-upload.net/download-466 ... P.zip.html

The same with Nash Precision Bass, used the blend Sans Amp knob differently....I think GHS Strings
http://www.file-upload.net/download-466 ... i.zip.html


You can adjust both track volumes to your taste in a sequencer.

No effects, no eq, no compression......the Jazz bass needs a fret job, I know!

Have fun.

Together they rock!

Kai
btw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCI-yor9bUoCool song , it is definitely no di, mics and amp with cabs....a precision is used. This sound makes it hard for guitars to cut through, here not necessary :lol: :LOL: :D ;)
 
I think the Sansamp RBI is great for direct recording.
 
The Sans Amps versions seem to differ a lot, only know the Bass Driver Di, as you can hear quite bloated and blurry, the midrange of the first one (Sans Amp Classic) seems to be superior, will try these soon.

The newer ones seem very tweak able, but lacking solidness, based on You Tube comparisons.

Kai
 
I get killer tone with any bass with a Sansamp Bass Driver DI. A killer bass helps alot... a cheap one with decent pickups can help out alot.
 
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/mus ... tring-bass

I bought this exact bass... the back music man stingray hh 4 string with maple neck. This seems to have an active set up pickups as well. I wonder how much this could have to do with my struggles. It seems like this bass should be good to go out of the box with the strings it has on it already, and with the components and build of the bass I would almost have to eliminate the bass as being the problem and just say that user error with my equipment so far would be the problem with this bass, the reddi di, and the rme ufx running into Reaper 4 as my DAW.

I would think that I could have gotten something much simpler than the tone hammer, Sansamp Driver DI, RBI, ect such as a free programe like amplitude or any other free plugin, but I like to have hardware at my fingertips sometime and not have to work 2 times harder to get the near same ending result.

Im not a terrible bass player, so I rule that out as well when it comes to tracking, but maybe the bass strings on this bass arent all that great straight from Ernie Ball. I would think they would be, but I could be wrong. I have to do a bit of researching on some decent bass strings that dont cost an arm and leg now, and wait for the tone hammer to arrive before I can try that out... but I would have thought that I could get a really great usable bass track with just the reddi and rme into reaper.
 
^ Nice Music Man stingray, I don't think the bass is the source of your issues. I have not recorded with the MM Sterling 4 (used to own) or my current MM sterling 5HS, but both sound great playing live. I play P&W with my MM sterling 5 and so its run direct, I always get compliments on the sound.
 
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