of course it doesn't sound "great", ableton's amp and cab aren't exactly stellar if you're looking to compare to actual amps.
that being said even if you get this amazing pre you're still going to run into the same issue so look at actual amp emus if you're looking to sound like a real electric bass.
guitar rig and amplitube are fairly popular so start with those, even a half decent interface will work fine. keep your input levels clean then adjust digitally.
How do you approach recording bass gutiar without an amp?
Re: How do you approach recording bass gutiar without an amp?
I just plug the bass into my Focusrite interface and that's it. Compress and EQ to taste during mixing, done. If you like a particular outboard preamp or DI box for coloration, go ahead. It's up to your ears and your personal taste.
I find the direct sound to be better than using any bass amp modelers and I've tried a number of them. DIing bass has been used for decades, Motown was using it in the early 1960s and they were probably not even the first to do it. Every single time I have recorded in a pro studio I was handed a DI box and headphones. OK, I'm not a busy session guy but I have never recorded using a miked bass amp. What I hear coming out of the monitors in the control room is better than any bass amp I've ever used anyway.
I do use modelers for electric guitars.
I find the direct sound to be better than using any bass amp modelers and I've tried a number of them. DIing bass has been used for decades, Motown was using it in the early 1960s and they were probably not even the first to do it. Every single time I have recorded in a pro studio I was handed a DI box and headphones. OK, I'm not a busy session guy but I have never recorded using a miked bass amp. What I hear coming out of the monitors in the control room is better than any bass amp I've ever used anyway.
I do use modelers for electric guitars.
Re: How do you approach recording bass gutiar without an amp?
Interesting. When I record DI it sounds ok, but kind of boring. I've lately been playing around with a few Nebula amp libraries and like what I hear. Anyone else using Nebula?doghouse wrote:I just plug the bass into my Focusrite interface and that's it. Compress and EQ to taste during mixing, done. If you like a particular outboard preamp or DI box for coloration, go ahead. It's up to your ears and your personal taste.
I find the direct sound to be better than using any bass amp modelers and I've tried a number of them. DIing bass has been used for decades, Motown was using it in the early 1960s and they were probably not even the first to do it. Every single time I have recorded in a pro studio I was handed a DI box and headphones. OK, I'm not a busy session guy but I have never recorded using a miked bass amp. What I hear coming out of the monitors in the control room is better than any bass amp I've ever used anyway.
I do use modelers for electric guitars.
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Division Monarchy
- Posts: 232
- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:54 pm
Re: How do you approach recording bass gutiar without an amp?
Sansamp from Tech 21. By far the best solution for sound quality and ease.
Re: How do you approach recording bass gutiar without an amp?
Its also worth considering re-amping.
It works like this: you record a straight DI signal into your DAW, and just get a rough effect chain going to simulate your amp,cab and room. You comp together a decent take (if you are me). But then later you export that comped straight DI track and take it to a location with a room with an amp, cab and decent acoustics, a nice mic or two. You run the line-out of the comped recording through a "reverse DI" to bridge the impedence into the amp head.
Play recording into amp, record various mic placements and amp settings onto new recording (s)
Take that bunch of recording takes back home and try to fit the best variation into your mix!
It's years since I did this, and back then it was hellishly difficult. Probably easier now especially if you actually have access to a room and cab setup.
There's lots of fun to be had like this because you can make variations like a "mic in the stairwell" ambience recording to blend in, if you feel like it. As the take being played through the amp is always the same so while it would be tricky to phase align, you can easilly get takes in sync enough for an effect.
It works like this: you record a straight DI signal into your DAW, and just get a rough effect chain going to simulate your amp,cab and room. You comp together a decent take (if you are me). But then later you export that comped straight DI track and take it to a location with a room with an amp, cab and decent acoustics, a nice mic or two. You run the line-out of the comped recording through a "reverse DI" to bridge the impedence into the amp head.
Play recording into amp, record various mic placements and amp settings onto new recording (s)
Take that bunch of recording takes back home and try to fit the best variation into your mix!
It's years since I did this, and back then it was hellishly difficult. Probably easier now especially if you actually have access to a room and cab setup.
There's lots of fun to be had like this because you can make variations like a "mic in the stairwell" ambience recording to blend in, if you feel like it. As the take being played through the amp is always the same so while it would be tricky to phase align, you can easilly get takes in sync enough for an effect.
Re: How do you approach recording bass gutiar without an amp?
+1 on the Tech 21 SansAmp. I use the SansAmp VT Bass DI in front of an RME Fireface 400 direct into Live.
