Bass Tone

bosifis · Post by **bosifis** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:48 pm

Hi kids, I need a little advice. I have a Rick 4003 bass and I'd like some help on how to get a good Beatley tone...Without having to buy any more gear!
I go direct to my PC through a PODxt(Guitar not Bass version). Any advice would help-Tone settings, Eq, compression, etc.
Thanks

karl_teten · Post by **karl_teten** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 3:28 pm

Solid nickel flatwounds.

bosifis · Post by **bosifis** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 4:49 pm

Got those...I'm talkin effects, n stuff.

karl_teten · Post by **karl_teten** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 5:32 pm

Heavy tube compression.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 5:52 pm

Tube amp mic'ed, you'd be surprised at how good it sounds that way, I never go direct into a board always a tube Ampeg SVT with a mic right in front of it through a B-15 speaker. With digital stuff your always going to get a facsimile of the sound, spend a few bucks and get the real thing.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 5:58 pm

that wasn't there a second ago.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 6:03 pm

Har.

Hey, Bob, what if you mike a tube amp and the PA is solid-state? What have you accomplished? Do you get a facsimile of a mic'd tube amp sound?

And I'm getting a migraine just tryin' to figger it out.

bosifis · Post by **bosifis** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 6:57 pm

I can't afford a bass amp at this time, I'm just trying to get an idea of what you guys use for settings and such...

revolver323 · Post by **revolver323** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 4:13 am

McCartney's sound was achieved by mic on the amp only until somewhere around Rubber Soul, according to info in other threads here (someone will correct me if I'm off "bass"). The engineer then came up with a mix of DI and microphone and at one point hooked up a speaker plugged into the board, which acted as a mic but didn't overload as easily as a mic. I have achieved pretty round bass tone by going direct, but I prefer a mix of direct and mics. I think most basseswill sound best flat with very slight bass boost. Effects? Other than the fuzz in "Think for Yourself," I can't think of any on bass unless there was very slight delay to make the bass sound fuller on some tracks.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 4:39 am

Paul,
I don't know if you'd get the warm tube sound that way but at least he'll get your raw sound the way you set it at your amp not just a dry bass signal direct from your pickups. How many guitarists record direct?

How about a tube preamp or DI Brian, you can get those and get a nice warm sound like McCartney got out of his Voxes.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 8:15 am

Not so much an "effect", but remember that Paul often used the mutes on his 4001 to achieve a different sound.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 9:07 am

Yes, of course you're correct, Bob. You could adjust your amp souind as warm it and hopefully the solid state PA would not add any more coloration, which would actually give you more control over your sound.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 12:07 pm

Yeah I didn't even think of the mutes.