DIY compressor for bass guitar

[StephenGiles]

.......which makes me glad to be my own recording engineer. Buggered if I want someone mucking about with the dynamics of my bass playing - as I said, I use caution on the record level so it is impossible to overload and cut back on the treble on playback to eliminate any noise - you don't need treble up high on a bass track because it is a bass and belongs there - the bass player plays bass, preferably with the bass drum, and the guitarist plays lead......but not everybody agrees with that philosophy I'd wager!
Stephen

 

[jrmintz]

the bass player plays bass, preferably with the bass drum, and the guitarist plays lead......but not everybody agrees with that philosophy I'd wager!

That realization usually comes when you grasp that it's harder and more fun to play songs well than it is to play bass well and songs indifferently. You also start to work more...

 

[babyhead]

Damn...I should have chimed in on this long ago. Most of the reason this can of worms that I have opened started with me wanting my bass better. I have tooled with most compressors extensively as I have somehow become a gear repository... 1176, GML 8900, 2254, 160... which one do I like the best? NONE. I use an Evil Twin DI with a Daking EQ. I turn myself up LOUD and leave myself plenty of headroom. Then I use plugs and outboard to mix. I like my attacks... If I have to play under a compressor in a studio, I will listen to my bass pre everything in a set of cans. I find I get sloppy when I lean into to much squash...It can almost feel like latency. :guinness: :sam:

 

[StephenGiles]

After all I've said about bass playing - just been asked to deputise on bass for a 50s/60s covers band at a gig in a couple of weeks. I've been working out bass parts tonight that I've been only imagining for the best part of 35 years - and my fingers hurt!
Stephen

 

[clintrubber]

from Seth:

That realization usually comes when you grasp that it's harder and more fun to play songs well than it is to play bass well and songs indifferently.

That's so beautifully said !

 

[Smoke]

talking about bass, whats your favorite and craziest bass riff/solo?

 

[Svart]

yo smoke, to answer your question from earlier, Use a compressor with a slower/gentler attack, usually an opto of some kind. everything from there can be the player/EQ. i usually cut a lot of high mids and boost really low stuff like 45hz. couple this with a slow compressor and get some real thump! I'll squash the guitar/bass buss with the SSL clone set lightly, this will even out the guitar/bass a bit between each other. :thumb:

 

[StephenGiles]

talking about bass, whats your favorite and craziest bass riff/solo?

The craziest finger busting riff to me was on Good Golly Miss Molly by Screaming Lord Sutch & the Savages recorded in 1961 - a bass player called Ricky Fenson aka Brown.
Stephen

 

[rich]

My two cents: every track or band I record may require different bass, different pre compressor etc... For example sometimes I run the bass through a Mackie pre because it rolls off some of the lows and has a slight distorted and midrange sound to it, the hi-fi pre's have too much extended low end for a lot of tracks. The San amp for bass DI is really sweet, kind of like an old Ampeg without the hassle.