What kit, other than bass itself?

Winny_Pooh

KKJale said:

MattBanshee said:

KKJale said:

I would like to vote -1 (minus one) for a compressor. 

Entirely depends on band context and music played. *snip*

Yep. OP plays Motown, classic rock and alt/indie. I'm gonna stick. I think that, early on, keeping all the dynamic range available and developing a cultured plucking/picking hand volume control technique is best  

I use it to fatten and smooth. Recorded bass has remarkably little volume "dynamics" (fairly compessed in mixing) and for the better. 

Totally clean instruments like DI'd acoustics and DI bass are generally too dynamic and get lost.

fretmeister

KKJale said:

MattBanshee said:

KKJale said:

I would like to vote -1 (minus one) for a compressor. 

Entirely depends on band context and music played. *snip*

Yep. OP plays Motown, classic rock and alt/indie. I'm gonna stick. I think that, early on, keeping all the dynamic range available and developing a cultured plucking/picking hand volume control technique is best  

The old tube desks provided the compression, as did the old Ampeg and Dan Armstrong amps. They were low headroom and compressed quickly.

Even when the bassist hasn't got a compressor the signal will be compressed quite a lot in the recording chain or by the FOH engineer.

There's a lot of difference in compressor placement. Bass>compressor>amp is very different to Bass>Amp>Compressor (either in the board or with a pedal in the FX loop).

Bass has such enormous dynamic range that it's almost compulsory in a live situation. 

For live use I'd add a filter too - cut everything off under 30Hz. Get rid of any flubby crap. The little SFX Thumpinator is excellent for that. Really cleans up the low end, makes punchy sounds keep note definition.

But he's got Helix Native so he can easily do that with a Hi and Low cut block.

stickyfiddle

Yep, compression is non-negotiable imo. Between Abbey Road and motown everything as compressed & EQ-ed to fuck; not least just by putting it on tape.

ICBM

I dislike compression and like limiting.

Yes, I know they're essentially the same thing - but the settings and the resulting sound are quite different.

fretmeister

ICBM said:

I dislike compression and like limiting.

Yes, I know they're essentially the same thing - but the settings and the resulting sound are quite different.

I'm not sure I've ever had a standalone limiter pedal.

Can you recommend one? I've got some GAS pennies at the moment and need to spend them!  

ICBM

fretmeister said:

I'm not sure I've ever had a standalone limiter pedal.

Can you recommend one? I've got some GAS pennies at the moment and need to spend them!  

Boss LMB-3. Simple, cheap, seems to work OK and also has an enhancer function, if you like that.

fretmeister

ICBM said:

fretmeister said:

I'm not sure I've ever had a standalone limiter pedal.

Can you recommend one? I've got some GAS pennies at the moment and need to spend them!  

Boss LMB-3. Simple, cheap, seems to work OK and also has an enhancer function, if you like that.

ta.