Effects for "featuring" bass guitar?
- Thread starter alex1fly
- Start date
We have done that live in a few different ways.
1) Most recently, the bassist steps on a MXR Phase 90 (Script setting), but the song has to be such that it enables showcasing the bass without boosting for this. (Gives a Phil Lynott, Waiting for an Alibi tone).
2) As previously mentioned by someone else, an envelop filter can add interest and capture attention for parts. (We used a setting for an album track that also had fuzz to give a 'didgeridoo' effect haha).
3) We also used an old Ibanez Fuzz to good effect (sounded very like Muse Hysteria intro).
4) But for volume boosts we have used a Boss latching footswitch to kick in the bass amps EQ/s, which are set tonally and volume wise to be very prominent. We use two Marshall DBS 400watt heads for bass and our bassist usual setting uses only the rotary knobs and bright/depth switches to shape tone, so unless soloing the amps 9 band EQ is bypassed. So that is pretty easy to utilise for boosts.
Hope some of that gives you food for thought and some options
1) Most recently, the bassist steps on a MXR Phase 90 (Script setting), but the song has to be such that it enables showcasing the bass without boosting for this. (Gives a Phil Lynott, Waiting for an Alibi tone).
2) As previously mentioned by someone else, an envelop filter can add interest and capture attention for parts. (We used a setting for an album track that also had fuzz to give a 'didgeridoo' effect haha).
3) We also used an old Ibanez Fuzz to good effect (sounded very like Muse Hysteria intro).
4) But for volume boosts we have used a Boss latching footswitch to kick in the bass amps EQ/s, which are set tonally and volume wise to be very prominent. We use two Marshall DBS 400watt heads for bass and our bassist usual setting uses only the rotary knobs and bright/depth switches to shape tone, so unless soloing the amps 9 band EQ is bypassed. So that is pretty easy to utilise for boosts.
Hope some of that gives you food for thought and some options
some_dude
Raging BB Gunologist
My preferred approach is for the guitars to back off. My default bass tone has no problems cutting through, and if the guitars/keys lay back and simplify it allows my part to pop more without a dramatic shift in EQ. If you want impact, cut back all the way back to drum and bass. I prefer this method because it keeps my bass tone consistent and it keeps the bass in its own sonic lane.
Beyond that, I use tube amps, so I pluck harder for more dirt, bounce the string off the fret for more attack, and/or pluck closer to the bridge for more midrange.
Beyond that, I use tube amps, so I pluck harder for more dirt, bounce the string off the fret for more attack, and/or pluck closer to the bridge for more midrange.
CaptainWhizz
New member
Some chorus, Duff-style.
Demanic
PenultimateTone Member
If you can actually get them to do this, that's great.
Sometimes, the guitarist and drummer can get a bit carried away. That's when I roll the volume up on the bass from 3 to ~8.
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some_dude
Raging BB Gunologist
IMO, the problem with using volume to punch out the bass is that you’re typically DI’d into the PA and the soundman is going to have compression/limit on you to protect his PA. Might work… might also overload the channel strip if he set your level with the bass volume on 8.
Since most bassists are running fairly clean, you can get pretty far just using an overdrive to pop your mids more. A Rat is pretty classic for this, and a Tubescreamer works really well as well.
The MXR Bass Distortion is essentially a Rat with a clean blend so that you don’t loose the bottom end when you step on it. I’ve also used a SansAmp BDDI as a dirt pedal for this, although my preference is the Ampeg Scrambler (the standalone pedal, not the one built into the DI) because I like the way it retains the sound of the bass. When it comes to dirt, there’s plenty of options for bassists these days.
Edit: This was posted in response to a post that seems to have been deleted and isn’t in response to Demanic’s comment.
Since most bassists are running fairly clean, you can get pretty far just using an overdrive to pop your mids more. A Rat is pretty classic for this, and a Tubescreamer works really well as well.
The MXR Bass Distortion is essentially a Rat with a clean blend so that you don’t loose the bottom end when you step on it. I’ve also used a SansAmp BDDI as a dirt pedal for this, although my preference is the Ampeg Scrambler (the standalone pedal, not the one built into the DI) because I like the way it retains the sound of the bass. When it comes to dirt, there’s plenty of options for bassists these days.
Edit: This was posted in response to a post that seems to have been deleted and isn’t in response to Demanic’s comment.
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Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
That is where I live. As a guitar player, I am upfront most of the night. If I can't get in the pocket and let my bass player shine when he needs to I am doing the whole band an injustice.
some_dude
Raging BB Gunologist
And to a degree, if the guitarists can’t figure out how to lay off enough for the bassist to stand out then this whole idea is probably doomed from the start.
some_dude
Raging BB Gunologist
Also worth mentioning that in a fair number of bands the bassist is the best guitarist in the band. Plenty of bassists can solo, some can even shred, but is it what’s appropriate for the music?
I mention this because in a lot of songs I play enough counter-point that I’m basically playing lead underneath the band, walking up and down the neck, weaving melody while remaining rhythmically solid. I could pull out a wah and weedely-weedely-wee for a bit, but in most songs it just doesn’t fit the way featuring a cool bass line would.
I mention this because in a lot of songs I play enough counter-point that I’m basically playing lead underneath the band, walking up and down the neck, weaving melody while remaining rhythmically solid. I could pull out a wah and weedely-weedely-wee for a bit, but in most songs it just doesn’t fit the way featuring a cool bass line would.
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NegativeEase
New member
I love switching on Sansamp Grit channel in one of their pedals -or using the boost (post gain with mid hump) feature on a GK head or switching in the EQ and gain on my Sunn 300T
