Best recording techniques for bass

[smopo24]

Originally Posted by lukedavo

See if you can at least rent or try the RBI, it is better than any other DI listed here with the exception of one that hasn't been listed yet all hail the almighty Avalon U5 Class A DI Preamp/EQ. easily the best freq response :
Frequency Response, -/+0.5dB: 5Hz to 100kHz
Frequency Response, -3dB: 1Hz to 500kHz (input band limited)

oh, i used the avalon di before on bass......it was fantastic! the pre wasn't so good on kick, but great as a bass di.

[bassliner]

I usually tend to use whatever is available. I'm not really that much gear focused, but love to experiment.
About a year ago I recorded with a rock trio. Fighting up against 2 (sometimes more) stereo recorded guitarparts, and a drummer who hits about as hard as Dave Grohl or the likes.
I used a London City all-tube 70's guitar head, plugged into an Ampeg 4 x 10 (not my own by the way; as I said: I use what's available). Then another line went into a Dynacord 1x15 combo. Both were miked. ANOTHER line went to a small overdriven Squier 15 watt guitar combo.
So, thats 3 amp lines + DI. Plenty of opportunity to exploit these different sounds while mixing.

I think you can imagine the wall of sound this EP produced Rock trio.. uhu.. sounded like a rock orchestra

Another project with African music was recorded simply with a Line 6 basspod. Which I'm not a fan of by the way, but it does the job well enough for a demo.

What I would prefer to always use is
1) (tube/active) DI (Sansamp, Aguilar, Ampeg)
2) My own amp + cab miked (HA5000 + Bag End 210)
3) Tube guitar combo (works wonders on a fretless aswell with some reverb) miked

'Bout the basses
I have a custom built 5 string, which is active/passive, J/MM J. It's versatile as can be, and hardly feel the need to do anything on amp equalizing.
Alternatively, I use one of my two fretless Jazzes; One vintage Fender (defretted; don't shoot me; I didn't pull 'em out!!) and an Asian copy. Let me tell you one thing; both of these are absolutely great. The Asian copy (multiplex body) has a very funny character, and it records well. Funny = it tends to jave almost too much growl. Cheap instruments can be great gimmicks, and this one certainly is. Just adding this because you may wonder why I still use the copy when I have a '77 original...

So, thats about it. Recording is one thing, mixing is another. Mixing has a lot more influence on your sound than recording. For recording, imho just try to get everything on 'tape' clearly, I worry about sound when the mixing process sets in.
Studios always give you a wrong impression. The monitors have excellent bass sound usually, and you'll think it sounds great. Don't mix in one day, take a temp mix home and use all kinds of systems like car stereo, home system, small boombox etc. Try to get it to sound good on every system

[bassliner]

Hmm was looking for an edit function but it's taking too long to find. Edit: Aha, there it is.. can't edit old messages

Wanted to add a real cool thing;
Recorded a fretless a while ago, and it seemed like the sound was missing something. I wanted to go for a more acoustic sound, but without an acoustic bass:
We took the electric signal again, but this time close-miked the (electric) bass near the neck, while standing in a hallway. This produced an awesome sound! People who heard the recording thought it was a double bass, which was kinda the idea. This was a singer-songwriter recording, which 'needed' sort of an electric-acoustic earthy sound. Mission accomplished, I guess.
With a bit of creativity and unconventional thinking you might get some great results.