Axe fx 3 bass tones?

B

beavis2306

Member
Hey all, what is everyone doing for their bass tones? I've a Dingwall NG2 tuned to drop G# with a 150 on the low string. I use a 2 line patch with a compressor before the split and then one DI going straight through with no processing and a parallel row with a high gain guitar amp and usually the stock 8x10 cab. These are then sent sent left and right in the output block to be processed on separate mono tracks in my DAW.

I'm a guitarist primarily and then muck around with bass for recording. I've tried getting very complex with multiband compressors and parametric eqs etc and then simple like the above that i mentioned but i'm never satisfied. There is always a woody stiffness somewhere that i can't quite get away from. Have posted about this a few times and this is just the latest time i've got s%#^ off with bass tones.

Monitors are krk rokit 8s on isopucks and stands away from the desk.

I'm looking for others experiences getting good bass tones at lower tunings with axe fx 3 and if there's any tricks that might help
 
An 8 inch speaker in a monitor for bass guitar seems off. Though it says it has a frequency response down to 36Hz I can assure you it won't behave like a 12" speaker for a bass. Personally I wouldn't go less than 12". If that's not the problem, then maybe someone else can chime in.
 
Yeh i've wondered about this. I don't know enough about speaker frequency response relative to the notes i'm trying to reproduce etc
 
Anyone got any insight about how to add distortion without it being excessively sharp and obnoxious? Low cut frequencies on distortion channel etc
 
beavis2306 said:
Yeh i've wondered about this. I don't know enough about speaker frequency response relative to the notes i'm trying to reproduce etc
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The fundamental of the open low E on a standard 4 string bass is at 40 Hz. 5-string low B is at 31 Hz but you don't really need a studio monitor to be able to handle that low. I use Genelec M040 speakers with a reported frequency response of 44 Hz - 21 kHz (-6 dB) and it honestly handles playing a 5-string just fine to my ears.
 
I was just mucking around with it again. Does anyone eq their DIs? I feel like i'm cutting a bit out of it trying to get rid of pick attack thunk-type sounds but it's getting more tolerable. I also played with all the different compressors trying to get something to maintain the distortion character on the low G#. All other strings sound great and like they're part of the same instrument but the low string sounds like it's all fundamental and the distortion dies so quickly by comparison. A compressor helped but still not ideal

Wondering if plugins might be better suited than the axe fx 3. Been trying for years but never really been happy with it at this tuning. Quite difficult to find detailed info
 
beavis2306 said:
I also played with all the different compressors trying to get something to maintain the distortion character on the low G#. All other strings sound great and like they're part of the same instrument but the low string sounds like it's all fundamental and the distortion dies so quickly by comparison.
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More likely is that you hear less of the fundamental on the G# because it's very low frequency and would need a subwoofer to handle. I just don't see tuning that low as very useful on bass.

My above comment about not needing a sub was with more standard bass tunings.
 
beavis2306 said:
I was just mucking around with it again. Does anyone eq their DIs? I feel like i'm cutting a bit out of it trying to get rid of pick attack thunk-type sounds but it's getting more tolerable. I also played with all the different compressors trying to get something to maintain the distortion character on the low G#. All other strings sound great and like they're part of the same instrument but the low string sounds like it's all fundamental and the distortion dies so quickly by comparison. A compressor helped but still not ideal

Wondering if plugins might be better suited than the axe fx 3. Been trying for years but never really been happy with it at this tuning. Quite difficult to find detailed info
Click to expand...

I EQ the shit out of my DI’s for bass. Actually, I often just slap CLA-Bass on it then fine tune one of the presets. My general-use bass preset is quite distorted, it’s actually a JCM800 into an 8x10 IR, it’s mainly focused on the treble area with no low end at all, so I use the DI for a big clean sound that focuses on the lows.

I’ve posted this a million times now, but this I’m using exactly that in this vid-



And that thing with the lowest string/fundamental, man, that’s a rabbit hole I went down before. My Warwick 5-string sounds like total ass unless it has light strings and stays in standard tuning. I went through $400 in one month trying different string brands/gauges/types and nothing did the trick. I just wanted to drop it 1 step but it’s simply not happening with that bass. I bought a Spector 4-string right after and I can drop that thing down as low as I want without that fundamental OMMMMMMMMM getting out of control. G# is pretty fucking low, man. :D

I’d be willing to bet a thinner gauge string would reduce the fundamental, but getting it to stay in tune when hitting it is another story. I’ve got two 5-strings and a 4-string, I generally just use the 4-string and use the virtual capo to tune it down. I don’t believe a plug-in will be better suited because that fundamental is occurring at the bass itself, it’s not a product of the AxeFX.
 
I build most of my bass tones in my DAW, but for the axe I keep it simple. You already use a compressor which is good. I use that, the darkglass for grit, and any bass amp honestly. I just did a video on the mesa bass 400 which is pretty good, and I also use FAS bass for my main bass patch. I would just keep it simple for stuff out of the axe and use the DI to shape your tone in your DAW.
 
plugins. neural darkglass or parallax. I think it's too much of a pain trying to wrangle those tones out of the axe fx.
 
Dedicated sub speaker for monitoring really helped for me (I use 2 x Adam A5X and 1 x Sub 8). I like the Ampeg SVT model through an Ampeg 8 x 10 IR. Haven't experimented with too much distortion so far, but like the OP, primarily 6 string guitar player that occasionally plays 4 strings. And so far I never go lower than D, maybe C#. If you are getting right down to G# I don't think you have the slightest chance of monitoring effectively without a sub with a good crossover.

Liam
 
I like to use crossover/filter blocks to split the signal in two - everything above roughly 800 hz and everything below. Send the high end to the Darkglass B7K and keep everything below clean. You can keep the low end as a DI, but I like the results I get merging them into amp and cab blocks. You keep the mix at 100% on the B7K, dial drive to taste and balance the two signals to your liking. I also put a compressor at the start of the chain and another on the low side, low ratios.
 
Thanks for the replies chaps. Yeh the virtual capo is something i've yet to investigate fully. I remember the instrument sounded great with .130 or whatever came stock. I'd be keen to know what processing you do on your DI besides the compressor. Eq etc?
RevDrucifer said:
I EQ the shit out of my DI’s for bass. Actually, I often just slap CLA-Bass on it then fine tune one of the presets. My general-use bass preset is quite distorted, it’s actually a JCM800 into an 8x10 IR, it’s mainly focused on the treble area with no low end at all, so I use the DI for a big clean sound that focuses on the lows.

I’ve posted this a million times now, but this I’m using exactly that in this vid-



And that thing with the lowest string/fundamental, man, that’s a rabbit hole I went down before. My Warwick 5-string sounds like total ass unless it has light strings and stays in standard tuning. I went through $400 in one month trying different string brands/gauges/types and nothing did the trick. I just wanted to drop it 1 step but it’s simply not happening with that bass. I bought a Spector 4-string right after and I can drop that thing down as low as I want without that fundamental OMMMMMMMMM getting out of control. G# is pretty fucking low, man. :D

I’d be willing to bet a thinner gauge string would reduce the fundamental, but getting it to stay in tune when hitting it is another story. I’ve got two 5-strings and a 4-string, I generally just use the 4-string and use the virtual capo to tune it down. I don’t believe a plug-in will be better suited because that fundamental is occurring at the bass itself, it’s not a product of the AxeFX.
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I watched something last night that mentioned compressing in front and at the end of the chain too. Gonna try that when i get a chance
 
beavis2306 said:
I watched something last night that mentioned compressing in front and at the end of the chain too. Gonna try that when i get a chance
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I play super downtuned stuff also. I have a Dingwall in drop E with I think a .185, and when the low strings have that kind of mass, they naturally have more output than the high strings which sound puny in comparison. I’m primarily a guitar player so maybe I just need a little help with consistency, but the compressor in the front evens out the extended range nicely. It simultaneously tames the lows and raises the highs. It’s powerful. I put another compressor on the lows which may not be super necessary, but with both compressors working in conjunction at low ratios it’s nice and transparent. Using two compressors for audio applications is good for this reason. Very similar approach.
 
MackieFX said:
I tend to avoid 8x10 IRs at all costs because I can never make them sound good.
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Interesting. I haven’t auditioned a ton of bass IRs. I went straight for one I’ve liked in real life, the Mesa Powerhouse 1x15 4x10, and I was pretty satisfied with it so I didn’t search any further.
 
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