Bass Mud Distorted

Vertigo Pulse

Vertigo Pulse

Member
Not sure what I am doing wrong but for some reason in my monitors MAudio BX5a I get an ok bass sound (not great)... I record the track into reaper (no clipping, checking levels running at about -6db) its all mud. Like the tone I get goes bad. I tried mono and stereo signal paths... same thing. I tried Seed's latest dingwall presets and they sounded ok but the recorded version was garbage..

My signal for bass has been SVT to ML Ampeg Cab Mix 1 to multiband compressor and another parallel signal running to SDD preamp to another SVT--- Ampeg Cab (play with different IR's) to out
Squier Jazz Bass, all knobs @ 10

I checked my levels. No clipping internally. Input kissing red. Volume out at average -6db right on the line.

The Reaper monitors are also showing the same -6db going in so I don't have trim boosted or anything wild happening there.


I switch to AmpegSVX Plugin... good tones right out of the gate. Nothing weird happening with the low end blowing up. Recorded tones sound very good.

I really want this AXEFX to work for bass but honestly the AmpegSVX plugin I have is running circles around it. I can live with that but I like the hardware option better as it taxes CPU less.

Other than seed, youtube is a wasteland for anyone tweaking bass on AxeFx.

On guitar I was up and running with great tone right away. I've been messing with this for weeks on bass and I just can't get it right :(
 
It'd be helpful to hear an example. My first guess is too much lows. Stuff at/under 100Hz, and things can get muddy quick.
 
Yes.
I tried to use AxeFX (amps/cabs) for bass mainly live.
No good. Not really close to an ampeg svt classic sound.
That's why i got the Fx-8 for effects.
But again need some tweaking but the effects are fine.

There's no love for bass.
You can only get those "djent new metal" tones that for my taste, really sucks haha
 
feliperigby said:
Not really close to an ampeg svt classic sound.
Click to expand...
I agree with this. Having both a 1969 and a mid 2000s SVT-CL, it takes an enormous amount of tweaking to get the modeled SVT to sound like a real one. One of these days when I think about it, I'll share mine though. I spent a few days in the studio just A/B'ing the two to try to get them to match. It does, but as soon as you change basses, it goes out of whack a bit. Even when it's "out of whack", it's still closer than the out of box experience. I'm not even sure the SVT was "G3" modeled. I doubt it.
 
What kind of tone do you want? Basic solid tone? start with engaging the Lo Cut switch in the Amp Block(s). If that makes the sound too thin, bring back low end with the Bass tone parameter or the Depth parameter.

I encourage that you take things slowly and simply: one amp and cab block, and work those two items before getting fancy with dual amp rigs and multiband compression. Audition various Cab IRs to find one that is less boomy or flubby. Small amounts of the Compressor on the Dynamics tab of the Amp Block can also be effective.
 
I've had no luck getting a killer Bass tone with the Axe FX, and I've been trying for a year or two. I just bought an Aguilar Tone Hammer thingy which sounded as good, if not better after five minutes. I guess for now we'll use that for bass and the Axe FX only for guitar. I will however keep hoping, and checking that Bass support has improved on my favourite bit of kit.

Thanks
Pauly

feliperigby said:
Yes.
I tried to use AxeFX (amps/cabs) for bass mainly live.
No good. Not really close to an ampeg svt classic sound.
That's why i got the Fx-8 for effects.
But again need some tweaking but the effects are fine.

There's no love for bass.
You can only get those "djent new metal" tones that for my taste, really sucks haha
Click to expand...
 
Can you post an example of the type of sound you are after? I seem to get great rock or punk tones with my Rickenbacker with little effort.
 
Thanks for the feed back guys. So I like a lot of tones but honestly I want my OWN tone. Thats the deal. Check out my you tube channel to hear my music or check out my twitch streams. I go industrial, death metal, progressive, EDM, jazz, blues.. a lot of stuff.

As others have stated in this forum and around the net... great bass tones with axefx seems much harder to achieve. I am spoiled by the almost immediate dialing in of a great guitar tone.

I have tried the basics; amp cab, to crazy presets I've downloaded that were a giant mess... seemed like total overkill for a good tone.

The reality, for me is that with the axe fx I am chasing. With my little old Ampeg SVX plug in that Ive had since before amplitube 4... boom excellent tone. Just plug it in. Done. Both my Ibanez and my Squier. I don't get that weird mud in the mix.

Could I post EQ and run multiband and cut this and that frequency....sure. But why should I when I have a cheap plugin that sounds immediately better? I don't have to low cut or engage or disengage to get there. I see a lot of more seasoned people than me using the axe for bass but one thing I read more often than not is that they are using it for effects only.

I'll keep trying but I wish I could get that immediate goodness with AxeFx on bass. Its so good with guitar and I really want a hardware solution for my bass in a studio setting. I'm sure I'll get there eventually.
 
Welcome to our frustrations. As bass players, we certainly face this every time. Thankfully, there's still a lot of value to be had - it just takes a considerable amount of time to get things really dialed in. FAS makes a boat load of money off of guitarists buying the gear. They don't need bass players, and hence, don't put much effort forward in that regard. I feel like I end up posting this in almost every bass thread haha.
But, we have our own subforum where any bass related thread gets moved to, mostly ignored and forgotten. There's a group of 3 or 4 of us who will respond to threads here (myself, jimfist, SeeD come to mind), but that's just about it.

I'll gladly take a peek at a perset if you'd like; but if you're happy with the SVX plugin (it is pretty good, really), then that may be fine for your use. I use the Axe-Fx II for amp and FX (I very, very rarely use a cab/IR), and spent probably 15 or 20 hours in a studio tweaking the SVT amp model to sound close to a real SVT, since it's pretty far off the mark. It's pretty easy to get a flubby, muddy mess out of the Axe - this is even true for guitars, too. A lot of guitar tracks posted from an Axe-Fx have an enormous amount of low end that should've been shelved off. But, it "sounds cool" I suppose.
 
I think that: If you have to use EQ, PEQ blocks. Whatever kind of EQ to try to come close to the real SVT... Is no god.
So why you have a "svt" amp block that is supposed to come close to the real thing and you have to use "external" kind of EQ to come close?

Doesn't make sense...
 
Vertigo Pulse said:
Thanks for the feed back guys. So I like a lot of tones but honestly I want my OWN tone. Thats the deal. Check out my you tube channel to hear my music or check out my twitch streams. I go industrial, death metal, progressive, EDM, jazz, blues.. a lot of stuff.
Click to expand...

Oh, so that's what this is all about? Perhaps you could point us to an isolated bass part in one of those songs from your youtube page where we can hear what "your tone" is. I listened to a number of tunes for a bit, but don't have the time at the moment to go wading through a bunch of videos to find an isolated bass tone. Thanks.
 
feliperigby said:
I think that: If you have to use EQ, PEQ blocks. Whatever kind of EQ to try to come close to the real SVT... Is no god.
So why you have a "svt" amp block that is supposed to come close to the real thing and you have to use "external" kind of EQ to come close?

Doesn't make sense...
Click to expand...
I'm sorry but I don't understand what you are saying here...
 
jimfist said:
Oh, so that's what this is all about? Perhaps you could point us to an isolated bass part in one of those songs from your youtube page where we can hear what "your tone" is. I listened to a number of tunes for a bit, but don't have the time at the moment to go wading through a bunch of videos to find an isolated bass tone. Thanks.
Click to expand...



So that's done with the Ampeg SVX vst plugin. What I was hoping is that I could get the AxeFx to do better than this. Im not bragging about that bass tone but I found it frustrating I couldn't even get there with my current settings.

My OP is that the bass tone I am getting on the axefx is muddy. Even at proper levels. With my ampeg svx I'm not. I get usable tone.
 
For example: If you use the Axe Edit or directly on the AxeFX and insert the SV Bass Amp Block. The "factory configuration" there's nothing near the ampeg svt classic tone.
Many people have to use another EQ block or on the other EQ sections from the SV Bass Amp Block to come close to a descent ampeg sound. And in my opinion you can't achieve that.
So there's no love for bass players on Fractal.
Not updates, no work on it.

Mainly you have what they offer. Use EQ blocks to achieve a kind of sound and in the end. Never will be an ampeg tone.
I'm on the ampeg, but orange, mesa bass amps on FAS are in the same net for this.
In my opinion of course...
 
so wait...a dedicated piece of software intended for use with the BASS has better bass tones than a dedicated GUITAR processor that happens to have a couple of bass amps thrown in? shocking....

it's a guitar processor. doesn't claim to be ideal for bass, at all...
 
That's the main answer that guitar players do.
It's for guitars, fuck off bass players.
BUT, As far as I know on FAS website says that the gear is for bass players too...
 
feliperigby said:
That's the main answer that guitar players do.
It's for guitars, fuck off bass players.
BUT, As far as I know on FAS website says that the gear is for bass players too...
Click to expand...
Yeah. Just get used to it. Second class citizens all around... it's something "we" (bass players) are accustomed to hearing. Doesn't surprise me that attitude is prevalent here.
 
Hmm,you said you did not like my Bass preset. Did you try to lower the Amp Block 1 (this is just "sub bass")

And test the different scenes ?
 
you guys are being too defensive....but it is what it is. it would be like me buying a bass pod and complaining about the guitar tones.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom