What sims do you use for Bass?

mortega76

mortega76

Fractal Fanatic
Since we now have a sub forum for bass (great idea), I figured I would start this thread... What amp and cab sims do you guys use for bass?

My go to bass patch is the SV Bass amp sim... But the built in bass cab sims are waaaay to dark for my tastes so I used my go to cab sim combination which is the one of Jay's Gold close mic'd sims with the (super loud) R121 mic sim...

Whatdo you guys use?
 
To be honest, I don't use the bass cab sims in the Axe at all, mostly just because I have a hard time getting them to sound good with bass. I either run my patches straight without a cab sim, or if I want a thicker/wider sound, I'll add a resonator block with default settings mixed in at 20.1%. It gives it a "cabby" feel without using a cab. As for the amp sim, it'd be nice to see a couple more added just for variety. You can play around with other amp sims like the Brownface or whatever you want really, but I don't usually get into that with bass. I always use the Ampeg one.
 
Glad to see this forum! In the same way it's nice to mix a mic with some direct in the old way of working, I've done this on the Axe with good results. Running a "direct sound" through the tube pre, compressor, and a parametric EQ puts a broad range of tones at your fingers. Amp and cab (and another PEQ) is like "gravy" here, useful to add some grit or accentuate certain parts of a performance (I love the sound of fret rattle or pick attack through the SVT). By blending in this way, you can create your own feel depending on where you want things to sit. Run the whole mix through MBC to glue it back together. To answer your question directly, I don't really have a favorite cab for this technique.
 
I always wonder if it would be possible to add scaling and/or shifting to the Axe-Fx cab IR engine so the curves could be "bent."
 
That would be really nice to be able to do that. I doubt that if it could be done though, it could be done efficiently enough to make it possible to do it in the firmware because of the limited space.
 
jeffadies said:
would be sweet to add a sans amp model.
Click to expand...

Most of the bass-oriented Sansamp modelers are designed to sound like an SVT- this is something the Axe already does and does better than the Sansamps do (I've owned a Sansamp RBI and a VT Bass pedal).
 
On FAS's Facebook they are promoting this Bass forum...

"Hey bass players... The Axe-Fx is perfect for you too! Onboard bass amps, cabs and effects mean it works equally well in your end of the spectrum. Check out the new 'Axe-Fx for Bass' section of our forum and join the conversation."

I'm guessing we are going to see a couple of new bass specific amp sims...
 
It would be nice to have something to work with aside from the Ampeg sim. An SWR sim would be great.
 
Matman said:
Glad to see this forum! In the same way it's nice to mix a mic with some direct in the old way of working, I've done this on the Axe with good results. Running a "direct sound" through the tube pre, compressor, and a parametric EQ puts a broad range of tones at your fingers. Amp and cab (and another PEQ) is like "gravy" here, useful to add some grit or accentuate certain parts of a performance (I love the sound of fret rattle or pick attack through the SVT). By blending in this way, you can create your own feel depending on where you want things to sit. Run the whole mix through MBC to glue it back together. To answer your question directly, I don't really have a favorite cab for this technique.
Click to expand...
wow that sounds extravagant. maybe you could post a sound sample? would love to hear it. maybe even a patch. would love to see it...
also very glad to now see a bass forum.
 
Bryan R. Tyler said:
jeffadies said:
would be sweet to add a sans amp model.
Click to expand...

Most of the bass-oriented Sansamp modelers are designed to sound like an SVT- this is something the Axe already does and does better than the Sansamps do (I've owned a Sansamp RBI and a VT Bass pedal).
Click to expand...



I never knew that...now i feel stupid...lol
Thanks for the info you just saved me from buying a sansamp. cheers. :D
 
DLM said:
It would be nice to have something to work with aside from the Ampeg sim. An SWR sim would be great.
Click to expand...

while I agree with you, don't forget to try the Tube Pre or a 'channel strip' setup (PEQ into studio compressor).
and since the drive models all have the mix parameter, it's easy to add some dirt while keeping the 'oompf'.

:)
 
I use the Shiva clean sound for my basic tone. Clean, bright, & versatile, but it gets a little dirty when I dig in. Depending on how I set my bass and how I play, I can get old school motown through modern slap (I play a swamp ash Roscoe 5-string with Nordstrand Pickups and an Audere 4-band EQ).

I play in a Motown/Soul/Funk band, and we play songs that range from old school tunes like Grapevine, Reach Out I'll Be There, Nowhere to Run, Midnight Train to Georgia, etc... to 70's and 80's dance and funk, and the Shiva clean is the only sound I use (plus appropriate effects for certain songs).

...and man! I'm thrilled to see we have our own forum now!
 
Bryan R. Tyler said:
jeffadies said:
would be sweet to add a sans amp model.
Click to expand...

Most of the bass-oriented Sansamp modelers are designed to sound like an SVT- this is something the Axe already does and does better than the Sansamps do (I've owned a Sansamp RBI and a VT Bass pedal).
Click to expand...


While this is indeed true, the keen ears out there have no doubt noticed that the sansamp have a certain 'sound' to them that I would argue could warrant a 'sansamp sim' so to speak LOL. Tho they model the SVT's fairly well, they DO have a certain character to them that I find even MORE pleasing than the original SVTs. I own a few of the character series, and my favorite is the VT bass. Perhaps the difference is the speaker sim they use, but I find the sansamp to have MUCH more clarity/less mud of the SVTs.
 
Unfortunately, looking for new amp sims for bass is pure speculation at this point. Just because we bass players are finally acknowledged in the forums and what not doesn't mean Cliff is planning on adding any more bass sims. It'd be cool to get the word from him directly on whether or not he's planning to take care of the bass players in an upcoming firmware, (pitch detection, new sims, etc...). Until then we're kinda stuck with what we have and just wishing in the wind for something more.

We'll see. Only time will tell, but here's hopin'. :|
 
he already commented on the pitch detection 'issue'.
basically saying that allowing for lower pitches would increase the latency of the pitchshifted signal.

not something I'd want. the low/no latency of the Axe is one of the things that make it so unique.

maybe if there was a global option for guitar or bass...
 
That's what was suggested. A bass mode for pitch detection so you could select which mode you wanted to use. That way it would be fixed for bass players and guitarists wouldn't be affected at all. It shouldn't be a global option, but an option you could select in the pitch and synth blocks and the tuner. It's not something you'd want to have as a global setting.
 
DLM has it right. The wish is to have a "bass page" in the tuner and a "bass mode" in the pitch and synth blocks that would allow you to trade latency for low-end accuracy when you need it.
 
Thirded. If the guitarists on this board were told that the tuner wouldn't work on their lowest 2 or 3 strings, there'd be riots in the streets :D
 
DLM said:
That's what was suggested. A bass mode for pitch detection so you could select which mode you wanted to use. That way it would be fixed for bass players and guitarists wouldn't be affected at all. It shouldn't be a global option, but an option you could select in the pitch and synth blocks and the tuner. It's not something you'd want to have as a global setting.
Click to expand...

While I'm certainly not the most qualified person to comment on it, I would imagine it'd have to be a global setting if it were going to happen. Potentially having the pitch detection trying to work in bass and guitar modes within the same patch depending on how each block is set I imagine wouldn't go too well. :? Just assuming though.


As for amps and cabs with bass, I tend to run the SVT through a pair of the stock cabs, and in parallel run a guitar amo set for a bit of grit (one of the Rectos from memory) through... err... don't remember which cab(s). But basically it's a guitar rig in parallel. This is more for heavier stuff. Haven't had as much luck with cleaner sounds, as while the SVT sound in my heavier stuff is fine coz it's more there to fill out the lower end while the guitar rig side helps it stand out a bit, on its own it always seems too dark. Haven't tried the RW bass cabs yet though, and haven't put any time yet into tweaking without a cab or running a non-cab parallel path with EQs and whatnot. Have to get around to it at some point.

Has anyone tried the RW bass cabs?
 
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