Bass guitar FX Chain

[Marshall]

I have been experimenting with creating a bass guitar FX chain. My Ibanez bass guitar plugs directly into my audio interface and then I have this set up :

1.       CA –2A compressor – set as needed

2.       Softube saturation knob – dial in as required

3.       Waves PuigTec EQP1A (“Rock Bass” preset)

4.       Kush Audio Reddi tube direct box

5.       Ownhammer Ampeg SVT-410HLF4 x 10 cabinet Bass Impulse Response

It’s sounding awesome to my ears and way above what I have achieved with a packaged bass amp sim. That said, I’m yet to try this out in a full mix, although I’d like to think that by tweaking parameters in the various elements above, I could get it to work. Also, I’m not sure I’ve got the effects in the best order, and this is my first attempt at using stand alone IRs. 

How do others set up an FX chain for bass guitar?

Edited November 5, 2019 by Marshall

[dcumpian]

Sound good! What are you using for the IR's?

Dan

[DeeringAmps]

I use AmpliTube, the SVT preset. If I’m playing my bass I come in thru the LA-610, but use the same exact software chain for real bass or Trilian. Sounds like (no pun intended) you’re set! I don’t use the saturation knob, maybe I should. I also high pass any “rumble”.

Tom

[Marshall]

2 hours ago, dcumpian said:

Sound good! What are you using for the IR's?

Dan

Hi Dan - There's a lot of choice - but a really nice OwnHammer IR I'm trying right now is based on an Ampeg SVT-410HLF cabinet with a MojaveAudio MA200 tube condenser mic apparently! 

[rsinger]

CA-2A or equivalent before or after. I normally use TH-U and the bass super tube vr or bassface. I recently got the SVT 1 for AT, but haven't had the time to try it.  

 

Here's an example of the TH-U Bassface.

https://sites.google.com/site/phoenixtaiji/music/content/GoldenHour.mp3

 

Edited November 5, 2019 by rsinger

[Christian Jones]

I've been going from my Golden Age Pre 73 which colors my sound a bit when I crank it into the Brainworx Ampeg VR and Ownhammer Ampeg IRs. It's pretty rad, but I like the idea too of a bass chain that consists of some compression, saturation and eq and I'm gonna make some of those too. Bass is so much less fussy than guitar when getting a recording sound. As a guitar player who plays bass I've spent a lot of time what some might consider overthinking/tweaking my bass tone the way guitar players do, and I was a bit surprised to go on YouTube and hear the bass sounds a lot of the pros are mixing with.. Like w/ Joe Barresi e.g. a lot of his bass tones aren't much more than the DI tone.

I run a dual bass amp sim rig almost every time to essentially parallel process live as I have one amp for fuzz and one for the clean foundation. The only time I don't do that is when I'm running the Way Huge Pork & Pickle fuzz pedal into the Pre 73 and into the Brainworx Ampeg, as the P&P has a clean blend knob on it. 

I forgot about the Cakewalk CA-2A. I think I have it and I know it was highly regarded here. Isn't it directx? 

[Marshall]

20 hours ago, Christian Jones said:

I forgot about the Cakewalk CA-2A. I think I have it and I know it was highly regarded here. Isn't it directx? 

It's a great compressor - and it's VST now. 

The other thing is the EQ - I had almost forgotten I owned PuigTec - haven't used it for years, but at the back of my mind I remembered something about the way it tightens up bass in particular. When I was experimenting the chain described above, I had a stock EQ in there first, then replaced it with the PuigTec, and wow, what a positive difference that made. Your ears can be fooled by the PuigTec as it can add a dB or 2 so be careful to level match to get the true picture. Not trying to encourage folks to spend money, but it's on sale at Everyplugin for $26.98 right now. 

[petemus]

Check out Bass Professor and Bass Professor mk II by Sonic Anomaly - they're very good and free! I've had success more than once to bring life to DI bass sound with these. The original site seems to be down, but these float around on various plugin sites for download.

Definitely worth a try, especially at that price... ?

    -Pete

[Christian Jones]

11 hours ago, Marshall said:

It's [CA-2A] a great compressor - and it's VST now. 

Cool. What's your settings on it for bass? I've got it pulled up and checking it out.

[Marshall]

The other element, which makes these come together, tightens everything up and makes it sound "real" to my ears is the OwnHammer Ampeg SVT

[sven450]

All of this is good stuff, but the best thing I have done recently in mixes is to have a DI (or just clean) track along side the fancy FX chain/amp version.  I cut most of the low end out of the DI, add some dirt, then blend that in with the girthy amp sound.  Being able to blend a "HI" bass with a "LOW" bass is incredibly helpful in a mix.  Trying to get all of what you want in a bass part in one track seems unnecessarily difficult, especially given the ease we all have now with cloning tracks and things like that.