My Fav recording chain for a Fender Jazz bass

[digitaldrummer]

just thought I would share this, but sorry I don't have any tracks I can share yet... maybe later.

I had a really good player in the studio recently and he has a really nice older Jazz bass. Put it through a Radial JDI and then into (the mic input) of an A-Designs EM (Erickson Montessi) "Gold" 500 preamp. WOW! I am literally doing nothing at mix time except putting a Slate VCC plugin (set to British N) on the track. No EQ, no compression (like I said -- good player). it's just perfect in the tracks (which were a mix of some jazzy swing, blues, country tunes). it really worked well for all of them.

A few weeks later I had another group where the player is decent and this time had a newer American Jazz bass. Again through the JDI and then the EM-Gold preamp. Yes! Same VCC plug and a bit of the Waves Ren comp (mainly set to tame/limit some slaps) and it sits beautifully in these tracks - this time some bluesy jazz/funk stuff.

so it wasn't completely about the player...

anyway, if you happen to have this combo, try it sometime.

Mike

[vvv]

FWIW, I have 3 favorite approaches, altho' I'm always fiddling with stuff.

Right now:
1. The Brick into a dbx 160XT
2. Meek VC3Q
3. 1176 clone as pre (the "no buttons in" option) into the dbx 160XT

I'll then usually pass filter and touch it with a limiter, ITB.

[Nick Sevilla]

My favorite has been these two:

Neve 1272 rackmount preamp DI, to an LA2a compressor. Hitting only 1-3 dB reduction maximum.

And my GL2800 console channel, again to the LA2a compressor. Not quite the same flavor of thump, but very nice as well.

The LA2a "makes it sound like a record" - John McEuen.

[ott0bot]

anything into a LA2A = sonic gold.

until I can afford one, I've had good success with a DI from a UA710 into a summit tla-50. just a touch of gain reduction on that beast really glues low frequencies.

[frshwtrbob]

A Fender Jazz Bass direct into a Great River ME-1NV preamp dialed in @ 25dB and Cal at 10 o'clock into a FMR PBC-6a compressor dialed in @ 10 o'clock acroos the controls w/ gain @ +4dB into EQ software w/ a shelf @ between 40 & 60 Hz works for me. YMMV

[frans_13]

By chance I found a way to record the bass like it sounds in the room, exactly how the players hears it, for which they love me
Hiwatt DR103 amp from 1970 in good shape (as long as they don't insist on their inferior amps .. and believe me, in 30 years I haven't heard a better one), a CAD vsm right in the middle of my 1153 (celestion loaded) 15" TraceElliot cabs from the 80s, into a HCL affinity preamp. The secret is to gainstage the chain (the mic has a three-stage pad) for the needed ammount of compression. Sits in the mix without much ado. It helps that I have a good-sized room that can handle some SPL and the right spot where it works. Never had that much luck with 10" speakers, maybe it's the resonant frequency of the speakers which is too high.

[Ken96]

FWIW, I have 3 favorite approaches, altho' I'm always fiddling with stuff.

Right now:
1. The Brick into a dbx 160XT
2. Meek VC3Q
3. 1176 clone as pre (the "no buttons in" option) into the dbx 160XT

I'll then usually pass filter and touch it with a limiter, ITB.

I picked up a VCQ3 awhile back and didn't like it for much until I started splitting the bass signal, one going through an old Ampeg that is mic'ed and then the other signal through the VCQ3. If the bass is a bit weak, I run it through a modded VTB- 1 first and then blend the line and the mic. I've gotten usable sounds blending the two together, even with a cheap Ibanez bass. I use a RE20 or a Beta 52 for the mic, and maybe a SM7 if I need more definition.

[vvv]

Cool. How'd ya mod the VTB1?