How would you get this bass sound? (Karen Dalton - Something on your mind)

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fucdemas
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How would you get this bass sound? (Karen Dalton - Something on your mind)

Post by fucdemas » Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:32 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNIHvRKzpD0
Youtube is compressing and adding more squish than the original recording. Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/album/1OuzXj4y ... nh4tjsrRPo

To me it sounds like a P bass with an overdriven amp, played with a pick but very light down strokes. There's so much air around it. It's so powerful. I need this bass sound in my life! How would you chase it?

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Re: How would you get this bass sound? (Karen Dalton - Something on your mind)

Post by Nick Sevilla » Tue Jun 30, 2020 3:27 pm

She really is a secret treasure.

The bass was played by Harvey Brooks. Maybe ask him, if he is online, and he remembers... LOL.

He played on "Like A Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-my-ow ... 40/credits
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.

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Re: How would you get this bass sound? (Karen Dalton - Something on your mind)

Post by losthighway » Tue Jun 30, 2020 6:02 pm

fucdemas wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:32 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNIHvRKzpD0
Youtube is compressing and adding more squish than the original recording. Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/album/1OuzXj4y ... nh4tjsrRPo

To me it sounds like a P bass with an overdriven amp, played with a pick but very light down strokes. There's so much air around it. It's so powerful. I need this bass sound in my life! How would you chase it?
What a great song, and unique voice. I've never heard her before. Now I'm hooked. Kind of sits in a similar emotional space with Judee Sill.

As for the bass I agree, amp, slight overdrive, pick. Not a ton of lows, almost no highs, some good gritty mids.


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Scodiddly
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Re: How would you get this bass sound? (Karen Dalton - Something on your mind)

Post by Scodiddly » Tue Jun 30, 2020 7:00 pm

Not convinced it wasn't a hollowbody.

Definitely hearing some fret rattle at points.

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Re: How would you get this bass sound? (Karen Dalton - Something on your mind)

Post by Snarl 12/8 » Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:59 pm

losthighway wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 6:02 pm
As for the bass I agree, amp, slight overdrive, pick. Not a ton of lows, almost no highs, some good gritty mids.
My first thought was quiet guitar amp. Which would kinda give you that eq profile you describe.
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Re: How would you get this bass sound? (Karen Dalton - Something on your mind)

Post by winky dinglehoffer » Tue Jun 30, 2020 9:14 pm

The opening almost sounds a bit like a textured pick (like the rounded end of a Herco or Jim Dunlop) scraping the string. I also agree with Scodiddly that there's a chance it's a hollowbody.

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Re: How would you get this bass sound? (Karen Dalton - Something on your mind)

Post by fucdemas » Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:52 pm

How about mics, preamps, compressors? Any suggestions?

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Re: How would you get this bass sound? (Karen Dalton - Something on your mind)

Post by digitaldrummer » Wed Jul 01, 2020 7:09 am

fucdemas wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:52 pm
How about mics, preamps, compressors? Any suggestions?
something that was available in 1970/1971. U67? U87? I'm sure Bearsville was well stocked.
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A.David.MacKinnon
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Re: How would you get this bass sound? (Karen Dalton - Something on your mind)

Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:34 am

Or maybe an Ev 666

Preamp would have been the board. You'd have to do some digging to find out what Bearsville was using in that era. I've read that it was a quad 8 but that might have been later. Compression may or may not have been in the chain.

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Re: How would you get this bass sound? (Karen Dalton - Something on your mind)

Post by vernier » Fri Jul 03, 2020 5:59 pm

Several ways .. a guitar amp cranked up to desired distortion. Or, amp with master vol control set to desired overdrive. Or, vintage Acoustic 360 bass amp, which has that overdrive built in. And finally, one I did with Queen's engineer Mike Stone, he sent out for an MXR Distortion+ and we used that.

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Re: How would you get this bass sound? (Karen Dalton - Something on your mind)

Post by losthighway » Mon Jul 06, 2020 11:09 am

A.David.MacKinnon wrote:
Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:34 am
Compression may or may not have been in the chain.
Yeah, with that much gain it might not be needed.

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