Jonze
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Slap Bass Track Hella Clipping
I'm having an issue in that when I'm slapping my bass I get a massive clip in the recording. This is due to either the string or my hand smashing into the pickup. NOTE: I am not a bass player. I'm quite sure my technique sucks and I've been playing guitar long enough to know that crashing things into your pickup is a bad thing. HOWEVER, I totally dig the sound I'm getting and want to know if there is some way through compression or some other method to bring down those peaks while keeping the grove and cool sound I'm getting. I've never messed with final production in Sonar as I know a guy who is pretty good with it. Can anyone point me to some noise/pop reduction techniques that might tame this thing down a bit? Thanks
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bluzdog
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Re:Slap Bass Track Hella Clipping
2012/06/30 16:10:19
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Slap a compressor on that bass rig to control those transients on the way in.
Rocky
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Linear Phase
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Re:Slap Bass Track Hella Clipping
2012/06/30 16:32:44
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Try turning the gain down... Are you using Guitar Rig LE?
Gain staging is very important... If your audio card has a Hi Z input, you should use that. Turn down the gain. If you are using some sort of amp sim, on your signal chain... turn down the gain. pre - amp, post amp... Remember, you get a modern high gain sound, with proper gain staging, and not turning everything up to 11!!!!!!!!!!!!
All you are doing is recording digital clipping... that's not going to sound good in a mix.
You could put a compressor on the bass, before it hits your audio card, but that is going to change the sound you are getting, while lowering the gain, will prevent the signal from clipping, via its volume...
too many lasers...  Sonar = audio editing ninja of a music software!
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Beepster
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Re:Slap Bass Track Hella Clipping
2012/06/30 16:46:37
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Lower the pickups so you aren't mashing the strings into them so much. The popping and slapping sound should come more from the string thwacking against the fretboard as opposed to the pickup. A little bit of pick up pop isn't so bad. A lot is. And yeah try out some different limiters to yank out the really nasty stuff. I even used to go into the clips, snip around any loud clicks like that and then turn them down with volume automation.
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Beepster
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Re:Slap Bass Track Hella Clipping
2012/06/30 16:49:07
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Oh and try to do your slaps further away from the pickup if possible so your thumb isn't directly above the pickup. If you work on your technique a little more you can avoid a lot of production headaches later on. Cheers.
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Beepster
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Re:Slap Bass Track Hella Clipping
2012/06/30 17:01:01
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Check out this vid of Primus performing My Name is Mud. See how Claypool is whacking the strings closer to and sometime right on the fretboard. This is what you want to do. It doesn't get going until about 2 minutes in. http://www.youtube.com/wa...IUJbM0&feature=related
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Jonze
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Re:Slap Bass Track Hella Clipping
2012/06/30 20:03:28
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WOW!!! Thanks for all the great suggestions guys. I WAS going straight in HiZ with the intent to add some Guitar Rig effect to the track later. I'll work with the gain staging a little more but I'm already seeing a better effect. @Beepster - Just got into a weird Primus mood a couple of weeks ago and watched hella Claypool. The guy is stupid amazing. Strange you mention it though; hadn't thought about those guys in years before that. Thanks again.
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Beepster
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Re:Slap Bass Track Hella Clipping
2012/06/30 20:31:38
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Yeah, man. Claypool is definitely one of my favorite bass players. Just so aggressive and unique and the band SMOKES. So much talent crammed into a 3 piece. I got to see them live once and it was face melting. Anyway, I don't know a lot about actual production but I know a lot about technique in the studio. You'd be amazed how much just a minor tweak in your playing style or to physical aspects of your instrument can lead to a much better take. Before recording it's always good to find a good repair tech and get them to set up your guitars properly and obviously practicing the parts like a lunatic makes things a ton easier too. Welcome to the forum.
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bapu
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Re:Slap Bass Track Hella Clipping
2012/06/30 22:02:07
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Claypool is the man with plan for bass. Crazy good upfront guy too.
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Beepster
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Re:Slap Bass Track Hella Clipping
2012/06/30 22:21:51
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He also lists another favorite bass player of mine as a main influence. Geddy Lee.
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bapu
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Re:Slap Bass Track Hella Clipping
2012/06/30 22:50:34
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Not really a Geddy fan.
Bruce
Clarke
Squire
Pastorius
Claypool
If I could be all those guys rolled into one. That's the ticket.
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Beepster
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Re:Slap Bass Track Hella Clipping
2012/06/30 23:09:26
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bapu
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Re:Slap Bass Track Hella Clipping
2012/06/30 23:10:30
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Beepster
How about Entwistle?
He's good but I gotta draw the line somewhere don't I?
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SvenArne
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Re:Slap Bass Track Hella Clipping
2012/07/01 02:59:42
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This is a technique issue. The thumb should hit the string right at the edge of the fretboard where the neck ends (not on top of the pickup). This way you get a more defined punch, plus you don't need to worry about the string smacking the pickup at all!
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