AA1 - Week 9 - Bass Guitar

O.K. I have been here in the studio since 3 in the morning, having lots of fun recording in several different ways. At about 5 'Tools decided it couldn't back up files. It's O.K. I thought, just that deleting thing that happens in the morning, but it shouldn't delete my files as they are being used by a program. Well it didn't delete my files, but it did delete my session file. I could listen to everything in the file, but when I bounced it out there was no sound there. I spent nearly half an hour trying to make the bounce work. It wouldn't. I tried to save my Pro Tools session again, but that didn't work. I ended up exiting out of 'Tools out of frustration and thought to myself that I would just find the files in the audio files folder. I then realised the implications of this as I had been recording for the last 2 hours. I spent a while trying to find the files, but in the end I gave up. I will give you a quick run through of what I did anyway, although you obviously wont be able to listen to any of the files.









First off I did a straight DI into the avalon. This was my favourite sound as it sounded more natural than through the amp.

Secondly I did a recording with the Shure Beta52A. I hated this recording the most. It was really clicky and boomy, and although I could have got rid of the sounds, it just wasn't very nice to start with.

Next I did a recording with the AKG. I cant remember what this was like, I think it might have sounded OK though.

After this I did a recording with the Yamaha mic. Once again I can't remember what this sounded like.

My final recording was with an AKG through the Avalon, and a DI box going out of the amp into a stereo channel. This was my favourite as it had the most natural sound which still gave some of the characteristics of the amp.

Overall this was a fun, but slightly frustrating exercise for me. Being a bass player it is important for me to know how to record it well.

As a final note I would like to say a happy birthday and RIP to Chuck Schuldiner of Death and Control Denied. You were a great bloke and wrote some amazing music. RIP. \m/.

Stephen Fieldhouse. “Audio Arts”. Tutorial at EMU, University of Adelaide, South Australia. 8th May 2007.