Bass

[chip]

Here you go, Chip, my settings from my "BASS SQUASHER" patch. It might work for or help you - but it's a good starting point anyway... Like Flash says too - I just fiddle and make note of what I did, I listen to what other people do and try their thing, if I like it I keep it... but everything is under constant review.

Remember, I apply these effects to whatever bass + bass amp I'm already using (I suspect it would also work on a DI'd bass part with no amp modelling, or even on a bass part that had already been recorded using one of the BR's bass amp patches).

All it's really doing it applying some hi-pass filtering (a low cut), some compression, and some EQ.

I doctored one of the MULTI CH user patches. Hopefully you've got the same thing on a BR1200

Use these settings on whichever input channel or track number the bass is on. Mine is set on my stereo inputs, because that's where the bass signal is coming into the box as I'm playing and recording it - so I set effect LOCATION to "INPUT 1-8<NORMAL>" and then in the effect editor I put these settings on channels 7 & 8, linked.

If I was doing it to the bass after it was recorded, I'd set LOCATION to "TRACKS 1-8" and put these settings on whichever track(s) the bass part was on.

(I imagine the BR1200 will be saying 1-6, rather than 1-8).

Here's my magic numbers for LCUT, COMP, and EQ

LCUT
On/Off: ON
Invert: OFF
Freq: 50Hz

COMP
On/Off: ON
Threshold: -12dB (This assumes the bass signal is as hot as possible without clipping)
Knee: HARD
Ratio: 4.0:1
Attack: 45ms (Any lower than 45 starts removing the initial "pluck" of the bass note - sometimes you want that)
Release: 50ms (This was a guess! Flash Harry might have some useful input here...)
Level: 0.0dB

EQ
On/Off: ON
High Type: SHLV
High Gain: -3dB
High Freq: 1.00kHz
Mid Gain: -6dB
Mid Freq: 200Hz
Mid Q: 1.0
Low Type: SHLV
Low Gain: -12dB
Low Freq: 50Hz
Level: +6dB (Adjust this to get the volume level back up again, +6 happens to work for me)

I record all my bass parts through this now. And I've found that I very rarely have to do anything else to the bass afterwards in the mix - I just set it where I want level-wise and there it is.

First set your bass sound up like you want, then turn this effect on.
DO NOT be put off by how "weedy" it sounds with the effect on. Instead, listen to the bass part in the mix when it's done - it works by MAGIC!

Incidentally, since learning how to do this, I've found that the MULTI CH effect algorithm is one of the most useful things in the BR, nearly everything goes through it at some point now - even the onboard drums. I think of it like a channel strip on a mixing desk. It enables me to use a LCUT on everything before mixing (VERY important for clean mixes) and it enables me to use more than 3-bands of EQ (I can use the EQ here and the usual EQ on the channel during a bounce) - that last bit is probably a bit dodgy for purists, but it gets the job done!

I have ended up creating user MULTI CH patches for:

GENERAL INPUT 1-8 (for recording)
GENERAL MIX 1-8 (for bouncing)
GENERAL MIX 9-16 (for bouncing)
- these three get edited depending on what I'm doing

And:

BASS SQUASHER
GUITAR SQUASHER
- these I don't change much, they're set up for using on the stereo inputs without thinking when recording bass or guitar

The only pain is remembering to adjust the effect LOCATION depending on whether I'm recording a part or bouncing.

Wow. Thanks Andy.

So I can pick an effect like say. clean comp or something from either the guitar patches or bass and then enter the info provided and it should work? Or am I missing something. At the moment I am playing about with the stadium bass patch, some of the above settings you use I use, a few at any rate. Also, for the moment I have been going DI.
I record the bass in mono, the stadium bass patch creates a quite a punch now I have been messing about, possibly to much. The comp interests me as I know little on this, but , I have been putting the comp pedal in the chain before it gets to the BR, perhaps this is a no no? I have started recording a simple blues type number using two guitars in stereo, plus bass, then vocals ( mono) plus the stereo drums from the DR3, just to see what happens with the bass track.

Also the drums can and do tend to push things to the limit in the final mastering and can end up distorting, not on the phones but on any stereo system I play the song on. I may even being going to drum and bass heavy. Using the phones as I do a lot may have given me the wrong end of the stick so to speak. I do have monitors but usually do most things with the cans.

The weird thing about this is, I used to end up with better bass on the final product when using the MBR80 but the guitars weren't as good and neither were the vocals. Of course now, all the guitars are done with mics and valve amplification and the vocals with a mic too.
Once again, thanks for your time Andy. I will try your suggestions, if I have read them right of course?

[AndyR]

Hi Chip

The settings I've got there are NOT for the GUITAR or BASS patches (or VOCAL, for that matter!) - you haven't got the effects needed in the chain in those patches.

It took me ages to figure this out (on the original MBR) - why haven't I got the effects I want in the chain??! The answer is because Boss has organised them into banks, each bank of patches has the chain they think you'll need most for that application.

Look instead for the MULTI CH patches - then you'll be able to use the settings above.

What I suggest you do is as follows:

1. Record your bass part, as usual, with the stadium bass patch.
2. On playback:
(Let's say you recorded the bass on Track 2)
a) Change the Effects to a MULTI CH patch (any of the user ones will do)
b) Set the location to TRACKS 1-6 (I think that'll be your numbers)
c) Edit the patch, and on Channel 2 (because the bass is on track 2), enter all the settings above

... see what it sounds like!

If you like what's happening, here's what I'd do:
1. Record with Stadium.
2. Normalise the track.
3. Put the MULTI CH effect on the track.
4. Set the track level to 0dB (don't turn it up any more - it's at max safe level; don't turn it down - you want hottest without clipping to make the effect work best).
5. Bounce the bass, through the MULTI CH effect, onto a new track.
6. Use the new track as my bass part in the mix.

Good luck!

[chip]

Hi Andy and all. Thanks very much for all the help. But, I have now gone and bought a zoom B2 without the expression pedal, this may or may not work but I will of course let you know. The unit is in very good nr new condition with minimal use, I have been doing some research and it gets reasonable reviews so I thought why not. If it doesn't do what I need, it can go down the road to my pals shop for re sale anyway, therefore I will re-coup most if not all of the price paid.

Lastly, and maybe I should of asked this first. Any one had any experience with this or other zoom pedals?

Cheers.

Ps . I can't seem to figure out the multi ch stuff etc, so a simpler method was needed