How to get a good chunky rock bass sound?

Walnutcracker

I've been messing about for ages trying to get a good sound from my bass. Basically i would like to get a good chunky bass sound that is smooth. I have come close but i keep having trouble with the low end. Any time i get close i find my low end gets out of control and i can't smoothen it. If i want a good chunky bass sound that is smooth and won't result in my low end being hard to control, generally speaking what frequencies should i be adding and which ones should i be cutting? I know it's very subjective but i'd appreciate any feedback that i can try out to see if any of it works. Most of all i just want to know what frequencies in the low end i need to be working on to get a smooth sound that isn't boomy. Any ideas for me to play around with at all would be great. Thanks.

Paolo_M

Walnutcracker wrote: »

I've been messing about for ages trying to get a good sound from my bass. Basically i would like to get a good chunky bass sound that is smooth. I have come close but i keep having trouble with the low end. Any time i get close i find my low end gets out of control and i can't smoothen it. If i want a good chunky bass sound that is smooth and won't result in my low end being hard to control, generally speaking what frequencies should i be adding and which ones should i be cutting? I know it's very subjective but i'd appreciate any feedback that i can try out to see if any of it works. Most of all i just want to know what frequencies in the low end i need to be working on to get a smooth sound that isn't boomy. Any ideas for me to play around with at all would be great. Thanks.

I'd suggest a compressor to be honest. It does a far better job of controlling bass than any eqing could ever do.

What bass, amp, speaker cab are you using?
What style of music are you playing?

Rigsby

You might find some useful information in the link below. Also remember that the type of strings used, the room, and your fingers (i.e. how you pluck or pick), can influence your over all tone, as can the position of the cab ( too close to a wall, in a corner, on a stand or on the floor etc.). While EQ is the main thing, these are other contributing factors.

http://www.ovnilab.com/articles/eqtypes.shtml

Walnutcracker

Paolo_M wrote: »

I'd suggest a compressor to be honest. It does a far better job of controlling bass than any eqing could ever do.

What bass, amp, speaker cab are you using?
What style of music are you playing?

Aria Integra (active puppies) with Laney 100 watt combo. I play all sorts of rock but the chunky sound i'm specifically talking about it Tool's bass player. I know he has the best of the best equipment and nothing is a substitute. I tune down a semitone and use drop C# sometimes too. I have used compressors, amps built in one and outboard. When i say smooth what i mean is smooth tonally, not dynamically.

Rigsby

Walnutcracker wrote: »

Laney 100 watt combo.

In fairness, you cant expect too much here.

Zapp Brannigan

If you're trying to get Chancellors tone, I'd boost my treble and low mids. But he plays a Wal and those are very distinct instruments so I wish you luck!

Paolo_M

Walnutcracker wrote: »

Aria Integra (active puppies) with Laney 100 watt combo. I play all sorts of rock but the chunky sound i'm specifically talking about it Tool's bass player. I know he has the best of the best equipment and nothing is a substitute. I tune down a semitone and use drop C# sometimes too. I have used compressors, amps built in one and outboard. When i say smooth what i mean is smooth tonally, not dynamically.

The best thing you could do is post a clip of your current tone.

Recommending EQ curves etc. without knowing what you currently sound like is completely pointless.

I'm a big Tool fan so I've a good idea how the bass sounds.

Zapp is right, there's a lot of trebs there in his sound. I'm thinking of the sounds from Lateralus, Aenemia, 10,000 Days and Undertow as they're the albums I have
I wouldn't really describe it as smooth.
I'd say it's quite aggressive and gnarly.
It does have a huge low end thickness, but his bass parts do act kinda like a second guitar and so the upper mids and trabs are fairly overdriven for a bass.

reniwren

Walnutcracker wrote: »

Aria Integra (active puppies) with Laney 100 watt combo. I play all sorts of rock but the chunky sound i'm specifically talking about it Tool's bass player. I know he has the best of the best equipment and nothing is a substitute. I tune down a semitone and use drop C# sometimes too. I have used compressors, amps built in one and outboard. When i say smooth what i mean is smooth tonally, not dynamically.

http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=6 for your tunedown to C#

smooth is down to the playing technique
also make sure your using a heavier gauge string set and have the bass set up for tuning down or it will sound clanky naturally, also tuning up and down will kill the string in no time so change the set regularly

Rigsby

reniwren wrote: »

smooth is down to the playing technique/QUOTE]

+1.

zafo

Pretty broad statement from me but I find boosting mids is the key to a chunky bass sound. Where have you the mids set of the amp now?