The most important component of the bass tone, about which many people forget, is the fresh set of strings.

Sound differences: 2:43 - recording directly from interface 3:51 - recording directly from interface + amp plugin software 4:59 - recording with interface + physical amp 5:30 - recording with interface + physical amp with cab simulation 6:41 - recording with microphone from the monitor 7:23 - recording with interface + preamp

Amp and mic such an organic sound

Could you also do a video on how to build a pedalboard for beginners? :) This video was extremely helpful, just received my lil Scarlett the other day.

I know this is a old video now but here is my way of recording bass. I have tried many ways recording direct, Sansamp active direct box but I was always so disappointed. Finally what I did was record my P bass direct with a Radial J48 direct box (muddy in my opinion). Then I reamped it later to my GK amp with a GK 4 10" speakers. Then I'm using a Sennheiser e906 mic (made for guitar amps) about 1 inch from the speaker grille right in the center of the speaker into a tube preamp. From the tube preamp into a Sonic Maximizer . Then to the mixer and I set eq on mixer flat. I wish I would have learned this method a long time ago, can't believe how much better the bass sets in the mix now without trying to fix problems with the eq.

The amp with the cab sim was my favorite.

Thanks Patrick for sharing with us.

Great video - some questions please. 1. Can we now hear how each recording sounds when you open it up on a DAW? Then we will really know which has the best result. 2. Which method can result in a pro. recording at home? 3. Can you make a video like this for "guitar" and one for "keyboard" and one for "recording your voice?" I hope you answer these questions as I write songs and want to learn how to make professional, radio ready songs at home. Much thanks - John

I have Scarlett solo gen 2 and can record vocals and instruments...$100... I have a Shure sm58 mic, $100... And an sm7b mic as well $500... Using Audacity (free) on my laptop (Lenovo P16 thinkpad i9 32gb ram, 1tb SSD, 24 threads, 16 cores ($2,000 on sale black Friday), I can make most of the tracks on my channel... So it can be done with less than $1,000 if you know what you're doing post production, assuming you have your instrument already. My Yamaha modx8 was about $2,000, my laptop was on sale for $2,000 and my jazz p bass was $500, and other guitars I have and other stuff are under $500, so it is possible to make decent recordings under $10,000 if you're a one man band like myself... Cheers and thanks for the video!!!

Whatever method you use you should always keep a clean di signal . - for blending - for editing - trying new plugins - reamping Personally I use the clean signal blended with a preamp ( atm I use tech 21 psa 2).

Bass goes into DI for capturing a clean track, and then onwards into my pedalboard, with a preamp & cabsim as the final stage before my interface. So I get my main tone recorded, along with a separate clean track that I can use for whatever I want.

Hi Patrick, you did an amazing job: short explained, showed the best recording methods, used exact the same bass line as example wich helps a lot to focus on the sound. My favorite methods were straight to interface and preamp. Thank you a lot!

I only use a DI - a Radial J48, an active one - for my passive basses between the instrument and the interface. General rule of thumb is to use an active DI if the bass is passive, or a passive DI if the bass is active. In 90% of the recordings, this just does it. However, I only use instruments that do sound amazing when recorded - I have a couple of Fenders and Yamahas, all with PJ pickups. When you've got a PJ bass a Precision really is no longer necessary, it does sound like a Precision bass when you want it to. It isn't a substitute for a Jazz Bass though. There are indeed those 10% tracks that are heavier in use of electric guitars, metal ensembles, organs/synths and things get really busy, harder to eq and mix, and the DI bass track feels buried in a mass of competing instruments. When this happens, I just duplicate the bass track and simulate a cabinet via software in the second track. By controlling the volume of the 'clean' and 'processed' tracks I get to the sound I want - an in-your-face and clear bass sound, even when in such a busy setting. Now, I really care about my playing, so that the music sounds the way I intend to - sometimes softer, sometimes more straightforward and aggressive - playing too uniformly doesn't do you a lot of favors because then you begin to make your bass to sound like a MIDI file. Yes the bass helps the rithm section but a bass player is still alive and creative, it's ok to say that clear with your sound. I say this does all the difference, beyond equipment.

Thank you, this is an extremely helpful starting point for me! Wondering if you are using the Amp head / Mic'd amp / VTBass DI instead of the Scarlet 2i2, or in conjunction with the Scarlet 2i2?

Earlier this year I bought a mic from Thomann thats so sensitive I wouldnt even need an amp for recording...literally I can hear me scratching my leg from the other side of the room if it's plugged in 😂

Thanks Patrick!

Was not expecting a Cory Wong plugin to get the coolest bass tone

Great vid. Thanks for the tips! Who made that sweet shirt?

Wish mine sounded like that DI with nothing else... I have heaps of good instruments and can't get that fullness and volume

TSE BOD works great for me, and free

Do different audio interfaces have different amounts of latency when use with a DAW? I had a Sonus interface and had problems with excessive latency. Thinking of trying the audio interface you used in your video. This seems like an important specification that is rarely published.

Gostei muito 👏👏👏

Yep, I'm overwhelmed, lol. I just want to record bass!

I'm trying to record my bass (active circuit) but it gets distorted even when is not reaching the clip on the interface and on the DAW, I tried to record with another bass (passive) and I'm not getting the distortion. Do I need to buy a Direct box for recording my active bass?

This will sound like a ridiculous question however, I know I can use a Focusrite Scarlet Solo to record bass onto my MacBook but is there such a thing where I can have an artists song (say like Enter Sandman) that plays on my MacBook but I play with it, over it or even delete Jason's bass track and record my own bass? I've been playing bass since 1991 but just got my first MacBook and I'm clueless when it comes to this stuff, thanks. I have my bass & my SansAmp Dug Pinnick pedal and a SWR SM400S & 2x12 cab.

Mic on amp was #1 Tech 21 close #2. Sounds like your using a pedal compressor going in first.

Can anyone tell me if when recording with a mic’d amp, does the bigger the amp sound with more wattage, the better? I know a cheap practice amp isn’t going to sound as good as a huge Ampeg tube head & cabinet obviously, but will there be a noticeable difference in the recording between say an Ampeg Rocket 200 vs. Ampeg Rocket 500 watt?

Say what about a d i box I've heard about those a fair bit.

Someone told me to have the volume knob turn all the way down to record bass on directly in?

Patrick you shouldn't be using an XLR input when you go with the di you need a quarter inch input to bypass the interfaces internal preamp you don't want the power from your base unit and then add the power from the preamp of the interface it causes a shittier sound and you could actually damage your unit so you want an XLR female coming out of your bass rig to a quarter inch input into the focusrite

Step one call and invite Leland Sklar to your house. Step two be awe'd but the awesomeness. or try what Patrick said

Got ux2 and sounds like crap for bass

It’s really a great explanation except playing with the pic!

Christ worst bassline ever

with all the basses on the wall, why use a Squire?...

With all due respect.. you talking with your hands is very distracting while you’re giving good info to your audience.. thx