I have a nice bass tone for a track using the DI as parallel and some boosted mids, however, I am getting pretty strong string squeak when sliding to notes (which I have to do). What is the best option to correct this?
How do you eliminate string squeak on Bass guitar?
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Flatwound strings
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Flatwounds don't squeak, but will change the tone.
You probably already know this, but you can try different amounts of finger pressure and speed. More pressure tends to reduce the finger noise, but it has limits and side effects. You can finesse it with pressure and speed of the slide to improve the noise. YMMV
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You could try a De Esser and tune out (or at least reduce) the squeaks.
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You could try a De Esser and tune out (or at least reduce) the squeaks.
I was thinking about that but then I might have to go slice up the track all the way through and cut volume or EQ those parts out anyway which is PIA.
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Before you switch to flat wound strings, I suggest looking at half round strings. They don't change the tone as much as flat wounds.
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Before you switch to flat wound strings, I suggest looking at half round strings. They don't change the tone as much as flat wounds.
Interesting!
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try fast fret or finger ease it helps with that
ive been using it ever since i saw a frank gambale clinic in the 90 s lol he used it on the strings then just ripped
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You can eliminate squeaks by improving your left hand technique. it´s not the strings that are squeaking, it´s the way you move your finger. In the beginning it seems very hard to to, but it gets automatic after a while.
Here is a very good demonstration:
External Content www.youtube.comContent embedded from external sources will not be displayed without your consent.Through the activation of external content, you agree that personal data may be transferred to third party platforms. We have provided more information on this in our privacy policy.And if you can´t lift your finger, because you want to slide up to a note, and hear the slide without squeaking, this method works:
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If it's mostly an issue on the DI, I would first try to find or tweak a profile to get the mids from the profile rather than the DI.
Well, maybe second, after working on the technique
Is it an issue when all the tracks are playing? Sometimes we zoom in on what we think is bad because we've listened too much in solo...
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But yes. Work on your technique too. Fix it at the source.
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I never bought strings for a bass before since I only got one bass recently. Four strings for $35? WTF? I'm going back to guitar.
I do like the warm tone of the flatwounds I hear in some google reviews. The other thing is, my low E seems to be much lower than the A, and A too low compared to the D, etc. I have 45 -105 on them now so maybe going 50-100 will be better for me.
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The other thing is, my low E seems to be much lower than the A, and A too low compared to the D, etc. I have 45 -105 on them now so maybe going 50-100 will be better for me.
How does the same note sound across the strings, e.g. E string fretted at sixth fret, compared to A string fretted at first?
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How does the same note sound across the strings, e.g. E string fretted at sixth fret, compared to A string fretted at first?
The depth of the low end drops too much for me as you go to higher strings. The note on E will be deep and sustained then the same note on A will be less deep and less sustain. I can keep the sustain across strings the same using a compressor, but the difference between string tone to me is like the sizes of the strings are too far apart from each other. That's the best I can explain it.
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You can change strings to chase after this phenomenon. In my experience, it will help somewhat but never solve the problem. I typically use 40-90 string sets FWIW. This improves things and gives an added benefit of faster transient response of the strings. Lighter strings excite(pluck) and de-excite(damp) faster that larger strings. This can bring the possibility of crisper, faster response. Words are failing me here, but I hope you get the point.
I've found that the depth/volume difference for the same note between different strings is mainly due to the pickup height, the monitor and the room. Lowering the pickups tends to help as well as tilting them. Further away on the thicker strings vs the lighter ones. A monitor able to reproduce lows properly provides the most improvement regarding this. Smaller ported cabs tend to make this worse. Volume, usually a lot of it, can create standing waves in the room which can also impact this. In the end, different size strings on a bass create different harmonics that have to be handled properly to fully solve this. The way your 'system' responds to the differing harmonic content caused by all these parameters is the root cause.
Good luck, this can be an adventure.
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The depth of the low end drops too much for me as you go to higher strings. The note on E will be deep and sustained then the same note on A will be less deep and less sustain. I can keep the sustain across strings the same using a compressor, but the difference between string tone to me is like the sizes of the strings are too far apart from each other. That's the best I can explain it.
Based on my limited experience, I think this is just the name of the game with bass instruments. The two basses I've had both had the same going for them.
If that is the case, it's a matter of adapting playing style and expression to this. Happy to hear from more experienced bassist on this subject.
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You can change strings to chase after this phenomenon. In my experience, it will help somewhat but never solve the problem. I typically use 40-90 string sets FWIW. This improves things and gives an added benefit of faster transient response of the strings. Lighter strings excite(pluck) and de-excite(damp) faster that larger strings. This can bring the possibility of crisper, faster response. Words are failing me here, but I hope you get the point.
I've found that the depth/volume difference for the same note between different strings is mainly due to the pickup height, the monitor and the room. Lowering the pickups tends to help as well as tilting them. Further away on the thicker strings vs the lighter ones. A monitor able to reproduce lows properly provides the most improvement regarding this. Smaller ported cabs tend to make this worse. Volume, usually a lot of it, can create standing waves in the room which can also impact this. In the end, different size strings on a bass create different harmonics that have to be handled properly to fully solve this. The way your 'system' responds to the differing harmonic content caused by all these parameters is the root cause.
Good luck, this can be an adventure.
Based on my limited experience, I think this is just the name of the game with bass instruments. The two basses I've had both had the same going for them.
If that is the case, it's a matter of adapting playing style and expression to this. Happy to hear from more experienced bassist on this subject.
Thanks guys! I wasn't sure if my beginner bass experience was getting the best of me or if this was something real bassist contend with. I'll see if those .50-.100 strings and pickup adjust will help me out not to feel this unwanted wide tonal experience.
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And no one mentioned the first thing to check, the setup. IHow’s the action? How’s the nut? Too much bow on the neck? If it’s only a few sqeaks you can always punch in and punch out when recording.
