My email to a fellow bassist:
“When I’m playing live the focus is always on playing the song correctly, then volume in relation to other instruments.” – this yeah, obviously, and to the first part of which I will add, “groove”.
But I would also re-phrase the second part as, “perceived volume”.
And that’s where dirt pedals come in.
The dirt itself is one thing, hearing the grind or the clank or the fuzz – as an effect.
But a good dirt pedal use is to cut through.
That “Interstate Love Song” bass (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcUwRzLtx6w) doesn’t sound noticeably dirty in the song itself – it doesn’t sound effected (Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song (Official Music Video) [HD]), unless you are a bassist who can hear it.
The dirt brings the bass brighter, slightly less dynamic and to the guitars and with equal perceived volume.
Now, that iso’d bass track is obviously compressed (I might guess a dbx VCA compressor) and limited, as well.
But the idear of dirt (and that might well be a cranked amp and nothing else, because it’s pro-recorded in a pro studio with pro gear (produced by Brendan O’Brien [Billy Joe Shaver, Pearl Jam] using an SVT fridge on the first album, variations thereafter: Robert DeLeo on the making of Stone Temple Pilots’ Core) is the same – you want that compressed, brightened, sustained dirty top end to cut through the mix, and without losing the bottom end (a whole other topic to address).
Seriously, how often doya solo (don’t ask me that, of course)? Not often is yer bass heard in isolation, you are usually playing against guitars, vox, drums, and trying to be heard in that mix – that’s what overdrive is for, how it sits in that mix.
A useful general approach is to use boost to get louder, use distortion as just north of overdrive and can be for cut or effect, and use fuzz for an effect.
I’ll take it further: chorus can also help you cut through; Matt Wallace in recording Nevermind used modulation on Krist’s bass for what he called, “movement” – in net result you can hear the bass better through the wall of guitar(s). A key thing there is just a slight amount of stereo, as well.
Last example: I find it can be cool to just play the bass with a touch of compression under the verse, and then add overdrive as the guitars come in, using overdrive for the dynamic and EQ to be more exciting when the guitars, voc and bass also go there (distortion on the guitar, louder vox, pounding drums).
Double-secret-probation note: a good overdrive pedal is one that you can play through lightly and it’s clean or almost clean, and as you play heaver and/or turn up yer bass it gets dirtier. If you like, next time you come by I can illustrate that.
You wanna ‘speriment, an EHX Bass Soulfood will do it cheap. I’m currently using (changed since you were here) a Mr. Squishy compressor to compress and drive, a Sushibox Westinghouse for the tube dirt and compression, a nano Bass Muff for fuzz, a EQD Westinghouse for light overdrive and a Darkglass Vintage Microtubes for both Mascis-style volume control of the other drives, and as a distortion.
Finally, and folks forget this, nearly any dirt pedal can be an overdrive if you turn down the gain and use only its master volume and tone control. Turn off the compression, and a compressor may do the same, or may function as a boost.
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vlayman 