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Applied Techniques With Igor Saavedra – The Path for a Proper Bass Sound Part 2
Meet Igor Saavedra
The chain is only as strong as its weakest link……..
In the last issue we covered links 1 to 7 on this Path for a Proper Bass Sound. Now we will look at links 8 to 14 in order to finish this saga.
8 – The Bass Head
This is a very complex and simple link at the same time, but a very important one indeed. In order to be able to decide what type of bass head you need, it’s crucial to consider many factors such as price, power, size, noise/signal ratio, if it has an input attenuator, overload and clipping leds, the Eq type (Graphic, Knob, Semi parametric, etc), contour filters, if it has a balanced line output or just regular 1/4 connector, and if it also has level regulation for that specific output signal so that we make those level modifications just for the sound engineer without affecting our levels. It’s also important to consider if the bass head has a ground lift to avoid annoying noises that show up once in a while, and a “pre Eq” or “post Eq” selector to choose if the signal that we are going to send to the mix board is going to be affected by our Eq modifications, or if it’s going to be a neutral signal. Always try to use speakon connectors for the speaker outputs of your bass head. This is even more important for high current amplifiers that once in a while can send a deadly voltage into the metal ¼ connectors that in some circumstances can burn your fingers or even injure you if you are touching them, and your other hand is touching the ground. I know what I’m saying here because this happened to me once in a sound check and I did have to cancel that concert. Finally, also consider if this bass head is rack mountable or not.
9 – The Effects
For this link in particular we must apply the concept of “less is more”, so we have to be very cautious with how much of the effects we’re going to add to the signal. There’s nothing worse for our sound. Don’t fall into “abusing them”, instead of “using them”. It’s good not to forget that 90% of the time we are playing a “supportive bass” role, so the amount of effect must be very subtle.
For me, there’s nothing better than an analog effect, and I’ve had the best digital effects available on the market. Regarding compressors, if you are not prepared to spend a big amount of money on that, let it go, because there’s going to be a huge chance that this is going to harm your sound instead of helping it (same for wireless systems).
10 – The Eq concept
This is one of the “non technological links”, but requires a lot of experience. The best advice I can share on this link is to equalize “around 0 db” (especially on graphic equalizers), otherwise we will just be increasing or decreasing the gain with a potential overload or “underload” of the input signal. It’s also good to be clear on which Eq bands are related to specific notes in order to increase them or decrease them based on our taste.
11 – The Bass Cabinet
The biggest headache of a bass player is here, but what to say, we love them, and we want them big, and looking good, but mostly, “powerful and good sounding”.
The best wood for a bass cabinet is usually plywood, but new materials are coming out and very specific MDF’s are gaining terrain over plywood with the benefit of their ultra light weight. The proportion within the cabinet’s measurements is really very important. And not just the total internal volume, because maintaining the same internal volume is not the same with a deeper than wider cabinet, instead of a wider, deeper one, or a higher and wider cabinet, etc. Be sure to check that out.
It’s also important to consider the air vents and their size, or no air vents. Plastic accessories and their proper installation are important too, because if their quality is low, they will have a tendency to vibrate and loosen. The connectors are very important as well. I prefer using speakon connectors as much as possible. Finally, where to place the cabinet will make a huge difference in the sound. Obviously a cabinet placed on the ground will sound much deeper and will give a fuller sound to the bass frequencies, with less high or mid presence than the same cabinet placed higher on a table, or a chair.
12 – The Speakers
The so called “Output transducer” is one of the most important links on this chain, and one of its weakest points at the same time due to the fact that this link is the exact moment where the electric energy is transformed into mechanical energy, and this means there’s a huge loss of the original information. The game is about loosing the least amount of information as possible, so a poor quality speaker will definitely terminate any possibility of getting a good sound.
I will mention some of the characteristics you have to consider in order to be able to choose a bass cabinet properly:
1. Cone diameter (5″, 8″, 10″, 12″, 15″, and 18″)
Believe it or not, it’s proven that a vast amount of small diameter speakers within a cabinet will reach much lower frequencies than just a single 18 inch cabinet. So be sure to try everything, and pay attention to the sound.
2. Cone material
The list of materials is huge, and each of them will have different sound properties…Polypropylene, Aramid, Kapton, Kevlar, HCL, Cast aluminum and of course Paper which is the warmest.
3. Magnet material (Mostly Ferrite and Neodymium)
I would like to mention that regarding electric bass speakers, neodymium magnets have been slowly replacing ferrite magnets, mostly because of their awesome light weight and good sound.
4. Speaker power
Don’t be under the impression that “the powerful the speaker the better for you”. For example, a 200 watt amp going into a 2000 watt speaker will sound horrible. The reason for this is that a 200 watt amp will not even tickle a 2000 watt speaker because its stiff suspension is designed to start moving only with really high signals, so the final sound will have almost no low frequencies. For a 200 watt amplifier, a good 350 watt speaker will be just perfect.
13 – The listener… Oh, that means… YOU!!
Many times I’ve heard crazy things like “I always leave the bass knob a 12 pm., the mid bass at 10 Am., and the mid high at 2 pm. and the treble at 3 pm—that sounds really good”.
The only thing I will say here is that “There is no fixed equalization for the instrument that will work for every circumstance, so you must consider where you are playing—open space, concert hall, arena, only one wall behind the stage, only one wall in front of the stage, 4 walls, material of the walls and the roof, etc. And most important, you must pay attention and LISTEN to your sound in order to make the necessary adjustments considering all this factors.”
14 – General gear maintenance
Let’s say we’ve already considered and applied the information of all the links in this saga. Many of them will be useless if we don’t do any maintenance on our equipment. In realistic terms, it’s good to be conscious of taking care of our cables. Avoid pulling the cable wire—grab the connector. It’s good to keep your instrument clean, and in dry places with a medium temperature. Keep the strings clean as well, and to avoid cleaning them too often, it might be wise to wash your hands right before playing. Always keep your tools handy—Allen wrenches, screwdrivers, cutters, pliers, etc. If there’s a slight problem with your instrument before going on stage, your sound could be affected.
Finally, always carry ear plugs; they are “a must” for any serious professional bass player. Their use is mandatory for high volume concerts.
That’s it for now my friends. Don’t miss the next issue where we’ll talk about how to approach the teaching/learning process on electric bass.
Bass Videos
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes…
It is always great to meet a super busy bassist who simply exudes a love for music and his instrument. Erick “Jesus” Coomes fits this description exactly. Hailing from Southern California, “Jesus” co-founded and plays bass for Lettuce and has found his groove playing with numerous other musicians.
Join us as we hear of his musical journey, how he gets his sound, his ongoing projects, and his plans for the future.
Photo, Bob Forte
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Visit Online
www.lettucefunk.com
IG @jesuscsuperstar
FB@jesuscoomes
FB @lettucefunk
Bass Videos
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
“These stories from the front are with real-life, day-to-day musicians who deal with work life and gigging and how they make it work out. Each month, topics may include… the kind of gigs you get, the money, dealing with less-than-ideal rooms, as well as the gear you need to get the job done… and the list goes on from there.” – Steve the Bass Guy and Shawn Cav
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This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Check out our top 10 favorite basses on Instagram this week…
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Bass CDs
New Album: Jake Leckie, Planter of Seeds
Bassist Jake Leckie and The Guide Trio Unveil New Album Planter of Seeds,
to be released on June 7, 2024
Planter of Seeds is bassist/composer Jake Leckie’s third release as a bandleader and explores what beauty can come tomorrow from the seeds we plant today.
What are we putting in the ground? What are we building? What is the village we want to bring our children up in? At the core of the ensemble is The Guide Trio, his working band with guitarist Nadav Peled and drummer Beth Goodfellow, who played on Leckie’s second album, The Guide, a rootsy funky acoustic analog folk-jazz recording released on Ropeadope records in 2022. For Planter of Seeds, the ensemble is augmented by Cathlene Pineda (piano), Randal Fisher (tenor saxophone), and Darius Christian (trombone), who infuse freedom and soul into the already tightly established ensemble.
Eight original compositions were pristinely recorded live off the floor of Studio 3 at East West Studios in Hollywood CA, and mastered by A.T. Michael MacDonald. The cover art is by internationally acclaimed visual artist Wayne White. Whereas his previous work has been compared to Charles Mingus, and Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet with Charlie Haden, Leckie’s new collection sits comfortably between the funky odd time signatures of the Dave Holland Quintet and the modern folk-jazz of the Brian Blade Fellowship Band with a respectful nod towards the late 1950s classic recordings of Ahmad Jamal and Miles Davis.
The title track, “Planter of Seeds,” is dedicated to a close family friend, who was originally from Trinidad, and whenever she visited family or friends at their homes, without anyone knowing, she would plant seeds she kept in her pocket in their gardens, so the next season beautiful flowers would pop up. It was a small altruistic anonymous act of kindness that brought just a little more beauty into the world. The rhythm is a tribute to Ahmad Jamal, who we also lost around the same time, and whose theme song Poinciana is about a tree from the Caribbean.
“Big Sur Jade” was written on a trip Leckie took with his wife to Big Sur, CA, and is a celebration of his family and community. This swinging 5/4 blues opens with an unaccompanied bass solo, and gives an opportunity for each of the musicians to share their improvisational voices. “Clear Skies” is a cathartic up-tempo release of collective creative energies in fiery improvisational freedom. “The Aquatic Uncle” features Randal Fisher’s saxophone and is named after an Italo Calvino short story which contemplates if one can embrace the new ways while being in tune with tradition. In ancient times, before a rudder, the Starboard side of the ship was where it was steered from with a steering oar. In this meditative quartet performance, the bass is like the steering oar of the ensemble: it can control the direction of the music, and when things begin to unravel or become unhinged, a simple pedal note keeps everything grounded.
The two trio tunes on the album are proof that the establishment of his consistent working band The Guide Trio has been a fruitful collaboration. “Santa Teresa”, a bouncy samba-blues in ? time, embodies the winding streets and stairways of the bohemian neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro it is named for. The swampy drum feel on “String Song” pays homage to Levon Helm of The Band, a group where you can’t always tell who wrote the song or who the bandleader is, proving that the sum is greater than the individual parts. Early jazz reflected egalitarianism in collective improvisation, and this group dynamic is an expression of that kind of inclusivity and democracy.
“The Daughters of the Moon” rounds out the album, putting book ends on the naturalist themes. This composition is named after magical surrealist Italo Calvino’s short story about consumerism, in which a mythical modern society that values only buying shiny new things throws away the moon like it is a piece of garbage and the daughters of the moon save it and resurrect it. It’s an eco-feminist take on how women are going to save the world. Pineda’s piano outro is a hauntingly beautiful lunar voyage, blinding us with love. Leckie dedicates this song to his daughter: “My hope is that my daughter becomes a daughter of the moon, helping to make the world a more beautiful and verdant place to live.”
Bass CDs
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
In a thrilling solo debut, bassist Nate Sabat combines instrumental virtuosity with a songwriter’s heart on Bass Fiddler…
The upright bass and the human voice. Two essential musical instruments, one with roots in 15th century Europe, the other as old as humanity itself.
On Bass Fiddler (Adhyâropa Records ÂR00057), the debut album from Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and bass virtuoso Nate Sabat, the scope is narrowed down a bit. Drawing from the rich and thriving tradition of American folk music, Sabat delivers expertly crafted original songs and choice covers with the upright bass as his lone tool for accompaniment.
The concept was born a decade ago when Sabat began studying with the legendary old-time fiddler Bruce Molsky at Berklee College of Music. “One of Bruce’s specialties is singing and playing fiddle at the same time. The second I heard it I was hooked,” recalls Sabat. “I thought, how can I do this on the bass?” From there, he was off to the races, arranging original and traditional material with Molsky as his guide. “Fast forward to 2020, and I — like so many other musicians — was thinking of how to best spend my time. I sat down with the goal of writing some new songs and arranging some new covers, and an entire record came out.” When the time came to make the album, it was evident that Molsky would be the ideal producer. Sabat asked him if he’d be interested, and luckily he was. “What an inspiration to work with an artist like Nate,” says Molsky. “Right at the beginning, he came to this project with a strong, personal and unique vision. Plus he had the guts to try for a complete and compelling cycle of music with nothing but a bass and a voice. You’ll hear right away that it’s engaging, sometimes serious, sometimes fun, and beautifully thought out from top to bottom.”
While this record is, at its core, a folk music album, Sabat uses the term broadly. Some tracks lean more rock (‘In the Shade’), some more pop (‘White Marble’, ‘Rabid Thoughts’), some more jazz (‘Fade Away’), but the setting ties them all together. “There’s something inherently folksy about a musician singing songs with their instrument, no matter the influences behind the compositions themselves,” Sabat notes. To be sure, there are plenty of folk songs (‘Louise’ ‘Sometimes’, ‘Eli’) and fiddling (‘Year of the Ox’) to be had here — the folk music fan won’t go hungry. There’s a healthy dose of bluegrass too (‘Orphan Annie’, ‘Lonesome Night’), clean and simple, the way Mr. Bill Monroe intended.
All in all, this album shines a light on an instrument that often goes overlooked in the folk music world, enveloping the listener in its myriad sounds, textures, and colors. “There’s nothing I love more than playing the upright bass,” exclaims Sabat. “My hope is that listeners take the time to sit with this album front to back — I want them to take in the full scope of the work. I have a feeling they’ll hear something they haven’t heard before.”
Available online at natesabat.bandcamp.com/album/walking-away
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
New Gear: Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
