SOUND ON SOUND

[awjoe]

I want a more growly bass sound than I can get from my instrument and amp when I record. Can you suggest a pedal that growls?

[resistorman]

Do you mean hungry stomach growl or ravening beast growl :)

[wdsteele]

MXR have a Bass Octave pedal with that very control , the Tech 21 Sansamp range can also give a few interesting options.

If a more processed sound is acceptable then some of the new synth pedals from Source Audio , Boss and Keeley might assist.

I use an Eventide H9 occasionally , one of the synth presets dialled back If I remember correctly.

[awjoe]

Do you mean hungry stomach growl or ravening beast growl :)

Bass growl isn't lions and tigers or tummies. It's more delicious.

[awjoe]

MXR have a Bass Octave pedal with that very control , the Tech 21 Sansamp range can also give a few interesting options.

If a more processed sound is acceptable then some of the new synth pedals from Source Audio , Boss and Keeley might assist.

I use an Eventide H9 occasionally , one of the synth presets dialled back If I remember correctly.

Lots and lots of kit to consider. I'm new to all this. I think I'll go down to my local purveyor with the same question I've put here and try some stuff out. I'll start with your MXR suggestion and explore from there. Thanks.

[Mangrove]

I feel you on the thirst for growlers. The best luck I've had is with a Mesa Subway DI into Neve-ish pres (aggro comps won't hurt, either). Pushing and adjusting the respective levels then becomes the game, which in itself is fun as all get-out if you're inclined. It's a give and take to be sure. However, I'm nowhere close to the end-all on the subject. Maybe this will help: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-many ... owl-4.html

[Sam Spoons]

Growly bass makes me think of fretless, can't describe it in words but a bit like the growl builds after the onset of the note then fades away leaving the pure tone for the decay phase. Lovely (and very cool) 8-)

[The Bunk]

Not sure if this is the way you'd want to go about it (you mention "recording" as opposed to playing live) but the Izotope Alloy 2 plug-in has a bass setting called "Growling Bass". And it growls.

[jaminem]

Best way to get a growly bass, is to use something with beefy mids...like a Warwick....
Ive had good success with the Tech 21q VT Bass as well..

[N i g e l]

Growly bass makes me think of Jean-Jacques Burnel in the Stranglers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Burnel

I use the Si-Bass guitar plugin [free with cakewalk] which growls emulating a p-bass with bass& treble boosted, mid cut & some drive and compression.
Wikipedia suggests distortion and ripped speakers but I prefer a cleaner growl.

uTube is quite good for "How do I get an xxxxxx sound" tutorials.

[The Bunk]

There's a great bit in Mark Radcliffe's "Showbusiness" book when he's talking about how a bass player should sound; not, he thinks, like Mark King whose playing "sounds like a lorry load of wet fish being dumped backstage" but should be more like "a working concrete mixer full of bricks". I don't think Alloy 2 has such a setting.

[Martin Walker]

...and there was I naively thinking about bass wah pedals (what do I know about growling anyway ;) )

Anyway, here's an example with some background info:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gXzxKIyy4Y


Martin

[SecretSam]

Best way to get a growly bass, is to use something with beefy mids...like a Warwick....
Ive had good success with the Tech 21q VT Bass as well..

+1 for the legendary Warwick growl. If you have 1500 to 2000 pounds to spend. (Avoid the el cheapo Rockbass series.)

Rather more economic is the old Boss OC2 octave pedal.

Better still, both.

[ore_terra]

My band’s bassist just got an EHX batallion. Growls quite good and comes with a very useful blend knob

[awjoe]

I feel you on the thirst for growlers. The best luck I've had is with a Mesa Subway DI into Neve-ish pres (aggro comps won't hurt, either). Pushing and adjusting the respective levels then becomes the game, which in itself is fun as all get-out if you're inclined. It's a give and take to be sure. However, I'm nowhere close to the end-all on the subject. Maybe this will help: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-many ... owl-4.html

Yes, useful - thanks. Pretty much covers all the variables, I think. I'm thinking I can make a start just by playing with the mids settings on the rig I've got now. Happiness is having a likely direction to explore.