[Skub]

Man oh man,does it come back to bite ya.  

I used the bass facility on garageband which allows you to use a six string electric guitar as a bass and it works kinda okish on the bottom E and lower notes on the A. Passable. Therein lies the trap.  

 This was just pure laziness on my part,as I have half a dozen basses belonging to my son lying around the house.

Today I tried a real bass guitar on a new track.

 ..I mean   no I mean   er..

It's a far better sound with the minimum of fuss and little faffing about with eq,that's a  

Having to go back over almost ten completed songs and re-record the bassline is a  

In Skubland,every day is a schoolday.

Over and out.

[Boydie]

You just can't beat a real bass - there is just something "special" about having a real bass in a track

It will be worth going through your tracks - and you have learnt a valuable lesson for free 

[Skub]

You just can't beat a real bass - there is just something "special" about having a real bass in a track

It will be worth going through your tracks - and you have learnt a valuable lesson for free 

Free?

Time is free now?

Where can aye git me sum? 

Thing is Paul,even a 20 quid Squier off Gumtree would do the job,it isn't down to money. The corner cut was 100% laziness on my part.

Still,you're right,a lesson is a lesson. 

[TimCurtis]

So tempting to just put on a quick synth bass then copy/paste. OK if it's that kind of song. But better to put in the real thing and build the sound around it than try to shoe horn it in later IMHO.

[Boydie]

But better to put in the real thing and build the sound around it than try to shoe horn it in later IMHO.

I have to say that I often intentionally record a live bass later on in the process

I typically programme a basic drum beat with the groove I want for the track (just kick, snare and hi hats)

I then record the guitar groove, piano/keyboard groove and a guide vocal

At THIS point, when I get a sense of the whole track I will record my BASS line, which naturally grooves with the other elements - i.e. Get a little more "flowery" between vocal phrases and lead into and out of natural transitions

I will then go back to the drum groove and change the kick drum timings to lock in with the bass (I find I can get a better "feel" for the groove playing guitar as I am not a natural drummer)

I don't always work like this but it has ALWAYS been very successful so I just wanted to post to say that you don't always have to record the bass first - I think I even recall that the Beatles often recorded the bass lines later in the process so Paul could compliment the lead vocal with his playing

[adamfarr]

I think that's right - bass should come later in the process and it's more important than we might think. Except perhaps in dance music where I guess that it should be part of the early building blocks to set up the entire groove of the track.