Members echoshock Posted June 1, 2006 Members Share Posted June 1, 2006 So I broke out the first Audioslave record this week (still haven't really heard the second one), and all I can say is, forget Tom Morello because the bass guitar sound on that album is some of the nastiest, grittiest, meanest stuff I've heard in a while.. Oh and I mean all of those in a good way. Anybody concur? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted June 1, 2006 Members Share Posted June 1, 2006 I don't remember any specific instruments, just that the whole recording seemed to be quite good. I'll have to listen again (my girlfriend has the CD, I think). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members echoshock Posted June 1, 2006 Author Members Share Posted June 1, 2006 Originally posted by UstadKhanAli I don't remember any specific instruments, just that the whole recording seemed to be quite good. I'll have to listen again (my girlfriend has the CD, I think). Yes the whole recording is great. I was never really that into Soundgarden but Chris Cornell really shines on this album. I love the upfront clarity of the vocals. But the bass guitar tone on some of the songs really is great. Great example of how a great bass sound makes the guitar sound great. Wow I used the word 'great' way to much in that post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Badside Posted June 1, 2006 Members Share Posted June 1, 2006 I've always noticed that in RATM, the bass was always used more like a second guitar. Morello never had a really powerful tone and the meat of the mix usually came from the bass. RHCP does the same thing. I've even noticed that they would often pan the bass off center a bit, usually opposite to the guitar track (which doesn't seem to be double-tracked as is usually the case with heavier music). Actually, I think what they were doing was to have a clean (probably DI'ed) signal in the center, but put a dirtier version of the bass track (probably hi-passed) on one side, opposite of the guitar. This is a really neat trick when working with a band where the bass takes a lot of place and/or the guitar track is not a double-tracking candidate. As for getting the actual bass sound, I couldn't say what exactly they did. This is probably a great bass (Fender jazz bass I think?), through a great amp (I'd venture to say Ampeg, but really have no clue) and of course that guy is a freaking good player! He could play on a Celine Dion record and you'd feel like jumping around! The dirt in his sound probably comes from a tube preamp section, although I guess this is the kind of thing you could replicate with a Tech21 box. It can't be anything really complicated because they usually track everything together in the same room (except vocals), that's how they get such a good groove. To me, RATM (and now Audioslave) has always been about the drummer and the bassist. Morello got the most press because of the innovative sounds he was making with his guitar, but really, give him an ordinary rhytm section and no creative noise is gonna save him. Those guys kick ass! They know how to get the groove going. I've played "Killing in the name of" like a million time in my life, and I've never seen a drummer do it properly. The shifts from "square" to shuffle, the way he accents, his laid-back yet ultra-tight playing. Incredible. And of course, the bassist just locks in with him, like they were made out of the same egg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members echoshock Posted June 1, 2006 Author Members Share Posted June 1, 2006 Originally posted by Hardtailed I've always noticed that in RATM, the bass was always used more like a second guitar. Morello never had a really powerful tone and the meat of the mix usually came from the bass. RHCP does the same thing. I've even noticed that they would often pan the bass off center a bit, usually opposite to the guitar track (which doesn't seem to be double-tracked as is usually the case with heavier music). Actually, I think what they were doing was to have a clean (probably DI'ed) signal in the center, but put a dirtier version of the bass track (probably hi-passed) on one side, opposite of the guitar. This is a really neat trick when working with a band where the bass takes a lot of place and/or the guitar track is not a double-tracking candidate. As for getting the actual bass sound, I couldn't say what exactly they did. This is probably a great bass (Fender jazz bass I think?), through a great amp (I'd venture to say Ampeg, but really have no clue) and of course that guy is a freaking good player! He could play on a Celine Dion record and you'd feel like jumping around! The dirt in his sound probably comes from a tube preamp section, although I guess this is the kind of thing you could replicate with a Tech21 box. It can't be anything really complicated because they usually track everything together in the same room (except vocals), that's how they get such a good groove. To me, RATM (and now Audioslave) has always been about the drummer and the bassist. Morello got the most press because of the innovative sounds he was making with his guitar, but really, give him an ordinary rhytm section and no creative noise is gonna save him. Those guys kick ass! They know how to get the groove going. I've played "Killing in the name of" like a million time in my life, and I've never seen a drummer do it properly. The shifts from "square" to shuffle, the way he accents, his laid-back yet ultra-tight playing. Incredible. And of course, the bassist just locks in with him, like they were made out of the same egg Awesome Post Hardtailed. Thanks for the info on the bass tone. And I couldn't agree more on the fact that the rhythm section is the whole band. Tom Morello has some catchy grooves but lets be serious, nothing amazing going on there. Actually some of my favorite parts of the album are the guitar solos because they let you can truly distunguish the wall of sound that the bass is putting out without the guitar. Yea thats whats so amazing about the album.. Such simple songs and grooves but I never get sick of them.. Cornell ain't too bad either. Funny you mentioned the whole rhythm section thing because I was just coming home from work and listening to Zepplin. Another band where the bass player probably wasn't ever given enough credit for how much those songs groove.. People feel it and hear it but probably never really think about how important the bass is. I remember recording on my first 4 track when I was 15. All I had was a drum machine and guitar and my School music teacher would always tell me how bass was the most important and how I needed one in my songs. P.S. everytime I hear Killin in the name of, I think of moshing at college frat parties in 93'... ahh good times good times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members darins Posted June 2, 2006 Members Share Posted June 2, 2006 Originally posted by Hardtailed To me, RATM (and now Audioslave) has always been about the drummer and the bassist. +1 I popped the first RATM album in my CD player for my commute today and throughout the entire thing, the rhythm section always had my attention above everything else. Great players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members megadan Posted June 2, 2006 Members Share Posted June 2, 2006 The breakdown of Timmy C's sound can be found from your helpful friends, the bass players, in the HCBF FAQ section. Basically, jazz basses with hand wound pickups, often tuned BEAD for audioslave, a variety of distortion pedals, which are now mostly put aside for a triple rig: a clean SVT, an overdriven SVT, and I believe an Ashdown that has been miodified to handle being in the red all the time as a distortion rig, each with a 410 or an 810 cab underneath. He blends in each amp as needed for the sound. Awesome, awesome bass player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Badside Posted June 2, 2006 Members Share Posted June 2, 2006 Originally posted by echoshock P.S. everytime I hear Killin in the name of, I think of moshing at college frat parties in 93'... ahh good times good times. Yep, thanks to my coverband weekend warriorism, I still see moshing kids at college frat parties while playing this song Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Def_Pearl_Pilot Posted June 2, 2006 Members Share Posted June 2, 2006 I'm surprised that a lot of people don't give Morello more credit for his badass riffs. Contrary to the opinions in this thread, I never cared for Tim's bass tone. I always did like Brad's playing and drum sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted June 2, 2006 Members Share Posted June 2, 2006 I'll give Morello plenty of credit. He's got great riffs and is inventive. And they've got a monster rhythm section. Everyone gets credit here. They all play really well together as an ensemble. Excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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