Recording Bass at Home | What You Need To Sound Professional | The Janek Gwizdala Podcast

Get ready to level up your bass recording game! In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on killer home recording setups for every budget. Whether you're rocking a tight wallet or ready to splurge, I've got you covered.
We're diving deep, exploring setups from under $500 all the way to the stratosphere of luxury gear. There's something here for every bassist, whether you're just starting out or a seasoned pro.
And hey, I know I've got a ton of gear, but there's always more out there! If I missed your favorite compressor or pre-amp, drop a comment below or contact the company. Who knows? Maybe we'll team up with the builder for a demo on the channel!
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[@gcvrsa]

The difficulty with recording gear is that there a lot of mystique being sold out there for a lot of money that doesn't necessarily translate to better audio quality, and it is absolutely possible to produce professional-quality recordings without having the "unobtanium" level of gear. The biggest problem with all this stuff is, there's almost nowhere you can go to hear direct comparisons before purchasing at the retail level, so recording gear is shrouded in mystique and fear of missing out, so most of us are forced to rely on the recommendations of others, and KZbin comparisons, such as they are. When it comes to USB interfaces, I generally recommend that people not get the Scarlett 2i2, but to get either the 4i4 or 6i6, because they offer balanced line level inputs that bypass the internal preamps, if at some point, you decide to use different external preamps, or if you are working with line level output gear. I would apply the same recommendation to other brands-look for ones a step up from the basic 2-channel model that have TRS line level inputs that bypass the built-in mic pres. As for connecting one's bass, every bassist should first own a basic DI box, and for that I recommend the Countryman Type 85 for an active DI and the Radial JDI for a passive DI. If nothing else, these will always be useful for capturing a "safety" track directly out of your instrument, uncolored by any subsequent signal processing, should you wish to later re-amp for a different sound. And speaking of which, every bassist should strongly consider purchasing a re-amp box. I have an original Cuniberti Re-Amp, but Cuniberti licensed his design to Radial Engineering, who now produce a range of Re-Amp models. The Noble preamp is obviously a very good preamp, but it is not by any means the be-all/end-all of bass guitar preamps. I often note that in Philip Conrad's blind test, I actually preferred the sound of the Radial JDI to the sound of the Noble. But, if it makes you feel good to own a Noble, by all means, get one. The beyerdynamic DT880 Pro is highly regarded and turns up frequently on headphone recommendation lists. I would also recommend the Sony MDR-7506 or MDR-CD900ST, but there are also other commonly praised headphones out there in the $100-200 range.

[@craigsi16]

Since you and Ian both like to make synth sounds it would be interesting to here your different approaches to that, especially since Ian seems to use a lot of the Stomp synth sounds while you seem to go mostly to other external pedals for those tones

[@mattvanderlinden]

DUDE! I can't believe you're coming to Oshkosh. I'll be there, man. Can't wait to hear y'all!

[@nyunya4129]

You're welcome! Greetings from Poland.

[@nothingwheel]

EBS Microbass 3 is a brilliant versatile preamp/DI option. FX loop, 2nd overdrive channel, sweepable parametric mids, built in tuner, onboard compressor. $400 brand new.

[@simonmurray8220]

My son just bought a focusrite. Works just fine with some amazing capabilities. He’s a drummer I’m a guitar player but don’t really play much these days. Btw: Been listening to your work with Tim miller a lot. The production on the 55bar recording is awesome. Sounds like two mics in the room and brings the listener into the room really well. Also love hearing the tunes being called as they are being played etc.

[@janekgwizdala]

You're right, it was just two mics mounted in the ceiling for that recording. Very little production, just great musicians who played their asses off for the show. I'm always amazed at how well the recording came out.

[@mattvanderlinden]

Here's a question for Ian - if he was building his board all over from scratch, would he create (or try to create) most of his synth bass tones right in the HX Stomp? I followed his earlier advice of combining a 3Leaf Octabvre, Doom 2, Envelop filter, and Chorus effects to create some synth tones, which sound AWESOME. But it's hard to tweak in a live scenario to change the sounds. Just curious if he feels like he can effectively handle all of that right in the HX stop (or most of it) and have it sound fluid while tracking well. Thanks for all you do to share knowledge and passion with the bass community!

[@tim0391]

My premature comment was regarding the BP1 compact - you looked at them at the end. Incredible gear

[@christophercheney1006]

Great insight! I've been using my HX Stomp XL into Garage Band as a "quick & dirty" setup for practice/idea capturing. A lot can be done there for sure. Recently made the move on a UA Apollo Twin X. So, gotta get that set up and enjoy that learning curve....Luna here we go!!

[@kellyvibert7861]

Kind of pleased I already had a Scarlett 2i2 Gene when I watched this, always nice to hear that someone of your calibre once used one... I'd love to hear you and Ian doing your HX stomp synth sounds also, you both use them but come at it differently I think. Thanks for the content. 👏

[@neoLover23]

I’m booking for Minneapolis at the Dakota !!!!!

[@IanMartinAllison]

SAME

[@neoLover23]

@@IanMartinAllison I’m buying your drinks !

[@martinlima_music]

Hey Janek! some sony cameras have a "product showcase" setting that ignores face tracking if you put something up front, but be careful it sometimes catches your hands if you move them about. If you don't wanna risk losing focus keep the setting off and just put it so that it blocks your face in the shot, some people put their hand right behind to make it look bigger and track more easily. Hopefully I catch you next time I'm in LA, I'll make sure to take more wooden picks!

[@stevegarneau8673]

Looking forward to the episode with Ian!

[@chrisbardolph]

The world of amp and cabinet sims and impulse responses is quite rich, even the free stuff. I've even had luck with some amp sims meant for guitar, with a bit of EQ experimenting.

[@frankmurray2213]

YOURE COMING TO OSHKOSH!!!!!!!!! I’m there! So stoked for June 9th!

[@nothingwheel]

I use an HX Stomp live for effects and put a “Regal DI” on a snapshot for my clean bass sound so I could A/B between them. Curious what people who actually OWN a Noble DI and have used one would find it as a comparison.

[@Funkybassuk]

That t-shirt is superb. I’ve always found Fender/Stingray basses quite forgiving just plugged into anything. But then I have 6 different preamps and 2 different DIs in my home studio aside from the Audio Interface Hi-Z input depending on what I’m working on. 😂

[@oliplaysbass]

Super excited for the IMA interview. Hope you’re all recovered before the next one. I’ve got a little one myself so have that all to come.

[@michaelcrawford8]

It would be awesome if you could chat with Ian about using the hx stomp for recording, and the built in DI such as the regal compared to using the actual noble. I'm also interested in a comparison of using the hx stomp as an interface, vs using it going into another interface. When using effects can a dry signal be recorded on a seperate channel, so the effect isn't printed in if it needs to be changed in post. Or if it can be used to re-amp / add effects in later instead of doing it in the daw with plugins. I'm aware there is a helix native plugin so that could be better suited in some scenarios, however im very curious on the capabilities of the stomp itself. Thanks for the great videos as always and I look forward to seeing video of you and Ian!

[@icorn25]

Would love to hear you and Ian discuss the “Pee Pee” bass (RKM double P). Why is this combo not more common? I feel that it’s more useable than the PJ setup

[@IanMartinAllison]

HEYO! Pumped to hang

[@janekgwizdala]

Hell yeah! Gonna be awesome.

[@bassimprovjams3772]

Thanks for this episode! I’m really wanting to go down this road, with myself, is there a way you could make a video of you actually going through the steps of doing a actual recording and how you do it?

[@natehaiden]

RME babyface is the peak of price to raw clocking+AD/DA performance

[@wallace_nelson]

Looking forward to the interview with Ian. My favorite 2 books.

[@fostervalle2483]

Janek I love that shirt

[@janekgwizdala]

Super cool company from Sweden: www.jazz.se/

[@RossMacdonaldBass]

I found the Noble preamp emulation in the Line 6 HX One and that's pretty much what I use it for now!

[@chrisparker5278]

I cannot see the Noble in the HX Stomp, am I missing something?

[@eskilseter]

​@@chrisparker5278It's in the latest update. Make sure you're up to date. It's under the "Distortion" group

[@xngr]

​@@chrisparker5278 It's called Regal DI or something like that.

[@ctodd122]

@IvanBassist, has a comparison.

[@itsfailix98]

@@chrisparker5278 It's the "Regal DI" and it's found in the Distortion category next to the SansAmp emulation

[@callmegucio]

I'm so glad you posted this video. I had recently asked about the best way to record bass tracks at home, and now I'm clear on the answer. I already have an audio interface and I will now buy a preamp pedal. My budget is limited, and I'm hesitating between the Palmer Pocket Amp and the Nux Melvin Lee Davis, which includes an amp and cab Aguilar emulation (both have DI). Do you know the models to be able to recommend one? Are there any other decent options on the market? Thank you very much, I keep learning every day with your content. PS: I'm waiting for that IMA interview

[@kmrumedy]

Very well done!

[@mattrudybass]

Very informative video. Thanks Janek. I really wish someone would do an HX stomp tutorial video.

[@janekgwizdala]

I think there are literally hundreds of them on KZbin at this point no?

[@mattrudybass]

@@janekgwizdala I have not found a deep dive tutorial yet. If you know of any, please let me know.

[@Gubgubgoober]

This is a question for you and Ian, I just got a hx stomp, what basics should I know? Any tricks?

[@rl-ub9hx]

I have a question for your HX pod. You did some promo stuff for the Boss GT 1000, but you never took to it and I've never seen you use one outside of the advert. What lured you into the HX family over the boss multifx?

[@gcvrsa]

I was just wondering this myself, as one of the biggest reasons I even considered getting a GT-1000 was because of Janek's video for it. I was already using Boss pedals, and realized that the GT-1000 had all the same features for less money. I did end up buying a GT-1000Core, but I'm using that primarily for guitar.

[@janekgwizdala]

It's important to be aware of the fact that the video I appeared in for BOSS for the GT-1000 (maybe 5 or 6 years ago now?) was that it a) was not a production for my channel or Pedal Studio series and b) I had almost no creative input into the video. I was hired to be in the video and nothing more. There were/are so many things wrong with that video, and it has become one of the more regrettable outcomes to a collaboration that I've experienced. Especially when you compare it to the video I did late in 2015 with BOSS for their new compressor pedal at the time. The production and quality of the video is first class. First and foremost, the mix is unforgivable. When the voice-over is talking about a clean sound, it's distorted and sounds like total garbage. If I'd heard that before it went live I would have offered my appearance fee back in return for them never publishing it. The concept of basically reading from an instruction manual as a voice over makes it so boring for the viewer. I had to go and do a full voice-over session the night before the filming, something that was not discussed in advance, and the more involved I got the more mistakes I could see them making. All of this is evidenced in the video. These are not shocking revelations. I'm still amazed that BOSS leave it on their channel to this day. It does not highlight anything positive in the unit, and I can imagine people watching that video and deciding to go in a completely different direction for multi FX. I'm sure the unit is great. Why didn't I end up using it? At the time they din't have the smaller version that was pedalboard friendly. Just the same way I don't use the Helix floor unit. It's not what I need for what I do. I started using the HX Stomp right around the same time, and it was easy to program, a small footprint, and a price point that was impossible to beat considering the quality. I love BOSS for so much other stuff, and that's very well documented over the years. Just not the multi FX thing for what I do.

[@rl-ub9hx]

@@janekgwizdala What a shame to hear, I'm sorry that experience was less than expected for you. I ended up buying the core unit but I did not like the user interface and have since moved on to thier new bigger foot print GX-100 with the little touch screen and I'm much happier with that UI but also gripe about the overall size. The HX has been on my radar more and more and especially when you add the pedalnetics buttons. Great guy BTW, I have a slick little enclosure for my Broughton HPF that he made to fit them under the nano pedalboards. I appreciate you shedding some light on your GT-1000 experience. I love the BOSS products but I'll give HX a shot next.

[@CliffHairston]

It's catching your eyes (camera focus). Anything else you want to focus on, make sure the camera can't see your face/eyes. The alternative is using a higher aperture so you can keep more items in focus.

[@janekgwizdala]

yeah, realized that one after I finished recording. 🤦‍♀

[@ctodd122]

Ah man I've been waiting for the HX Stomp pod with IMA since he mentioned doing it in March 2023 SBL podcast. At least I hope it's all about HX Stomp. My main question about the using the stomp is how do you level your presets? Do you guys have a rule of thumb? For the gear. I bought a BP2 and it's the best thing I've bought. I love the tone! Thanks for the video.

[@blaynemcguire7573]

Have fun in MPLS. Make Ian take you to Hola Arepa if you go into the city

[@billyjay1]

Awesome video!!

[@ej3342]

Hi Janek, do you ever record a straight DI (no external pre) in addition to printing whatever preamp pedal and/or effects that you're using? If so, how do you split the signal?

[@janekgwizdala]

I don't normally do that. I kind of have my basic signal chain and sound that I like, and I take that to tape. I have done split paths before and used a DI in the very front of the chain before hitting any effects, and you can also use parallel path pedals and all kinds of utility things that are out there.

[@ej3342]

@@janekgwizdala Thanks!

[@jakecrowe3797]

I teach in Oshkosh! You willing to give lessons out on the road? 😍 (p.s. I’ve played some gigs with Wayne Salzmann. Great guy and killer player!)

[@janekgwizdala]

I think the schedule is kind of tight on that run so I doubt I'll have any spare time on the road. I've played with Wayne a few times way back in the day in Texas, looking forward to Denver!

[@jakecrowe3797]

@@janekgwizdala Thanks for the reply! My 3 month old and I were just listening to you this morning. I’ll see if she’ll let me come catch you at the Algoma club!

[@alextinsley9117]

Janek. It was a pleasant and moderately informative video, as always, but may I toss out a suggestion/request? I'm a pretty solid noob when it comes to pedals such as preamps, compressors, and the like, particularly when it comes to putting them to effective use in a home recording environment. Currently I have an EBS Microbass 3 preamp from which I run two XLR cables to my interface, thus allowing me to simultaneously record one clean and one post EQ signal. Why? I don't know. It just seemed to make sense, since I have two XLR outs on the preamp. Now, just recently I picked up the UAFX Compressor Pedal, and I'm trying to figure out how to make use of it at the desk, vs. in a performance scenario. So, what I'm getting at is, we can all go to Sweetwater and compare prices between budget and pro preamps and compressors. What I (and I'm sure I speak for others) don't know is how to best utilize these cool gadgets in a home recording environment, vs. just sending a dry signal to the interface and just using plugins from there. A vid that provides some insights on this would be awesome. Cheers!

[@janekgwizdala]

I'm sure there will be plenty more videos about recording, but this wasn't really that. This video is about exactly what it contains: What do you need for a home setup to sound professional, and what is the price range of some of those things. Explaining compression is a) something I wouldn't want to lump into a video about an almost unrelated topic, and b) something there are literally 100's of videos on youtube explaining already. A simple search will return some incredibly high quality information on exactly what you're asking about without having to wait for me to get the point where I feel like I have anything to add to a conversation that's already happened many times before.

[@alextinsley9117]

@@janekgwizdala Perhaps. I've actually looked a bit, and though there are many vids on recording, I haven't seen much that gets into specifics about using pedals and effects to record that are typically designed for a pedal board in a live setting. But anyway. I will search further. And I appreciate the thoughtful reply. Cheers!

[@mipabass]

Do you use Luna as a UA user? May it become an alternative for you to logic in the future just for tracking bass?

[@janekgwizdala]

I don’t use it. That’s not to say it isn’t great, I simply haven’t had time to learn yet another platform, and if I did it would probably be davinci for color grading my videos… I’ve heard good things about Luna though.

[@FabrizioPeretti]

How about an hx stomp? Amp sim, usb interface and effects. Not a bass player, I'm just asking

[@janekgwizdala]

Did you not watch the video...? 26:14

[@FabrizioPeretti]

@@janekgwizdala ahhh sorry mate i missed it LOL

[@deanirwin3645]

Totally unrelated. Is your desk and chair on a platform? How are you able to pan like that?

[@janekgwizdala]

The camera is mounted on a motorized slider.

[@tombowman9463]

How are you recording audio for your videos? Does an audio interface feed the camera? Or do you sync video with audio in Final Cut or something else?

[@janekgwizdala]

I record the voice into Logic, mix it, and then import to Final Cut for the video edit. I only use the camera audio for syncing.

[@tombowman9463]

@@janekgwizdala That's incredibly helpful. Thanks!

[@richardrosemusic]

Hi Janek - noob question - but how do you get your camera to swivel like that?

[@janekgwizdala]

It's mounted to a motorized slider

[@chrisparker5278]

He stomp vs pod go

[@user-lq3ht9dk6o]

Ничего не понятно но очень интересно

[@Mike_Vallis_Bass]

First

[@dennismyers5090]

Dude, put subtitles on your videos

[@janekgwizdala]

"Dude" It's 36 1/2 minutes of non-stop talking. Are volunteering to do the text editing? It's a 2hr job. Ffs.

[@dennismyers5090]

@@janekgwizdala Thanks for your spirited response. For the hard of hearing it helps. I have no idea how it’s done, but others do it. It’s all about the frequencies, bass I hear well, the voice not so good. It was just a suggestion, I have my answer Good day Sir

[@janekgwizdala]

@@dennismyers5090 if you want to suggest something then perhaps approach it like “hey, would be awesome if you could include subtitles because of x, y, and z”. Rather than barking an order like “dude, put subtitles on your videos”. You’d never go up to a stranger in the street and say something like that to them. The internet should be no different. There are now subtitles on the video. It just takes a while to make it happen on such a large volume of talking.

[@dennismyers5090]

You are right, please accept my apology

[@dennismyers5090]

And thank you

[@sampirat]

i'm mor than 10 min in an no sign of the title topic. That is not how to do propper youtube sorry

[@janekgwizdala]

This is a podcast, not a 10 min blast of information with 20 hours of editing and production… The opening line of the video tells you that right away. Listen to any other podcast on the internet and you’ll more than likely be subjected to 8-13 minutes of ad-reads before you get to anything. I believe i start talking about the studio setup around 6 minutes in, and read no ads. 🤷‍♀️ you are welcome to use the progress bar to find what you’re looking for. That’s how you KZbin…

[@sampirat]

@@janekgwizdala but you release it on youtube with no mention in the title it's a podcast. Just be clear about the content. Here i was genuinly interested in the subject of the title, hopped to get info on that and i had all sort of things i just happen to not care about, sorry not sorry each one his inerest, and nothing about the topic that the title claim. That is a bad experience you could have avoided by titleing your video corerctly.

[@janekgwizdala]

@@sampirat I don't know whether it's fascinating or terrifying that you think the way you experience this video is my primary concern when I'm making it. You've now spent longer commenting on it than it would have taken you to scroll through the video to find whatever it is you were looking for. I also have to pose this question: Why are comments like these always left by people who a) have nothing to do with the production of the video yet are offended when it doesn't meet their standards? and b) that those same people go their entire lives without ever doing anything about it? If you don't like the way something is being done, literally the only thing that won't change that is by leaving comments like this. What will change your experience is being proactive and changing the way things are made by doing it the way you would like to see it done. That's what I'm doing for me. If people enjoy it, that's great. If not, also great. I would hate to be mistaken for someone who cares about what other people think.

[@sampirat]

@@janekgwizdala yes you are right spending time like that explaining poeople that you are perfect is the way to improve, keep going buddy