Want bass tone feedback (no pun intended)

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Old tone: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObGFN79BlqU[/youtube]

New tone: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFNNmINUHlQ[/youtube]

Can't even hear you, especially in the first clip it's just the sound of you hitting the strings. Maybe you could upload an audio clip recorded into your PC or something? Also, not hearing it in a mix doesn't make that much sense to me.

I have to it quiet out of courtesy to neighbors, but I can hear the bass in it just fine. Difference is, I have a subwoofer. What are you listening though?

Yo, Fellow bassist here and serious tone freak!,
I first wanna state that bass's sonic signature is in the mid-range frequencies.
For this style of music I highly recommend Active pickups but are not necessary.
What kind of bass are you using and what do you have your EQ on your amp set to?
If your using distortion or fuzz you should use a bass distortion or fuzz as guitar fuzzes and distortions seriously destroy the bottom frequencies and make your guitar sound harsh and nasal.
Do you use a pick? Fingers?
As a fellow bassist I also recommend www.talkbass.com as there are MANY experts on different subjects such as wiring, pickups, bands, other basists. all under different categories so you can get help quick.
I play Spector basses which are known for their growly piano tone.
Its kinda hard to help on sound alone without knowledge of gear used first.
cheers!

I can provide said information!

Ah, I have been focusing on compensating on bass rather than midtones. Midtones get cut from mixes, especially in rock/metal. Wanting to fix that.

I currently run active pick ups and my amp supports it.

I currently use two basses, but the one showcased here is an Ibanez GSR206 6 string bass. It's an awesome bass.

My EQ is set on +9 bass, +2 mid and +/- 0 treble (NoTreble, get it? Ha ha ha)

I currently use a lot of OD + distortion for really heavy parts, sometimes accompanied by a half wah or delay. it makes delay sound interesting, also fun to combine octave and delay.

I use fingers, gotta feel what I'm playing or I make a lot of mistakes. plus, makes slapping and popping a lot easier.

Spector basses are nice, American Head Charge's bassist makes it sound awesome.

Thanks in advance!

Okay. The -15DB input is a life saver for me as well! I remember blowing up many a cheap amp before learning that you can only use -15DB input for active pickups. As for ibanez basses I have a love/hate relationship with their basses. I have owned a few iby's but i've always ended up selling them. I guess I'm just too hell bent on endorsing Spector basses. Your settings on your amp seem fine but I have a few recommendations that you may want to consider BEFORE buying any new basses. A few things I have learned from the 8 or so years of playing is that when it comes to bass headroom is more important than volume. For covers done the cheap way there is no possible way to get decent tone as webcam cameras cannot capture the total "width" of sound (headroom : the ability of your bass and amp to fill the space between guitar and drums) due to the mic being EQ'd towards the human vocal range. I suggest these things to start:
1) On-Board Active EQ.
This helps fix some of the "Headroom issues" bassists tend to have when playing metal and helps you as a player learn to "set it and forget it" when it comes to your amp. I use Aguilar or EMG pre-amps. I have a 3 band EMG system in my Wick' and a 9v 2 Band Aguilar in my Spector.
2) Groups of 10" speakers (4x10, 6x10,8x10) Its a proven fact in the the 60's research was done on what kind of speaker sizes are best for bass frequencies and the movement of air generated by bass frequencies. Ampeg's R&D department (the two guys who founded Ampeg lol!) found that the speaker sizes determine how air is moved. 10" gives tight upper mid punch and cutting treble but lack lows and low mids (this is why they are grouped like so) 12" are best for guitar speaker cabs as they seem to cover treble frequencies very well while having an overall "balanced" sound that many guitarists prefer to this day. 15" have a chunky low mid bark and lack upper mids and highs (grouping does fix this issue in 15" speakers) 18" cabs are best for Ultra low and low frequencies.
3) STEEL STRINGS!! Very rough feeling before you get used to em' I find most steel strings to have too much tension no matter what tuning I'm in or the Gauge of size., I find the best steel strings IMO are RotoSound Swing 66. I love em' cause' they feel like metal rubber bands under the fingers and most Slappers love em'! They even make an super extra light gauge just for funk and slap. Each is to his own though
These things helped me greatly when I didn't have the money for Spector basses. I love my old Vintage NS-2A and hopefully never have to part with it! Active pickups for me are a must. Also get a compressor pedal if your budget allows one bt make sure its for BASS. MXR (Dunlop) makes a great one! This will smooth out your distortion tone and prevent peaks in sound that can ruin a good distortion tone. Its also nice to see I'm not the only guy out there that uses delay on bass! I have wrote quite a few bass riffs with delay. Later I will upload a video so you can hear my tone with new Rotosound strings. This video was done DI with Ampeg SVX software and an old Line 6 USB DI and with a Sans-Amp Bass Driver pedal (my live DI). Also if anybody tells you its wrong to play bass with a pick tel em' to shove it as they are being narrow minded. I play with both fingers and Pick.
I hope my knowledge helps! cheers!

check this bass Tone Out. I Think its my best sound yet![youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mntN6iMWCWE&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

Right now, I guess that makes you inSpector Geardget!

1. Alright, then my amp is the majority of the issues with tone.

2. It is a 10" amp, it just gets a very paperthin sound and it is easy to overpower it with distortions and get crackling/static.

3. I use GHS Boomers in heavy gauge, do those count as steel strings?

Love your tone, getting some nice contrasts. Great use of hammer-ons too!

Thanks alot bro! A single 10" is a practice amp to me so the best bet would be if the distortion causes crackling use less volume on the pedal as those active pickups are quite hot on their own (EMG less hot than SD pro Active pups IMO). Heavier strings have a bassier tone so cut some lows from your amp as too much lows can cause farting and crackling as well. GHS Boomers are Nickel Plated Steel. Pure Steel Roundwounds can be "clanky" at first but you gotta get use to em' and break them in.