Bass

It's more simple here as I own great sounding instruments and/or record them owned by others. Since the late 1980's I've used mostly the same stuff. Usually it's a Aphex 651 Expressor used. It controls the worst players well. It works like there's a little man inside running a fader that's smarter and faster than I am. The fact that I never hear it working is a plus for me, YMMV.

I've been using the 526 12:1 with 10/2 attack release settings and it controls the hell out of it. I had been using the sta in mixing but have kinda stopped even doing that on the last few songs.

Alesis 3630 and that's it.

Either of the Foote Control Systems types I have 90% of the time, P3500 or P4DMS. I stopped using Distressor or Langevin ELOP on bass for the most part, don't think I've done any more that audition the Serpent SB4001 on bass. Am between appropriate tube comp/lim at the moment, generally wouldn't use them there anyway unless it was a track I'd been sent to mix that really needed help, like a bad DI.

For electric bass, tend to stick a 414 on a cab, sometimes with an EV 666.   Acoustic bass as OD, lately usually Samar MF65, with a band/bleed can be DI with DPA 4060 or Oktava MK012 omni sometimes also a ribbon.  That all depends on the self-absorption of the drummer.  

Because it always worked in the live world I think Bass I think single space DBX 160! But I also had a AudioArts perametric that always landed on the Bass for some reason!

By "lttle ampeg", which amp are you referring to?

Thanks!

That's interesting, Jim, is that the Easyrider Mode you're talking about?

Ken Smith into a Great River pre/eq that's driven pretty hot. Nice and Fat. Mild compression with a UBK Fatso on Glue for a bigger bottom or a WA76 for a tighter bottom. Depends what's needed.
Also it seems the majority of the sound comes from touch and position...

I don't care what I use, as long as it has full control....and isn't solely a limiter. A 76 is simply too fast unless you're playing slap.

I'll tell you exactly where I star for any bass---pick, finger, or slap....4:1, 27ms attack, 120 release. Drop the threshold until most notes trigger 3-4db reduction. If slap, the attack gets shortened until the low end push is tightened (lessened) where the thumb and pluck have a similar envelope. Finger, it gets slowed until the low end "push" gets the biggest, but stop before it simply doesn't reduce the sustain. Release is fairly groove dependent on the decision where to have it back to no reducing. Every note is ideal, but for a peppier tempo-you might have to just have it back for the 1&3. I definitely pay attention where it and the kick hit together--make sure it's back for that when possible.

That said, maybe if you're into "bass as binary instrument" ignore me. It's a popular sound now....bass has two states on and off. Playing and muted. Want to know why your butt shakes at Chic and not Katy Perry, though? Slightly oversimplified, certainly, but the short answer is Bernard Edwards fingers...and obviously the mastering engineer allowing you to hear what he played.

I record about as much electric as I do upright bass. I tend to have really grade A Nashville rhythm section guys who really have their acts together on the tracking floor. That said, these guys play so even that not much is needed other than smooth invisible compression to lock them down. The CL-1B has been a staple, but recently, the Highland Dynamic BG-2 has been giving me a bit of color and finalizes the electric bass on the way in with a couple db of compression. As for the upright, I have two bottom Mics and a top mic on it, one condenser, a MA-300 Mojave or Shannon Rhoads capsules CV-4 Miktek and one Cloud ribbon on the bottom and I use several different Mics for the top mic. Lately, it's been an Earthworks QT-C-1. I use both bottom Mics more as a safety net for guys who bring in a gut string bass and might grab a steel string upright. Using both Mics assures me that I will get the amount of thump and clarity I want regardless of what they bring in. I will be tracking both upright and electric with the Highland Dynamic comp this week and will try it on both Mics of the upright to see what I like best and report back. Tim Crouch just sent me a bunch of fiddle and mandolin files that I will run through the BG-2 and send to those who are interested as well.