Bill Laswell: Big Bottom mixes!

rodhmos · 30th July 2005

Hello everyone!

I was listening to some Bill Laswell stuff today and once again I am so excited with his sound - especially with the full bass content of his mixes.

Any ideas on how he achieves such a big bottom sound?

I know he uses flatwound strings and filter pedals...

...but what about mixing techniques?

Thank you in advance for your replies and for your input!

Benjy King · 30th July 2005

I read an interview with him where he said he uses one of those envelope pedals [i.e. DOD FX25 Envelope Filter] on the bass. It's the pedal that can make the bass do a quacking thing. The trick is to turn down the sensitivity knob (no quacking) and barely turn up the range knob. It gives the bass a serious sub-harmonic. It's great! Works especially on slower tempo songs. Not two days after reading that, I came across a used pedal for forty dollars. It really is a great trick.

T_R_S · 31st July 2005

Use the Aphex PI called Big Bottom

rodhmos · 31st July 2005

Thank you for replying.
What about mixing techniques?

alphajerk · 31st July 2005

makes the bass prominent in the mix?

good to see other bill laswell fans in there.... definately a strong influence for me, especially the bass end.

enharmonic · 31st July 2005

I love Tabla Beat Science. IMHO...Bill Laswell's greatest work to date

Hallucination Engine is pretty good too, and the Lucky Peterson album Black Midnight sun. Bill's doing his sick bass thing to Smokestack Lightning on this one...makes the track!

LewisWu · 31st July 2005

Talamanam Sound Clash DVD, the special feartures lone are worth the $20 I paid for it

Panthalasa... anyone?

cdog · 31st July 2005

Don't be afraid of 60 hz!!! Its a friendly freq for a DI'd pbass with flatwounds! That and a smooth high pass will get you close.... oh and he has flawless technique... his tone is 100% DUB.

Bill is "the man."

Lanstar Zero · 31st July 2005

Bill Laswell along with Brain and Buckethead (for Praxis) rehearsed at the studio I work at a couple months ago - amazing hearing them play!!

rodhmos · 5th August 2005

Any more information?

7rojo7 · 5th August 2005

The Ibanez envelope filter is right there with the rest of them, sick LF distortion.
the sound toys funk filter preset is Nice.

pounce · 5th August 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lanstar Zero

Bill Laswell along with Brain and Buckethead (for Praxis) rehearsed at the studio I work at a couple months ago - amazing hearing them play!!

curious. most of the places in town that i think of are pretty small-ish. are you working at a place i'd have heard of?

Lanstar Zero · 5th August 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by pounce

curious. most of the places in town that i think of are pretty small-ish. are you working at a place i'd have heard of?

Well, it was at a small studio. It was at Blue Moon Studio, which I left recently after 1 1/2 years .. I can PM you with details as at why I left if you want them.

I am now going to freelance at a couple places (I worked it out with a couple rooms), and am checking out Refraze in Dayton on Moday.. looks like they have a great live room.

What kind of stuff are you doing in town? Do you have your own setup, or are you working somewhere?

pounce · 5th August 2005

refraze is a great space. good luck there.

i'll take any other local talk to email/pm instead of on the forum.

rodhmos · 28th November 2005

I would appreciate any more info about Bill Laswell's mix/production techniques.

Mozart · 28th November 2005

Another point is great tuned Control Room, not just electronics, You have to be able to control that bass (bottom), at least hear it properly when mixing thumbsup

rickrock305 · 28th November 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benjy King

I read an interview with him where he said he uses one of those envelope pedals [i.e. DOD FX25 Envelope Filter] on the bass. It's the pedal that can make the bass do a quacking thing. The trick is to turn down the sensitivity knob (no quacking) and barely turn up the range knob. It gives the bass a serious sub-harmonic. It's great! Works especially on slower tempo songs. Not two days after reading that, I came across a used pedal for forty dollars. It really is a great trick.

hope your right, i just bought one for $30

I Lurk · 28th November 2005

I worked on some Bill Laswell tapes, all you needed was on it.

And yeah, it was tapes .

regards

suitandtieguy · 29th November 2005

bill laswell runs his bass through a crossover and only uses the envelope filter pedal on the high end signal. if you run the whole bass through the pedal you will actually have less actual bass and you will not be able to play dub music like that.

he also uses a DBX subharmonic synth on the low output of the crossover. i know nothing more about his bass tone than that. i would assume compression of some kind is involved too.

cdog · 29th November 2005

I saw Bill play recently at a tiny performance space in the east village. It was dark but I believe he was using an Ampeg 6x10 with a ton of pedals of all shapes, sizes, and age. I wish I had taken a picture. A lot of distortion and filter pedals, some delays, a whammy, a couple Moogs, 3-4 volume and wah pedals at the end of the chain.

He was just bugging out and improving over some DnB, slamming pedals like a madman and making people sit up straight and look around "thats the bass player???"

It was a beautiful thing.

One of my favorite Laswell produced albums of is Nicky Skopelitis' Ekstasis.

If you're at all into world music, or the ridiculous drumming of Jaki Liebezeit (formerly of Can), I highly recommend it.

Another classic Laswell production in the rock genre is Praxis Transmutation.

Glenn Kuras · 29th November 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mozart

Another point is great tuned Control Room, not just electronics, You have to be able to control that bass (bottom), at least hear it properly when mixing thumbsup

Boy I am so glad someone said that! I did not want to come off as the "Oh this guy is just trying to sell stuff".

But you are so right... Most studio guys can not really hear clear bass/mid bass between 20hz and 400hz due to so many nulls and peaks.. Not to go off or anything, but how can anyone think they are going to mix good bass sound with a 35db peak at 125hz or a null at 250hz??? If you can't hear it then you can't mix it..

Glenn

rodhmos · 27th March 2006

May I bring this thread back, please?
Thank you!

rodhmos · 9th September 2006

I apologise for bringing this old thead up to the top again but I would greatly appreciate any more information. I hope you don't mind!
Sorry again!

30th July 2005	#1
rodhmos Gear maniac Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 188 Thread Starter	Bill Laswell: Big Bottom mixes! Hello everyone! I was listening to some Bill Laswell stuff today and once again I am so excited with his sound - especially with the full bass content of his mixes. Any ideas on how he achieves such a big bottom sound? I know he uses flatwound strings and filter pedals... ...but what about mixing techniques? Thank you in advance for your replies and for your input!

30th July 2005	#2
Benjy King Gear addict Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: New York City Posts: 368	Big Bottom I read an interview with him where he said he uses one of those envelope pedals [i.e. DOD FX25 Envelope Filter] on the bass. It's the pedal that can make the bass do a quacking thing. The trick is to turn down the sensitivity knob (no quacking) and barely turn up the range knob. It gives the bass a serious sub-harmonic. It's great! Works especially on slower tempo songs. Not two days after reading that, I came across a used pedal for forty dollars. It really is a great trick. __________________ Benjy www.benjyking.com www.myspace.com/benjyking

31st July 2005	#5
alphajerk There is only one Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: asheville NC Posts: 5,260	makes the bass prominent in the mix? good to see other bill laswell fans in there.... definately a strong influence for me, especially the bass end. __________________ "i must invent my own systems or else be enslaved by other men's'" william blake __________________________ email: barrett [at] alphajerk [dot] com

5th August 2005	#11
7rojo7 urumita Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Spoleto, Italy Posts: 2,370	The Ibanez envelope filter is right there with the rest of them, sick LF distortion. the sound toys funk filter preset is Nice. __________________ love and light

28th November 2005	#16
Mozart Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Clifton, NJ Posts: 684	Another point is great tuned Control Room, not just electronics, You have to be able to control that bass (bottom), at least hear it properly when mixing thumbsup __________________ http://www.mozartstudio.com ME: Every microphone IS made to record vocal, but, not every vocal is for the microphone... tutt

31st July 2005	#3
T_R_S Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Canuk Posts: 5,163	Use the Aphex PI called Big Bottom

31st July 2005	#6
enharmonic Lives for gear Join Date: May 2004 Location: 410 Posts: 603	I love Tabla Beat Science. IMHO...Bill Laswell's greatest work to date Hallucination Engine is pretty good too, and the Lucky Peterson album Black Midnight sun. Bill's doing his sick bass thing to Smokestack Lightning on this one...makes the track!

31st July 2005	#7
LewisWu Gear addict Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 495	Talamanam Sound Clash DVD, the special feartures lone are worth the $20 I paid for it Panthalasa... anyone?

31st July 2005	#8
cdog Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Brooklyn Posts: 3,437 3 Reviews written	Don't be afraid of 60 hz!!! Its a friendly freq for a DI'd pbass with flatwounds! That and a smooth high pass will get you close.... oh and he has flawless technique... his tone is 100% DUB. Bill is "the man."

31st July 2005	#9
Lanstar Zero Gear nut Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 123	Bill Laswell along with Brain and Buckethead (for Praxis) rehearsed at the studio I work at a couple months ago - amazing hearing them play!!

5th August 2005	#14
pounce Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: columbus, ohio Posts: 943	refraze is a great space. good luck there. i'll take any other local talk to email/pm instead of on the forum.

28th November 2005	#18
I Lurk Lives for gear Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 574	I worked on some Bill Laswell tapes, all you needed was on it. And yeah, it was tapes . regards

29th November 2005	#19
suitandtieguy Gear maniac Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Peoria IL USA Posts: 162	bill laswell runs his bass through a crossover and only uses the envelope filter pedal on the high end signal. if you run the whole bass through the pedal you will actually have less actual bass and you will not be able to play dub music like that. he also uses a DBX subharmonic synth on the low output of the crossover. i know nothing more about his bass tone than that. i would assume compression of some kind is involved too.

27th March 2006	#22
rodhmos Gear maniac Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 188 Thread Starter	May I bring this thread back, please? Thank you!

9th September 2006	#23
rodhmos Gear maniac Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 188 Thread Starter	I apologise for bringing this old thead up to the top again but I would greatly appreciate any more information. I hope you don't mind! Sorry again!

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