Real quick update from the studio – I’m trying to get in an hour or two after work and bedtime most nights when I don’t otherwise have plans, so while I’m now one week into recording, the reality is more like four or five hours. Still, I’m chipping away.

I won’t win any accolades for my bass playing, but I’m a better, tighter, and more solid bassist than I was on Zero Mantra, which helps. Typically I’ve been trying to get two solid full takes done, then comping together a final track from there, with the occasional punch in as necessary. Afterwards I’ve done a little bit of slip editing to make sure everything is securely in the pocket, but I’ve needed less than I expected, which is a relief.

Quick peek:

Minimal editing, and nothing on the bass aside from any grit added by the BAE, and some EQ ferom the Neve.

One observation, at the halfway mark – I started off recording bass direct but monitoring through Reaper, but by the second song I realized I was playing tighter when I was just listening to the acoustic sound of the bass itself as feedback. I tended to get a firmer, more even attack as well. I’m not sure why, entirely – it doesn’t seem to be latency related as there’s none perceptible coming out of my speakers, but maybe it’s as simple as the bass kind of “blooms” a little on notes as it’s amplified, and un-amplified I hone in much more on just the initial attack. I think one of the technical breakthroughs I had on guitar came when I started practicing legato unplugged, for similar reasons – it took away any margin of error a distorted amp might offer.

I’m also finding the arrangements are continuing to evolve a little – there’s a clean toned piece that will end the album with a long unaccompanied Jimi/SRV sort of intro to it, and now the last quarter or so has a bassline. I may cut it in the final if it doesn’t work out (and, the formerly opening note on the bassline is after a pause, so it’s an easy trim if I end up hating it), but it was a spur of the moment change that sounded cool when I punched it in on the demo.

Four tracks to go, and then I’ll probably move on to acoustic guitars next.