Finally some reflections on some great bassists I’ve recorded:

Marcus Miller: What can I say? Marcus is amazing, and we developed such a close relationship that he was able to stop playing, look at me, and then play a single note. Because I was always paying close attention I would usually know the note he was talking about and be able to rewind then punch into record at that note (of course sometimes he would play me the phrase before the note he wanted punched).

One day he was recording a bass solo through a Marshall amp. The amp blew (complete with light show) in the middle of a phrase. A half hour or so later when the amp was repaired (after we took a break), I rolled back to the beginning of the phrase and then punched in RIGHT at the note the amp blew on. Marcus played through seamlessly, as if the punch was seconds after the original performance rather than over 30 minutes.

By the way, people often ask me what chorus I used on certain phrases of “Mr. Pastorius” on the Miles Davis “Amandla” album. That was no chorus, that was Marcus DOUBLING his parts so closely people thought it was an effect on a single track.

Bootsie Collins: When I recorded Bootsie, he was playing a bass with three outputs. Each output went into a different effects chain, and I substituted my Mutron III envelope filter for the box he had (his Mutron had long since died). Although I was told that people usually combined the three signals into one recorded bass track (and the producer suggested I do so as well) I had enough tracks to record each output on a separate track.

When I mixed, I started by getting general sounds, then automating the balances between all three outputs on a part-by-part basis. The sound was great, and I was able to emphasize different aspects of each output as well as each sound combination. (Bootsie played a very funky guitar as well, with his foot stomping the beat as he played).

Bruce A. Miller is an acclaimed recording engineer who operates an independent recording studio and the BAM Audio School website.

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