Upright vs NSD WAV vs NSD Omni

I have been posting a bit about my NSD Omni Bass and I’ve had lots of questions about how it compares and folks wanting sound samples. So this morning with the kids jumping around, playing video games and watching cartoons, I put on my headphone and did a quick-one-take phrase of each to the sounds of my upright, ny NSD WAV and my NSD Omni. No compression, or eq, just straight into the focus rite and into logic.

My timing is bad, there are squeaks, and clams all over it, but I think it serves to show the different sounds in a raw environment.

Upright King Acoustic Bass with Fishman Full Circle, no preamp.

This has been my main bass for 20 something years.

I usually use a Fishman Pro Platinum with it but not today, this is the straight signal on all recordings.

It’s a pretty fat and warm sound compared to the NSD basses, but once you get it through a loud amp and a rock drummer onstage, it can be problematic having so much low-end covering the stage. I usually use my pre-amp to remove sub-harmonics and a notch-filter to kill feedback.

Upright King Acoustic Bass with David Gage Lifeline, no preamp.

Again, I use a Fishman Pro Platinum with it most times, this is the straight signal on all recordings. It’s a very boomy pick-up live.

NS Design WAV 4- arco settting

Again, I use a Fishman Pro Platinum, but this is the straight signal on all recordings.

NSD WAV basses have a little switch that allows you to go between the 2 pick-up settings, one for finger style and one for bowing. The bowing (arco setting) I use for both bowing and for doing rockabilly, slap style as it creates a big, natural punch and very little sustain. In this recording it just sounds weak, and thin, but it’s very fat live.

NS Design WAV 4- Arco with NinoMute

Again, I use a Fishman Pro Platinum with it most times, this is the straight signal on all recordings.

This is in the same arco mode, but with a NinoMute. No settings are changed. Nino mute really helps control the attack and give it a more natural sound.

NS Design WAV 4- Pizzicato

Again, I use a Fishman Pro Platinum with it most times, this is the straight signal on all recordings.

This is with the switch flipped to Pizz settings, stronger attach, more sustain and body. This is what most people play for jazz and rock.

NS Design WAV 4- Pizzicato with NinoMute

This is with the switch flipped to Pizz settings, stronger attach, more sustain and body. No settings are changed, I just added the NinoMute. I cant say enough about this thing, I love it. It’s had to tell from these recordings, but live it’s a killer.

NS Design Omni CR4- Arco mode

I do not use an additional preamp with this live. In fact I may be breaking out the old pedal board in the future with this bass. For now, this is straight in, it has an on-board active 2 band preamp, I have the treble dialed back a little.

The Omni has 5 knobs; Volume, blend between magnetic and piezo, blend for the between arco and pizzicato (no more little switch, this can be a fine tuned mix between the two) and then active treble and bass controls. For this recording, blend is full piezo, other blend is full arco.

NS Design Omni CR4- Pizzicato

I do not use an additional preamp with this live.

For this recording, blend it full piezo, other blend is full Pizzicato, I believe it pulled back the treble a bit and bass should be flat.

NS Design Omni CR4- EMG

I do not use an additional preamp with this live.

For this recording, blend it full Magnetic, other blend doesnt matter as it is not being used, I believe treble and bass are flat.

NS Design Omni CR4 – Mixed 1

This is mainly EMG with a little Piezo mixed in and the Piezo is set mostly to pizzicato.

NS Design Omni CR4- Mixed 2

This is mainly Piezo with a little EMG mixed in and the Piezo is set mostly to center. This is closer to my live sound.

NS Design Omni CR4- arco with bow

I am not a bow player, especially not this early in the morning with no warm up. Even then I usually only drag whole notes in a handful of songs. So please forgive the play quality.

The bass is set to full piezo mode on full arco. Tone is set flat. Old French bow missing about half it’s hair (much like me).