In this post, I’ll share my personal bass practice setup, which has proven to be the best setup I have ever used. While I acknowledge that this may not work for everyone, I hope it can be useful or interesting to others.
I find headphones to be ideal for learning or practicing songs, as it is easier to hear the individual instruments within the mix. For bass practice I use the Boss Waza-air Bass headphones, which are over-ear headphones with wireless connectivity using the included transmitter, with amp and effect modelling, Bluetooth audio streaming, and control via an iPhone/android app.
What sets the Waza-air apart from other headphones I’ve used is that it eliminates the need for cables. This seemingly small feature makes a big difference in practice, as it provides me with a sense of freedom and flexibility.
To begin my practice routine, I connect my bass wirelessly to the Waza-air headphones by plugging in the transmitter, and play along with a practice playlist that I’ve created. I use my iPhone, which is paired to the headphones via Bluetooth, to play the playlist. I made the playlist specifically for practice, using live and rehearsal recordings of the band. Each track is edited to create a practice version using Logic Pro X and the Moises app.
The band consists of two vocalists, two guitarists, me on bass, and a drummer. I record all rehearsals and gigs using my Zoom H2N recorder. To create my practice tracks, I take one of these recordings as a stereo audio file in Logic Pro X and edit it down to individual songs. I then export each song as a WAV file, which I process in Moises to extract the following components as separate WAV files:
- Click track
- Drums
- Bass
- Vocals
- Other (inclues guitars)
I add these back into Logic and produce a mix that excludes the bass. I load this mixed file into Moises to master the recording. Once all the songs have been processed, I convert them to MP3 and import them to Apple Music as a playlist, so the songs can be easily added to the Music app on my iPhone and iPad.
The first time I did this operation, there was a fair amount of trial and error. However, now that I have a good system for processing the songs, it’s a lot quicker and easier. Overall, this setup has been incredibly helpful in improving my practice routine, and I highly recommend the Waza-air Bass and the Moises app to anyone looking to enhance their practice experience.