Matt Wiles on SoundBetter

I love going the distance to find the perfect bass part and tone for a project. Whether it be 4, 5, 6-string, upright, fretless, or synth bass - with vibes ranging from old-school to outer space - let's bring your project to life!

My goal is to lock down the perfect parts, tone, and vibe for any style of recording. Drawing from an extensive arsenal of basses, preamps, pedals, amps, and mics, I'm confident that we can find what you are looking and listening for.

I've been a performing, recording, and touring bass player based in Cincinnati, OH for the last decade. In this time, I've had the privilege of playing a broad spectrum of genres with artists ranging from Snarky Horns to the Drifters and everything in between.

When it comes to recording, I am all about details. It doesn't matter if your song has 3 chords or 300 - I am equally as excited to play well-placed long notes as I am about making it through a 14-minute prog epic. I'm always willing to take as much or as little guidance as clients want to give when it regards to crafting their parts. I also have options for more complex recording options, such as multiple mics for upright or amps, or clean/wet combinations for all kinds of heavier rock/metal/prog tones (with both hardware and software options).

Please swing by my website for even more audio/video samples. I look forward to collaborating with you!

Send me a note through the contact button above.

Credits

1 Reviews - 1 Repeat Client

Endorse Matt Wiles

by BRANDON S COLEMAN
Matt Wiles is a world-class bass player, able to both exist in the moment and play what's written with fluidity, ease, and tremendous tone. I've had the privilege of using him for all of my projects over the years and his playing always brings my compositions to life!

Interview with Matt Wiles

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: The two aforementioned albums for Sam Blakeslee. The upright album was cut live, the electric one was a remote collaboration. These 2 albums feature my favorite personal performances on upright, electric, and synth. I'm in love with the upright sound we captured, and I can't believe how cohesive the remotely-recorded album came out. There were a few specifics given to me from Sam, but for a lot of it he let me kind of cut loose. We had a blast putting it together.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Yes actually - I came across bassist Matt DeRubertis's profile when I was browsing the site. He's located about 3 1/2 hours from in Akron, OH. He's a really insightful, creative player and wonderful guy.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both. They each have their time and place.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: To find the perfect, unique parts for their tracks/project with attention to detail and nuance. I also promise to never let ego get in the way - this is THEIR project, and i've been trusted to help bring it to life. That is special.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love the variety. I love playing 8th notes on my P bass one day and cranking up the distortion on my Rickenbacker the next. I'm most happy when I get to use all of this gear I've been stockpiling over the years.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: In my local scene (or a lot of scenes in general), pigeon-holing is probably the most frustrating thing that happens. It's really common for somebody to see you play a type of gig and then exclusively connect your identity with that one thing, sometimes for years on end.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: There are so many - but being in a prog band would be a childhood dream come true. The band Haken comes to mind - what an incredible group. I also think I could die happy if I got to play with Wayne Krantz.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: It varies greatly. Recently, I finished a pair of original albums for my long-time friend and collaborator Sam Blakeslee. One was all upright, the other was an esoteric electronic album where I played a lot of Moog and a few of my electrics. I've also been finishing up a full length album with my original fusion band Spherical Agenda, as well as cranking out some indie/pop demos for some friends in Nashville. I thrive most with variety.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I strive to fit the song like a glove while still bringing my own musical personality to the table, but without ever overshadowing the song itself. Sometimes I offer a simplicity that grounds everything, but other times I may get to bring something upside down and sideways as well.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I always like to start by listening to the track first, always being sure to just listen and resist the urge to try to noodle around while I'm taking it in for the first time. If I take this time to listen first, I can often start to follow my instincts to arrive at the part the song needs. Sometimes it happens immediately, other times it can be a bit more involved, but it always comes eventually.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: At home, I mainly record direct in to my SSL; sometimes I plug straight in, other times I use one of many DI/preamps I have. For more complex scenarios, like multi-mic setups for upright or an amp (or multiple amps, even), I have a standalone studio that some colleagues and I have been building out for a few years.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Two of my favorite bass players - Tim Lefebvre and Anthony Jackson - are complete masters of serving a song while still bringing all of their experience and personality to the track. Even though I can tell when it's one of them on a recording, they never get in the way of the bigger picture. This is everything I aspire to be.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Crafting unique bass performances and doing my best to make each one special.