Electric Bass & Double Bass

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: Recording the electric bass on multiple albums for Tersites — the solo project of Madrid-based singer-songwriter Luis Palop. Working across several releases including "Invisible" (2015), "Sigo Aquí" (2019) and more recent singles gave me the chance to develop a real musical relationship with the artist over many years. That kind of long-term collaboration — where you grow with the music from album to album — is what I value most in studio work.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Launching my new professional website at juanmodesto.com and expanding my remote recording client base. Also developing a series of bass tone and string demo videos for my YouTube channel.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog — always. I record through a Neve 1073LB preamp and analog compressors because there's a warmth, depth and three-dimensionality to analog hardware that I haven't heard fully replicated yet. I'm aware the digital emulation market has advanced enormously — Darkglass Anagram, Neural DSP, Quad Cortex are genuinely impressive tools. Maybe I'm old fashioned. But when I hear my bass through the Neve versus any plugin I've tried, the difference is still there. For my clients that difference matters. It's in every recording I deliver.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: I will treat your music like it's my own. I'll listen before I play, deliver on time, and keep working until the part is right. You hired a bassist — I'll give you one worth hiring.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The moment a bass line locks in with a track and suddenly everything else in the song makes more sense. That moment happens on every good session and it never gets old — whether it's a jazz trio, a film cue, or a rock record.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: "What do I need to send you?" — Just your stems or rough mix, a chord chart if you have one, and a reference track for the feel. That's enough to get started. "What if I don't like the first take?" — Two rounds of revisions are included in every session. I work until the part is right.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That remote recording means generic or impersonal. Every track I record is played live in real time on a real instrument through a real studio chain. There are no samples, no loops, no MIDI. Just bass — recorded properly and delivered fast.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What's the tempo and key? Do you have a chord chart or lead sheet? What feel are you going for — tight and minimal, or melodic and expressive? Is there a reference bass player or track you love? And what's your deadline? Five questions. That's usually all I need.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Send a reference track. Even a rough one. The more I understand the feel you're going for before I pick up the bass, the closer the first take will be to what you need. Don't just describe the genre — show me the vibe.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: 1. Sadowsky NYC 5-string — covers everything 2. 1997 Warwick Thumb fretless — for the soul 3. Neve 1073LB preamp — non-negotiable 4. RME Digiface USB — rock solid conversion 5. A good pair of headphones — to hear every detail in the performance

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I began formal music studies in Santo Domingo in 1993. After nearly a decade I moved to Spain, completed my Diploma in Double Bass at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Salamanca, and performed with the Academy Symphony Orchestra of the Teatro Real de Madrid. I moved to Germany in 2001 and have been teaching, performing, and recording professionally ever since — over 30 years with the instrument across three countries and almost every genre.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Supportive, musical, and always in service of the song. I grew up with Latin rhythms in the Dominican Republic, trained classically in Spain, and have spent 20 years playing across jazz, rock, and pop stages in Europe. My style is the sum of all of that — versatile but always focused on what the track actually needs.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Esperanza Spalding. She moves effortlessly between jazz, classical, and pop while keeping her artistic identity completely intact. That combination of technical mastery and genuine musical personality is exactly what I aspire to bring to every session.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Record the bass with both a DI signal and a preamp or amp signal simultaneously. The DI gives your engineer full flexibility in the mix. The preamp track gives you tone and character from the start. Never settle for one or the other when you can have both.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Jazz, classical, Latin, rock, pop, and singer-songwriter. Electric bass and double bass across all of them. I work on anything where the bass line matters — which is everything worth recording. take a look to my Spotify Playlist. Songs I played bass.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Adapting to the music in front of me. Whether it's a walking jazz line on double bass, a locked-in rock groove, or an authentic Latin rhythm — I find the feel that makes the track work and stay out of the way of everything else.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Feel. I've spent over 30 years playing bass across classical orchestras, jazz ensembles, Latin bands, and rock stages. I listen to what the song needs before I touch the instrument. The best bass line is the one you feel before you notice it.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: You send me your stems, chord chart, or reference track. I listen carefully, record a first take, and send it back within 48 hours. You give feedback — two rounds of revisions are included. I want the part to serve your song, not just fill the frequency range.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Professional home studio in Frankfurt. Signal chain: RNDI → Neve 1073LB preamp → DBX 160A / Warm Audio WA76 compressor → Ferrofish Pulse 16 AD/DA → RME Digiface USB. Seven professional basses including Sadowsky NYC 5-string, Moollon P-Classic IV, Vincent Akkurat PJ5, MTD Kingston 5 Strings Modified, Warwick Thumb 6-string, and a 1997 Warwick Thumb 5-string fretless.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: Jaco Pastorius for his revolutionary approach to the electric bass. Ray Brown for his unmatched feel on upright. Marcus Miller for his versatility and studio discipline. And every great rhythm section player who understood that the bass serves the song first.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Remote bass recording for independent artists and producers worldwide. I record electric bass, double bass, and fretless bass from my home studio in Frankfurt — DI and amp tracks delivered as high-quality WAV stems within 48 hours.