Nick Huff on SoundBetter

Serving the song and helping the artist shine.

With a background in motown and soul music, I deliver a groove that will get the audience dancing, bobbing their heads, or tapping their feet, no matter the genre of music. Every song requires some type of groove, and I strive to serve each song by delivering the most effective bassline whether it be a complicated motown groove, a subtle ballad, or anything in-between. Ultimately, I aim to help artists shine by playing every note with the intention of making them sound better and providing a firm rhythmic and harmonic foundation for artists to do what they do best.

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Interview with Nick Huff

Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: When recording for a song, my ability to resist the urge to play the first thing that comes to my mind sets me apart. I take the time to listen to each song and think about what I can do to enhance to message and vibe of a song before recording, which allows me to create more musical ideas. This causes the song to stand out because each element is included to enhance the song as a whole rather than being included by default or to stroke a single musician's ego.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: After receiving a song, I like to listen to it multiple times before I even touch my instrument. This allows me understand the message and vibe of the song before I even consider what I can supplement it with. After I have a firm grasp on the song and the approach I should take to performing on it, I will begin experimenting with potential basslines and fills that could bring the song to life, and decide on the best ones which I will then record. Finally, I edit and comp my tracks to ensure that they will sound clean and polished with the other tracks.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Typically, I record my Sterling Ray35 bass through my Markbass Little Mark III amp and run direct out into my Steinberg UR22 audio interface and into Logic Pro X, where I edit and comp my recordings. I will also typically play through my pedalboard which consists of a Gallien Krueger Plex Preamp, a Boss OC-2 octave pedal, and a Source Audio Aftershock bass distortion pedal.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: My main inspirations as a bassist are James Jamerson and Pino Palladino. James Jamerson truly defined one of my favorite genres, and Pino Palladino brings his unique sound to every record he plays on while still ensuring that he does not interfere with the artist or the song's message. As far as artists and bands that inspire me, I typically lean toward music with a heavy pocket and groove such as D'Angelo, Parliament, Leon Bridges, Bazzi, and John Mayer.