Bass.
- Thread starter koalamo
- Start date
Thank you mate exactly what I was looking for a fresh new perspective to experiment with and I tracked a stingray awhile ago, great bass no doubt!
np
... and just one more thing: use a pick and play really hard!
Backe
Space Cowboy
I for one, do a huge lowshelf below 1k, and a lowpass at like 9. boost with a medium Q around 60 hz (just to retain that area a bit, not to add gain), cut a little around 70-80 (for the kick). what you're left with is a middy meaty ass bass that'll work well with the kick. then I raise the volume until the bass cuts through just a tiny bit. from there I shape the sound I want using different plugins, like the PSP MixSaturator2's low enhancement and so on. if the bass is not to overwhelming I can boost at an "available" frequency, I make lots of holes for stuff, like 200-400hz on rythm guitars. and for vocals I make lots of room around 3k, that can be great hole for putting the bass. around 3k-5k generally works best as a cut frequency for me, and I go by using Ampeg SVX for a lowpassed amp track along with a super clean compressed DI, which go to a group channel which I then process. limiters kick ass too. that's just how I do it.
I usually duplicate the DI a few times with different amp sims, and then tweak the balance between those to kind of "eq" the bass in the track, although I almost always end up eqing the DI quite a bit. I use sansamp to get a bright aggressive tone, svx for something a little more well rounded, and usually pod farm for something a little distorted. If the bass doesn't cut enough on small speakers, I make another duplicate of the DI and put the podfarm tubescreamer on it with no amp sim. A little goes a long way, it'll make the bass way more audible, but it sounds like ass if you put too much in.
I go Bass DI -> gclip (light settings) -> comp (medium attack/medium release) -> mastering limiter (set to squash everything to oblivion) -> TSE B.O.D -> multiband comp (compress from around 80 - 250) ->Q8 (boost 400, 1k, 3.5k)
I find that squashing/l
imiting the DI to oblivion makes my bass tracks sound way punchier and much more audible. It usually needs much less EQing afterwards. Of course, the sound I'm going for is an audible, yet not quite so dominating bass sound. I actually reference my bass with Arch Enemy's "Wages of Sin." Because of this I end to try to keep my mixes rather lean in the low mids department, so I'm always taming that element in practically every instrument.
I find that squashing/l
imiting the DI to oblivion makes my bass tracks sound way punchier and much more audible. It usually needs much less EQing afterwards. Of course, the sound I'm going for is an audible, yet not quite so dominating bass sound. I actually reference my bass with Arch Enemy's "Wages of Sin." Because of this I end to try to keep my mixes rather lean in the low mids department, so I'm always taming that element in practically every instrument.
Sloan
Sounds like shit!
Fuck all this shit above. the first question should be "WHAT ARE YOU MONITORING ON?". I have krk rokit 5's and can't hear shit when it comes to bass, i hate it, but i have to deal with it. it's really just trial and error/guess work. if your mixing through headphones or laptop speakers you are gonna have a helluva time figuring out what the fuck is happening down low. i'm not a fan of subwoofers unless they have been calibrated right, every time i'm at a pal's house with a subwoofer it's always too fucking loud and i hate it. don't think i would like having to wonder about the balance of my sub. i really want some 8"+ monitors dammit.
SimonTaddio_Qc
Headbanger
I don't know if it's just me, but I REALLY don't understand the logic of this chain...
Are you even sure the arrows are pointing at the right direction?
Krk 5's here as well I know its dependant upon alot of factors but I literally don't know what to do with the bass at all, all it does is muddy up my mix. All my mixes sound dark and muddy no matter how much low mids I cut with eq the only thing I can think of is that I'm just placing the bass wrong. Or that I'm not cutting enough though I think that 10 db with a wide q is a bit extreme, so its probably not that
scorpio01169
Member
As far as your monitors go...I would invest in some re-recordable disk and test your mix often. as for bass
This
and this
with a nice bass/ with new strings and a cab with a 15" will do it everytime.
start off with the direct signal, cut some bass from it and boost the highs of the bass just a bit so it will cut through. then take the mic'ed signal which should be the lows and bring it up just enough so you know it's there. since bass has a lot of energy you wont need to bring it up too much. I tend to go for that Alex Webster sound, but that"s how I get it
Vinny
Member
This might seem kind of odd since this is a bass thread, but I scoop out almost all of the 100-400hz area of my kick drums, and it gives alot of room for the bass to breathe and just sounds better.
Eh, this is why I suggested importing reference songs into your DAW - I just can't trust what my headphones tell me. I settle into a sound that's cool to me - and then realise it sounds like absolute shit, everything's muddy and you can't make out anything. That's why reference songs are so important - they tell you how your setup works with songs it SHOULD work with. If they sound like they lack bass alot (well, they do that on my system anyway) - make your own mixes like that. Chances are, they'll sound way better when listened back on most of systems anywhere.
Of course, you've got to pick albums that just have awesome production. And preferably wav-rips of those albums, no mp3's here.
I don't know if it's just me, but I REALLY don't understand the logic of this chain...
Are you even sure the arrows are pointing at the right direction?
Makes perfect sense to me. I like to squash the DI before I reamp it. It makes the playing more even, and since bass is felt more than it is heard, at least the way I like to mix it, I find that doing things this way keeps the low frequencies consistent in my mixes. I don't have to worry about some notes being played louder than others, or notes fading with sustain, etc.
SimonTaddio_Qc
Headbanger
Well, it's just that if you EQ AFTER compressing and limiting (which is just compressing at a ratio > 10:1) it won't give much room for the EQ to do it's job.
Although, I will say that you are probably very right on the points that it makes the playing more even and that you don't lack sustain.
I'm not saying to follow the trends here, but the "traditionnal" signal chain will almost always have the EQ before the comp
But really, if that's what you're shooting for, then go for it, but I've heard lots of sumptuous albums with clear, punchy and defined bass, and that's more of what I'm into, so I guess the bass CAN be heard as well as felt
Although, I will say that you are probably very right on the points that it makes the playing more even and that you don't lack sustain.
I'm not saying to follow the trends here, but the "traditionnal" signal chain will almost always have the EQ before the comp
But really, if that's what you're shooting for, then go for it, but I've heard lots of sumptuous albums with clear, punchy and defined bass, and that's more of what I'm into, so I guess the bass CAN be heard as well as felt
I was always under the impression that its better to EQ AFTER you compress, because otherwise you run the risk of your EQ boosts triggering the compressor in unwanted ways.
arv_foh
Brian K
Morgan C
MAX LOUD PRESETS¯\(°_o)/¯
My low-end comes from:
DI -> lowpass @ 200hz -> limiter with fast attack/release -> lowpass @ 200hz again (otherwise you get too many lowmids in, I just want the pure low note) -> limiter with slow release. Should be completely flatlined at that point, and you can do whatever above 200hz.
You could cut before and boost after maybe? But it doesn't make sense to be compressing frequencies you don't want.
Good headphones are probably one of the better options for mixing bass, unless you've got a killer room + treatment + monitors.
DI -> lowpass @ 200hz -> limiter with fast attack/release -> lowpass @ 200hz again (otherwise you get too many lowmids in, I just want the pure low note) -> limiter with slow release. Should be completely flatlined at that point, and you can do whatever above 200hz.
You could cut before and boost after maybe? But it doesn't make sense to be compressing frequencies you don't want.
Good headphones are probably one of the better options for mixing bass, unless you've got a killer room + treatment + monitors.
zirkonflex
You name it
1. A/B with Headphones
2. Turn the base up
4. Make the bass sound good, not too much low-end, make it audible and not like a swooshing background drone (watch Ola's bass video btw.).
5. Sidechain the loud base with the kicks so it doesn't overkill -> profit because loud base during slow parts, and silent base during fast. How much better can it get ?
No seriously, taking a somewhat more "cutting thru" attempt is usually very cool, a "overlowended" unexciting bass just eats away at the power of your kicks and blows your mix imho.
I'm totally in for more audible bass on mixes in general btw., I think its really underrated in both production and volume.
2. Turn the base up
4. Make the bass sound good, not too much low-end, make it audible and not like a swooshing background drone (watch Ola's bass video btw.).
5. Sidechain the loud base with the kicks so it doesn't overkill -> profit because loud base during slow parts, and silent base during fast. How much better can it get ?
No seriously, taking a somewhat more "cutting thru" attempt is usually very cool, a "overlowended" unexciting bass just eats away at the power of your kicks and blows your mix imho.
I'm totally in for more audible bass on mixes in general btw., I think its really underrated in both production and volume.
+1 hearing bass/kick with a sub or bigger monitors and no room treatment doesnt make the situation really better
btw a local shop had the akg 701, DT770 pro/880 pro, sennheiser 650hd and the AH50 there. listened to them for two hours. the 880 have won the match for me and are REALLY good at least for the 80 - 900 hz area.
