Compressing bass (before or after audio capture)

[Vicioushead]

Ok, so I'm a noob.

Do you guys compress the bass track as you are recording it or add compression afterwards? I'm tinkering around with a band right now and the bassist is a very uneven player. Setting an input level for him is a nightmare. One part is played softly, the next half of the bar, he's booming the line out.

Any tips?

 

[LBTM]

compression and volume automations?

 

[Manicompression]

I would record it so there is no clipping when hes at his worst and then just correct it in mixing. Waves bass rider is a godsend here. That and a ton of limiting.

 

[Vicioushead]

Awesome username

Thanks for the tip! I think I have that plugin too!

 

[Trevoire520]

My first reaction is get him to play his parts properly and consistently. If he's so bad that he can't then I would honestly just re-record his parts afterwards. Sure you can automate and multi-band the piss out of it to get it kinda even but it's still going to end up as a major compromise in the end.

 

[trianglebutt]

^ This, and whatever you do, don't tell a soul.

 

[BLUElightCory]

My first reaction is get him to play his parts properly and consistently. If he's so bad that he can't then I would honestly just re-record his parts afterwards. Sure you can automate and multi-band the piss out of it to get it kinda even but it's still going to end up as a major compromise in the end.

Yup. Don't leave it for mixdown. Get it right going in.

 

[LiberaScientia]

Replace it with Zombass

But nah, try and get it as tight and consistent as possible going in, and beyond that, Waves Bass Rider is awesome.

 

[Vicioushead]

Thanks people.

 

[arv_foh]

I use a distressor on the bass on the way in

 

[Melb_shredder]

I use an optocomp on the way in always. Taking off about 4-5db at most. Any more than that and I'm questioning the bassists abilities...

 

[bryan_kilco]

I never fully understood the reasoning behind comping on the way in. Yeah, it will make things a bit easier when post processing, but I don't see the harm in doing the bit of extra work later on just knowing that your raw take is raw-as-can-be and you aren't possibly screwing it up.

 

[arv_foh]

I never fully understood the reasoning behind comping on the way in. Yeah, it will make things a bit easier when post processing, but I don't see the harm in doing the bit of extra work later on just knowing that your raw take is raw-as-can-be and you aren't possibly screwing it up.

If you are confident in your skills and you know what you are doing sounds good it's just less work to do later.

I comp my vocals on the way in too and I'd say they are 90% mix ready as I track them..

 

[DanLights]

I normally use a compressor on the way in if I'm doing an amp/pedal track, but when I split I try to leave the DI completely raw, just to have it there just in case. If it's only DI, I always keep it raw, but honestly I wouldn't be afraid to give it some compression if I had a good comp like a distressor

 

[Derykus]

Hardware compression still annihilates plugin compression. That's why.

If you are tracking with plugin compression, then just record it raw.

 

[Vicioushead]

Well, today's session was much more successful. I did compress on the way in but very gently. Also managed to get the bass player to play in a more controlled manner. Turns out he thought he had to play the living shit out of the parts.

Have a much more stable track now.

Thanks everyone for the tips.

 

[Melb_shredder]

If you are confident in your skills and you know what you are doing sounds good it's just less work to do later.

I comp my vocals on the way in too and I'd say they are 90% mix ready as I track them..

Exactly!ive started commuting to more stuff in the way in. Sure, it means I'm stuck with something, but more often than not it's benefitted the overall process and again, with bass comping on the way in. You want a transparent control not a full sense of compression etc

 

[DanLights]

Well, today's session was much more successful. I did compress on the way in but very gently. Also managed to get the bass player to play in a more controlled manner. Turns out he thought he had to play the living shit out of the parts.

Have a much more stable track now.

Thanks everyone for the tips.

Well, he should play the living shit out of the parts, just the same living shit equally over the recording

 

[Vicioushead]

Yes, that's more along the lines of what I meant

 

[The StabbinCabin]

Just slightly compressing and gently EQing the DI with my Eureka made it way easier to mix and process later. Saving up for an 1176 kit for this exact reason.