Getting bass to properly sit in the mix...

[Sinister Mephisto]

I really distort it too. That way the distortion doesn't muddy up the lows, but it still sounds nasty. Fills in the holes nicely and you can hear it, if you listen with it muted and unmuted there's a big difference.

Maybe OT but what do you guys use to distort it? I've just been using a OD820, (No POD or Sansamp available)

 

[TheStoryteller]

We used a similar technique on our last album... one DI track, and one distorted track that was blended in. The distorted track was recorded through a regular TS9 and an Ampeg amp + 4x10 cab.

You can listen to it at http://www.myspace.com/thestorytellersweden, the track Changeling starts with just bass and drums, for your listening convenience.

 

[Glenn Fricker]

Of course, the other alternative to boiling strings is to not be so fucking cheap and buy a new set.


The only people more cheap than drummers giving excuses not to put fresh drumheads on thier kit, are bass players not buying new strings.

"You wanted to make a good record, right?"

 

[stringy_]

We used a similar technique on our last album... one DI track, and one distorted track that was blended in. The distorted track was recorded through a regular TS9 and an Ampeg amp + 4x10 cab.

You can listen to it at http://www.myspace.com/thestorytellersweden, the track Changeling starts with just bass and drums, for your listening convenience.

That's a rocking bass tone right there!

 

[stringy_]

One of the best tricks I have used was this...

1. clone d.i. track ( so you have to of tracks of the exact same thing)
2. on one of the tracks set up and e'q to HPF up to 700 and a LPF down to 2200 (give or take).
3. Slowly bring the filtered track up until you like what you hear.

This really helps to a get a bass heard a lot. Some what has the effect of new strings. I am pretty sure this was one of those gems that Andy told us about a long time ago. Also maybe add a little distortian to the the filtered track. This also allows is about the only way to get your bass heard on smaller speakers.

I just tried this. See my problem wasn't that I wanted the bass to be HEARD, I just wanted it to sit in the mix and thump along with the rest of the band better.

I'm running an MXR M-80 Bass DI box right now. The M-80 has one regular wet output and a dry DI output.

I'm patching the DI output directly into my interface and the wet output is going into my POD where it's running through an EQ plus the modeled bass distortion.

In my mixer I'm high passing the shit out of the distorted track, so the distortion isn't messing with the lows. I then dropped a C4 on the DI track and tightened up the low end, while taking an EQ and boosting 3dB or so around 70Hz with a wide Q...then I have a pretty steep dip at about 210Hz to scoop all that annoying boomieness. I'm then rolling everything else off with a high pass at around 40Hz or so.

Now, I don't quite have all the frequencies right, it's still a touch boomy...but I can tell right now that combining a distorted track and a DI track kicks ass. I've read about this time and time again, why did I just try it now?!?! Lol! The DI track is providing the smooth thump and low end, while the distorted track is providing the dirt.

This forum continually amazes me....

 

[chadsxe]

Ahhh...I see. Well its really hard to tell with out the source material at hand. Generally though a metal kick sets around 62 cycles. I tend to put my bass above this at around 90 cycles with some life in it at 160 range.

 

[poundingmetal74]

Of course, the other alternative to boiling strings is to not be so fucking cheap and buy a new set.


The only people more cheap than drummers giving excuses not to put fresh drumheads on thier kit, are bass players not buying new strings.

"You wanted to make a good record, right?"

 

[Keessi]

One thing that helped me get the bass to sit in the mix was to cut from 90-160hz approx and boost a notch below 90hz. This helps the lower notes come through better, which is recommended if one plays below D...

My band Afgrund plays in drop A and the lowernotes just didn't cut that much but the higher ones came out too much. I just thought, hmm, if I'd cut the bass from the higher octave and boost the lower, it'd have more sub bass. because of the human ear doesn't hear the lowest notes as well as the higher, I have to compensate with eq.

I'll post a song or two in the nearby days.

 

[elmuchoescadawg]

Of course, the other alternative to boiling strings is to not be so fucking cheap and buy a new set.


The only people more cheap than drummers giving excuses not to put fresh drumheads on thier kit, are bass players not buying new strings.

"You wanted to make a good record, right?"

Whats cheaper new strings or a few extra hours in the studio turd polishing?

 

[Ermz]

I just heard that bass section in 'Three-Dimensional Defect' that the thread starter was referencing. Almost blew a load.

 

[MetalSound]

Anybody here heard the Katatonia "The great cold distance"?
It has an abolutely incredible full bass sound and most of the time it is stereo!!! Any idea how they made it?! Chorus? Symphonia plugin? Or just synthie?!?

Sorry don´t want to steal the thread.

 

[greyskull]

id say to help your bass sit
avoid active basses lick the plauge
fender p's, jazz's , gibbo grabbers and thunderbirds are great
then squash the fuck and distrort the hell out of em

 

[s34nsm411]

i never really worry about the bass track too much but this thread is interesting

how many tracks of bass do you usually track? im used to doing one but occasionally i hear of people doing 2 or 4 or more

also, anyone have a plugin reccomendation for adding distortion afterward? i really want to try the highpass distorted track method

 

[scorpio01169]

Of course, the other alternative to boiling strings is to not be so fucking cheap and buy a new set.


The only people more cheap than drummers giving excuses not to put fresh drumheads on thier kit, are bass players not buying new strings.

"You wanted to make a good record, right?"

i have been playing bass for 16 years and have never boiled a set of strings...

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Yeah I don't see boiling strings thing, yeah they are exspensive but not that exspensive, common.

 

[stringy_]

Whoa this is an old thread.

 

[doc_backmask]

+1 for buying new strings!

I, however, must disagree about the pickups. Actives sound great in some woods, and passives in others. I have ESP's with both actives and passives, my F255 sounds bad-ass with the HZs and my B500 sounds equally bad-ass with a 35DC and a 35P.

It also depends largely on playing style. I only track with a pick. Live I switch back and forth mid-song, but mixing is easier and better with the pick.

 

[musickey]

Dave Otero is on this forum he produced Cephalic Carnage's Anomalies, and the bass tone he help create is bone crushing when blended with guitar IMHO dont get much better

So whats your secret Dave?

 

[TheStoryteller]

When we (The Storyteller) recorded our second album back in 2001, Fredrik in Studio Fredman forced us to boil the bass strings between every second song during tracking. And the guitar strings should be changed in the same interval as well.

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

what does the boiling do? Tighter bottom?