Hardware 1176 vs Distressor Bass shoot-out

[Ermz]

So, I've got all of this week to mix a single for a band, so I'm experimenting and shooting stuff out to kill the time and learn something along the way.

Basically this is a mix in progress, and I've shot out my 1176 Rev D vs the Distressor for bass duties.

Here are the clips:

Bass 1

Bass 2

Bass 3

Bass 4

Some stuff you ought to know:

- The DI track ran through my Millennia which did EQ and compression on the way in. So this is present across all clips.
- 2 of those clips stage both compressors, and 2 of them feature the compressors individually.
- Bass on all clips are is also running into a 2 EQ, multiband and limiter chain. The only thing being alternated is the compressors leading into that chain.

I'll show the results in 2 days after you guys poll up some votes!

 

[Nimvi]

Voted 4, but it was a hard choice tbh! All of the examples had a very specific sound to them that could be excellent for a project, depending on what you are going for.

For example, nr. 1 sounds the most brutal to me, so if that was the goal, I would pick that one as my favourite. I ended up going for nr. 4 because I think it sounded the most "natural" (as far as that is possible with a crushing metal bass ).
I didn't quite dig nr. 3; it seemed a bit lifeless compared to the others. Matter of taste though.

Crushing sound btw, loving it!

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Voted 3. It's a good mix between mid grit and easy-to-blend smoothness IMHO.

 

[Scott Horner]

3 and 4 sound best to me but I like 3 more for the exact reasons that Jarkko stated.

 

[korbiar]

voted for number 3
what were the millennia origin settings ?

 

[Ermz]

Cool, guys, keep em coming.

Millennia was just cutting a couple dB of low-mids, and taking off around 5 to 7dB with a gentle 3:1 ratio, around 4ms attack and somewhere around 50ms release. As a result, 2 of these clips have been compressed 5 times in series.

 

[OneDaySky]

4 sounded a little too in your face for me, but 3 sounded spot on to my liking!

 

[Lucas D'Angelo]

Number 3 blends much better than the others imo !

 

[Bromigo]

I voted for 3, even though I'm in an office and can't play it loud. 3 just seemed to blend with the kick better and it sounded like it hit harder.

 

[C_F_H_13]

I like 3. Whatever it is.

 

[luismars]

3! To be more precise on how exactly affects the tone a solo track of the bass will be useful

 

[El_Gato]

Between 3 and 4. I think I'd get 4 in the end

 

[colonel_claypoo]

great bass sound ermz! what bass was used and was the bass played really hard?
was the action very low so fret buzz is part of the tone?

 

[Erik Monsonis]

I prefer 4 but I expected bigger differences.

 

[fatalforce]

I prefer 4 but I expected bigger differences.

I agree but I liked 3 better. The punch of the bass accents the kicks

 

[Ermz]

great bass sound ermz! what bass was used and was the bass played really hard?
was the action very low so fret buzz is part of the tone?

Yes to everything!

Bass was my Ibanez BTB705DX:

Interesting results here. Very different to Sevenstring.org.

 

[Empathy]

I was just about to ask if it was your BTB. Fuck you make that thing sound so killer!

 

[RaNk]

I voted 2, because it's punchy yet it leaves the kick to breath more.

 

[amarshism]

i voted 2, like the pick attack... 3 was a little too pumpy for me and 4 maybe too subdued, although i imagine it would slide into the mix a bit better because of the tamer bottom end... listening on shure srh440s

 

[tenebre]

hmm... I went for 2. But i do prefer a warmer softer bass approach.

All of them sound pretty good though.