Help, band keeps saying there's no bass

[Soundlurker]

Ok, I know Metal music tends to have the bass a bit lower in the mix than other genres but is this a bass-light mix:
link
wtf?! I think there's too much already. Is there something very wrong with my room/setup or is it them? I've compared the mix to a few less metal bands and woudn't say "you can't hear the bass when the guitars come in" at all. I've filtered the guitars, so it isn't them. Oh, and they aren't talking about the bass guitar itself but about its lowend.

 

[seditz740novaprospect]

seems pretty weak to me overall in the low end imo.....

 

[2000ContourSVT]

I haven't listened to the song yet since I'm posting this from my iPod but you said you filtered the guitars. Are you talking about high pass, and lo pass filters. If so the high pass could be part of the reason it's thin sounding. I'll check it out later when I have a computer to listen to it on.

 

[grywolf627]

I think it's a little bass shy. For this type of music, maybe the kick could have a little more bottom. And maybe the guitars could (maybe) use a little more low end. But I think the biggest culprit (just my opinion) is the bass guitar line itself. During certain sections, it's playing an octave higher than it should to really hold down the bottom end and really make it thick sounding. So in the end, it makes it a little weak sounding. I just went through this myself on a mixing project for a friend. Just my 2 cents...take with a grain of salt.

 

[paladin shredder]

I think it's a little bass shy. For this type of music, maybe the kick could have a little more bottom. And maybe the guitars could (maybe) use a little more low end. But I think the biggest culprit (just my opinion) is the bass guitar line itself. During certain sections, it's playing an octave higher than it should to really hold down the bottom end and really make it thick sounding. So in the end, it makes it a little weak sounding. I just went through this myself on a mixing project for a friend. Just my 2 cents...take with a grain of salt.

i agree, except i wouldn't touch the guitars. imo they sound really good to me.

 

[Soundlurker]

I haven't listened to the song yet since I'm posting this from my iPod but you said you filtered the guitars. Are you talking about high pass, and lo pass filters. If so the high pass could be part of the reason it's thin sounding. I'll check it out later when I have a computer to listen to it on.

I usped a hi-pass @ around 50hz for the guitars but I don't think it's thin sounding at all.

Anyway, I really can't figure it out. One possible explanation would be that with the new broadband absorbers I made I hear more lowend. However, as I said, I used reference songs (311 and some random stuff).

I'll make a new version tomorrow but the particular song isn't the problem, I really want to find out what's the culprit for these problems. I'll check it with headphones, too, so at least acoustics and monitors are out of the equation

 

[KeithTidd]

the bass could definately have more low end. there feels like theres a big gap from like 80hz and below. Although when i focus on the bassline, it seems like the way he played it was in a higher voicing, so it might be hard to get that low end. I suggest using something like Rennbass to add some low freq harmonics.

 

[2000ContourSVT]

Ok. I got a chance to listen to it finally. I think it lacks a little low end, but I'm not convinced it's the guitars fault. I think the kick needs a little more low end and maybe some in the bass guitar as well. Other than that everything sounds pretty good.

 

[Soundlurker]

Well, I made a mix the band likes a lot (reamped the guitars through my Garland, BTW, used to be Wagner). However, I'm comparing it to other bands with headphones on and it has tons more bass...could anyone point out a certain part of the spectrum the previous mix is missing or the new one shouldn't have as much?
Also how do you find the new mix?
new mix

 

[abyssofdreams]

Hmm, I think the first mix sounds fine, didn't listen to the new one yet.
I mean, it sounds balanced, so why would you raise the bass just for making it more thumpy?

 

[grywolf627]

Honestly, I think it has too much bass. Like I said yesterday, I think the real problem is the bass line the guy played...not the frequency content of your mix. He played his bass lines too high to give the song any real, useable bottom end. I went through this exact same thing recently with a friend's project. At times, the bass energy would just drop out...when it was needed the most...because of the bass lines played...not because of the mix itself. As far as bass (frequency) content...the first mix is much better.

 

[006]

Dude, when bass players play higher up the low-end just isn't there - period. If you have Waves RBass, this is exactly where it comes in handy! It will create an even low-end on the bass across the board, no matter what he plays.

~006

 

[Soundlurker]

Thanks guys, I guess you can't get something out of nothing, most of the times, anyway. I'll try waves rbass though I don't know if it will help more then the way I set up a C4 to even out the bass.

 

[rvs0002]

The band should worry more about all the spots where the chick singer is off key more than your mixing. Does she/they not hear that????

Nice work on the mix.

 

[Soundlurker]

Thanks to all of you guys and cheers!
I spent half a day listening to the song on different setups and just sent the final version to the band. I don't want to hear this song in the next few months I would like to know what you think about the mix though

Final Mix

Man, it's hard to make a mix that doesn't suck when you listen to it in a car with cheap stereo. uke: