how do mix bass

[blue_fAng]

Let's talk about the low end of the bass guitar. Have anyone tried blending two or more layers of bass to get a fuller bass tone for a better mix? Like using different amps or mics? I've tried it and the bass sounds great soloed but makes mud in the mix :S. Please tell me your experiences with this.

 

[Skinny Viking]

Let's talk about using the search function for a topic thats been raised and discussed countless times

http://www.google.com/cse/home?cx=007593470310830667409:4qw46y8lnza

 

[B36arin]

I always blend two tracks when I mix metal bass. They're not full range signals though. I'll typically have one very compressed track which takes care of the low end and one gritty track that is HP'd pretty high which I blend in for grit. I then compress the two together on a bus. Gives me good enough results as long as the bass is tracked properly. My basses always end up pretty scooped which usually works great together with guitars(as long as they sound good).

Compressing the low end with a multiband comp is also a really good trick if the playing/low end is inconsistent.

 

[shred101]

3 tracks. Track of regular amp/amp sim, track of DI, track of distortion.

Chop the lows + highs off the distortion using bandpass.

Eq other tracks and compress/balance to taste.

Also yeah I agree, multiband comp is a big help for me. Other than that I high pass everything below 60hz.

One thing I like doing is if you've cut a notch into the guitars in the high mids area, then boost the same frequency on the bass distortion track with a tight q setting to bring out definition.

 

[xx|fiend|xx]

Let's talk about using the search function for a topic thats been raised and discussed countless times

http://www.google.com/cse/home?cx=007593470310830667409:4qw46y8lnza

Such a warm welcome with fuzzy help lol....:hotjump:

 

[shred101]

^-- Just ignore them.

I do.

Who cares if its been discussed countless times? Maybe people wanna discuss it again, add some new info, that kind of thing, yaknow?

 

[006]

Clean/DI track slammed with comp/limiter, HP @ 60Hz, LP @ 200Hz.

Distorted track slammed with comp/limiter, HP @ 200Hz, LP @ 7kHz.

Blend to taste then send both to a mono bus so you have volume control of the blend you set.

I know every mix is different, but you'd be surprised how close just doing that to start off with will get you like 90% there every time, at least for me it does. The other 10% is extra EQ, usually on the dirt track.

 

[delayshifter]

Clean/DI track slammed with comp/limiter, HP @ 60Hz, LP @ 200Hz.

Distorted track slammed with comp/limiter, HP @ 200Hz, LP @ 7kHz.

Blend to taste then send both to a mono bus so you have volume control of the blend you set.

I know every mix is different, but you'd be surprised how close just doing that to start off with will get you like 90% there every time, at least for me it does. The other 10% is extra EQ, usually on the dirt track.

This.

 

[AndrewB]

I tend to HP and LP my bass tracks more aggressively

Clean: slammed with comp/limiter, HP to taste (sometimes I want some subs, sometimes I don't), LP with STEEP rolloff at 150 Hz.
Distorted: slammed, HP @ 500-800 with STEEP ROLLOFF, LP at 4600 Hz.

 

[Skinny Viking]

^-- Just ignore them.

I do.

Who cares if its been discussed countless times? Maybe people wanna discuss it again, add some new info, that kind of thing, yaknow?

 

[OneDaySky]

006 answer is a good 1, and to top that off, make a 3rd track in MIDI and run a standard sine wave oscillator playing relative notes underneath at a low level.

 

[Jon Warren]

Although I understand why the vets on this forum bust a nut every time a forum topic is reposted (you've answered the question before, the question can be answered by using the search function etc etc), what if your opinion has change since 2007 or whenever you posted your answer. I've seen vets state that they have learned a lot from another persons post or tried something new and suddenly that lightbulb above your head lights up and I get a migraine thanks to the fact that everyone is using CFL's these days. Just look at the evolution of Glenn Fricker's drum tracking sticky (of DOOM).

I tend to HP and LP my bass tracks more aggressively

Clean: slammed with comp/limiter, HP to taste (sometimes I want some subs, sometimes I don't), LP with STEEP rolloff at 150 Hz.
Distorted: slammed, HP @ 500-800 with STEEP ROLLOFF, LP at 4600 Hz.

This quote above a good example of why it is a good idea to repost a topic once in while. I personally use the search function a lot and I have read a lot of posts recently on bass guitars as I am currently producing my band, Alphakill, and we are recording bass atm. I have never seen anyone post that they hp/lp at settings that extreme.

That being said, @iamspartacus, with a LP on the clean of 150 and a HP on the distorted track of 800, both with steep slopes, I would imagine a massive gap in the middle of the bass guitars sound. Could you post an example of how that sounds solo'd and in a mix? I would imagine it leave a lot of room for guitars.

 

[Jon Warren]

2 other things,

1. That guy with the cigar looks like the Ancient Aliens host.

2. I have seen tech support forums a few years ago when I was building my computer that would automatically search for keywords in your topic's title before you post it and display existing topics to the user and ask them if it satisfies their question. I don't know how plausable it is to do that here but it would be cool.

PPS, I could just play around with the bass thing myself but I am at work and I have to wait till I get off, and I have been sitting too long, and my ass hurts. And well, I like salad?

 

[Skinny Viking]

1. Yes it's Georgio from Ancient Aliens

2. The link I posted in my 1st reply is not to the built in search function ... its to the custom search someone else came up with that allows you to type in whatever words/phrase (big or small) you wish to search with and the results displayed are only relevant to this forum. Works fantastic. Its also listed right at the top of the FAQ Sticky thread in the main forum.

As for opinions changing, yes that is a completely valid statement ... however, the same purpose can be achieved simply by bumping an old thread that is on topic for what the question is ... or merely to just say "hey, I know this is an old thread but I'm wondering if anyone has learned any new shit or changed their views"

point being, for people that do try to search, it makes things much more concise in that all relevant information on the topic is contained in as few threads as possible

Want to know about bass processing / mixing? ... check one of 4 threads on it, not sift through 40 threads.

The problem most people have with starting new threads on something as basic (hurrrr) as this is that for the most part, people don't even bother with the tools and links that have been already provided to try and aid them in the 1st place to find answers. Its not just that its "here's that bass question again" ... its more that it seems like laziness

 

[grywolf627]

...The problem most people have with starting new threads on something as basic (hurrrr) as this is that for the most part, people don't even bother with the tools and links that have been already provided to try and aid them in the 1st place to find answers. Its not just that its "here's that bass question again" ... its more that it seems like laziness

 

[Jon Warren]

I completely agree with what you are saying, expecially since the time spent waiting for someone to answer your post can be spent reading pre-existing threads. I just wanted to make sure everyone was looking at both sides of the coin. As for the bumps on an old thread, I don't recall seeing old threads getting bumped often on here, though I may have not been conciously looking for it.

Also, in my interpretation of the TS original question, he appears to be asking if anyone has tried using multiple amps/cabs/mics blended over the same frequency range and not over seperate parts of the instrument's audible spectrum, which is a topic I don't recall reading about on this forum as of yet.

 

[Skinny Viking]

can I say that specific detail has been discussed? No, I can't, however that doesn't mean it hasn't. Also, the concept of blending "two or more layers of bass to get a fuller bass tone" has been discussed NUMEROUS times, with many different scenarios/questions/comments/responses/ideas/tips and all around golden little nuggets of advise tucked neatly away inside of them. A person just needs to be aware that a thread may exist that has 10 pages of discussion just waiting to be rediscovered and who knows? ... the answer to the original question just might be in there. Even if its not, that goes right to the point I made earlier about bumping the thread, at which point the comment / question could be posed since it hasn't been touched on previously. At this point, "people can (if they wanna) discuss it again, add some new info, that kind of thing, yaknow?" (as some fuckhead put it)

However, none of this can ever happen or be learned or shared if the person doesn't at least show the smallest amount of effort (it really is such a SMALL amount of effort) to use the search thats right there in the FAQ (which might even have - an answer!) and instead, out of laziness or just the desire to have answers to his own question in his own thread, creates a new thread which adds to the clutter and then even begins it with "Let's talk about the low end of the bass guitar"

Like THAT is one conversation that's slipped by this place

 

[Pre Studio Productions]

I also side with skinny Viking...but not completely. It is annoying when you see the same thread being posted. (I personally don't even bother opening the thread). There are only supposed to be a small amount of the "how do..." threads because I believe those threads are to give u a head start. To show you the basics. THEN you take that and run with it. You come up with YOUR NEW ideas and keep on learning new things to improve what you've learned. If you have something to ask, or something to share, post it on the "already made" thread about that topic. BUT! I do see the OP's side of view. I believe it's nonsense that people can't get an updated answer on whatever they're looking for just because of "forum ediquette". Long story short. Use the search function

 

[AndrewB]

That being said, @iamspartacus, with a LP on the clean of 150 and a HP on the distorted track of 800, both with steep slopes, I would imagine a massive gap in the middle of the bass guitars sound. Could you post an example of how that sounds solo'd and in a mix? I would imagine it leave a lot of room for guitars.

I can't post a mix right now, as for some reason my program freezes as soon as I try to export (getting a new computer soon!).

But anyway, that's basically the point of it. When I'm trying to go for that sound where the bass blends in with the guitars (BFMV's The Poison is a really good example), I'll high pass and low pass like that. And I like and use that technique a lot.

 

[blue_fAng]

hello im the op and i am aware of the search function and i've been reading this forum several months even before the registration and i've never seen a post discussing blended basses in the same frequency area and if there is, then its in a forsaken page or i probably just missed it and im not going to browse all the existing pages like if i have the time of the world. Im talking about blending different bass instruments/amp/cab in the low zone, the bass of the bass blended, like jon warren said.

skinny viking...chill out dude, you dont have to tell anything to 'prove' you are right, no offense but whats wrong with creating a thread of a specific topic that has not been really well discussed before (or not at all) i think bumping old threads doesnt give enough interest to the people to answer the post or to answer with more detail as in a new post, i dont know if im right but i think its that way. in the end, its a different topic. im not trying to provoke or anything just saying what i feel, probably some people were shy to ask those questions before and now they read this post and say 'finally someone asking that'. i think reading/writing another post discussing this would be a waste of time so please lets keep it for the bass since its already open.

thanks people for your answers!