Taming bass

[Noumenon]

Question: How do you deal with a bass that's REALLY boomy on the e-string and pretty lame on the rest? It really booms now whenever the e-string is played. I like the sound from the e-string, but it's annoying when it booms out like that.

Btw. it's a regular 4-string tuned down to Bb with strings for a 5-stringer.
I've tried a Ibanez 5-stringer (soundgear), but it was totally lame. No clarity from the first frets on the B-string.

 

[Torsis]

Question: How do you deal with a bass that's REALLY boomy on the e-string and pretty lame on the rest?

Sounds like an un-ideal bass track - what's the recording chain besides.....

I've tried a Ibanez 5-stringer (soundgear), but it was totally lame. No clarity from the first frets on the B-string.

Understandable....

 

[Noumenon]

The chain is bass->di->mac.
and in the daw: bass->ampeg->eq->comp->eq->master buss

 

[Torsis]

Nou - what's your DI?

...you lost me on the ampeg plug in the DAW...

..and isn't it like fucking 5:00am or better in Sweden now?

 

[ArtGarceau]

If the track calls for it try running your bass signal out of the DAW and through a distortion or overdrive box with a mild amount of saturation. That will not only thin out your low end, but it'll also smooth out the dynamics without making it pump like a compressor might.

 

[greyskull]

multi band compress the area the low string sits in.
then smack the shit out of it

 

[Noumenon]

ToxicNothing. Samson S-direct and yes, it was 4.29

greyskull. I'll try that multiband comping. I managed to get it ok by putting a limiter on it.

 

[Razorjack]

It could well be the strings, I've had basses where the strings were so uneven in volume they were unplayable. A change of strings and they were fine. Some brands have pretty shitty lifespans (Ernie Ball/Rotosound/Elites) lasting only a couple of weeks.

 

[jesterroot4]

well if your tunin down that low, string gauge plays a big role in keep a tight clear bottem end sound. so try get some nice thick ones, also in metal recording i find the bass pickups crusial. i'm a bassist myself and play a 5 string warwick thumb bass but also have a variaty of other basses including fretless and acoustics, now the best thing to keep a good overall tone is that you record with active pickups. all other recordings i'v done using passive ones have really sounded pants.

could you guys quickly tell me how to upload songs on to here so that it will play from the link and not go thru shit like downloading etc.. and then i'll start posting you guys examples of things i mean.

cheers

 

[Noumenon]

jesterroot4 that's why we put on a 5-string set on the 4 stringer and skip the top string

 

[jesterroot4]

jesterroot4 that's why we put on a 5-string set on the 4 stringer and skip the top string

sorry you didnt quite explain thast well enough.

kewl kewl tho

 

[Noumenon]

it's a regular 4-string tuned down to Bb with strings for a 5-stringer.

I did indeed explain that well But nevermind, just teasing you.
Thanx for the tips anyway! I'll do some experimenting this weekend.

 

[::XeS::]

Hi Noumenon..wich is your string gauge? I have to tune down to C a 4 string bass. Do you enlarge the nut's hole?

 

[the_man361]

it may be that your room is such a width/depth that a standing wave has set itself up between the two walls that causes that particular note to seem louder than the rest. does it sound too boomy in many different listening environments? have you tried getting the intonation of your bass sorted?

if youve considered all the above, use a compressor i guess.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

What kind of pickups?

Neck or bridge or both?

What settings are you using with the ampeg sim?

Post a sample of the DI track?

 

[Noumenon]

the_man361, I can't be som much my mixing room since the meter on the track really jumps too.

GuitarGodgt, really don't have a clue except that they are passive. I'll check into posting samples later today.

Did manage to get it better, used more of the nexk pickup and slammed the track with eq-comp-eq-lim. it has a pretty nice fat sound now without any jumping notes.

 

[colonel kurtz]

...assuming you're going to doctor up the tracks you have, rather than go change some shit and re-track...

+1 on the multi-band comp

 

[jesterroot4]

when nu guys talk about the 'multiband compresser' are you on about that plugin you get with cubase with all those instrument compression presets?

if so...
i HATE that thing! its the worst thing ever. you cant expect a computer to tell you how something should sound. you should stear away from that thing and trust your ears using other such compressers.

i just feel that things a big cheat that doesnt sound that good anyways.
and you always get dodgy sounds coming out of it.

 

[the_man361]

when nu guys talk about the 'multiband compresser' are you on about that plugin you get with cubase with all those instrument compression presets?

if so...
i HATE that thing! its the worst thing ever. you cant expect a computer to tell you how something should sound. you should stear away from that thing and trust your ears using other such compressers.

i just feel that things a big cheat that doesnt sound that good anyways.
and you always get dodgy sounds coming out of it.

you know that you dont have to use the presets, dont you?

agreed though, the presets are awful.

 

[MetalSound]

But the compressor itself is nice. I nearly always use it for mastering (Nuendo).