Post by MetalRenard on Jan 28, 2020 13:50:07 GMT
So we already have a thread to share how we mix guitars (Check it out here) so let's talk about bass, too!
Here's an example of what my bass sounds like when mixed:
www.dropbox.com/s/4kw6a7cvw7evgbq/Asunder%20BASS.mp3?dl=0
Stage 1: Tone
I put a little overdrive on my bass to give it grit and natural compression. Plus it brings a little life to my not so great bass. Luckily it has active pickups at least.
Stage 2: EQ
I used to mix my bass "above" my kick drum until I realised that meant my entire lower spectrum was basically just one note for the whole song and that bugged me. Since then I've begun mixing my kick drum to hit around 100hz and my bass at 60-70hz at its lowest point.
Here's the EQ from the above track:
I highpass at 65hz with a small peak in this area then I cut at 90-140hz for the kick drum to come through. I take away the mids for the guitar to have room among other instruments then boost it around 1300 so you can hear a little of the grit. I highpass quite low on the bass but only a gentle slope.
Stage 3: Bring back some highs
I don't like the sound of my bass a lot so to make it sound crispier, I cut away the highs from the recording and add them back in using tape distortion. I tend to add a little on the mids and a lot on the highs.
Stage 4: Compression and transient shaping
I tend to give my bass a lot of room to punch through the compressor by setting a slowish attack (60ms) but I compress heavily with a ratio of anything from 7:1 to 10:1.
Stage 5: Deesser
I put a deesser on my bass too, usually to give me some control over how much string noise comes through. I set it to be quite wide but not very strong.
Your turn!
Here's an example of what my bass sounds like when mixed:
www.dropbox.com/s/4kw6a7cvw7evgbq/Asunder%20BASS.mp3?dl=0
Stage 1: Tone
I put a little overdrive on my bass to give it grit and natural compression. Plus it brings a little life to my not so great bass. Luckily it has active pickups at least.
Stage 2: EQ
I used to mix my bass "above" my kick drum until I realised that meant my entire lower spectrum was basically just one note for the whole song and that bugged me. Since then I've begun mixing my kick drum to hit around 100hz and my bass at 60-70hz at its lowest point.
Here's the EQ from the above track:
I highpass at 65hz with a small peak in this area then I cut at 90-140hz for the kick drum to come through. I take away the mids for the guitar to have room among other instruments then boost it around 1300 so you can hear a little of the grit. I highpass quite low on the bass but only a gentle slope.
Stage 3: Bring back some highs
I don't like the sound of my bass a lot so to make it sound crispier, I cut away the highs from the recording and add them back in using tape distortion. I tend to add a little on the mids and a lot on the highs.
Stage 4: Compression and transient shaping
I tend to give my bass a lot of room to punch through the compressor by setting a slowish attack (60ms) but I compress heavily with a ratio of anything from 7:1 to 10:1.
Stage 5: Deesser
I put a deesser on my bass too, usually to give me some control over how much string noise comes through. I set it to be quite wide but not very strong.
Your turn!
