EQ and Bass

[PoetSleep00]

How do you EQ bass? I know that EQ gives a sound its own path, but I'm at a loss for understanding it. I work in a pre-production studio, so often I EQ sounds as I put them into the mix. Are there specific guidlines I should follow with regards to EQ? Because right now I'm flying blind and experimenting.

[grinder]

The main rules for eq are to only use it for fine tuning a sound.Try to use mic selection, placement, tone knobs on the amp, ect..., to get the sound you want.The other biggy is to use cut instead of boost.

[starch]

Bass management is the most difficult thing for me. I hope others chime in here because I would love to learn too. I think a good quality and accurate monitoring system is critical. Its probably not the 'right' thing to do, but I tend to use multiband compressors along with and almost in place of eq for a lot of my bass issues.

starch

[mixsit]

Originally posted by PoetSleep00
How do you EQ bass? I know that EQ gives a sound its own path, but I'm at a loss for understanding it. I work in a pre-production studio, so often I EQ sounds as I put them into the mix. Are there specific guidlines I should follow with regards to EQ? Because right now I'm flying blind and experimenting.

Can you expand on what aspect of it you're not understanding?
Wayne

[Blue Bear Sound]

The trick to EQ'ing anything is not to use it until you have the sound source sounding the way you want it.

ie - mic selection/placement, the room, the instruments and/or talent being recorded.

You don't EQ a guitar to sound like a banjo, you use a banjo.... you don't overEQ a dynamic mic to capture the sound of a vocal being done with a Neumann, you use the Neumann...... etc.......

So you need to be more specific about your particular problem because there is no "common bass sound" issue that anyone can give you advice about - every answer depends on the specific context of the question.