Anyone High passing their bass

[utsman]

I have heard from some of you muso dudes that you need to cut of bass guitar below 60 - 100 hz(depending on bass and pre amps) because those low frequencies can mud up the bottom end. I can't tell the difference except I must turn up the fader if I do cut them off.I suppose it depends on the kind of sound you are after.

Any comments/statements/abuse/advice or whining.

UTSMAN

[Fishybob]

Yeah I like a kinda retro (ish) sound. I take off the bottom 60 - 80 on the bass guitar to make space for the kick and take it down a tad at around 500 too keep the muddiness down. Then I roll off everything at about 1000. I still get the definition and attack but it doesn't interfere higher up the spectrum.


... well, it works for me.

[Ronan]

I heard from a buddy of mine that worked on it, that Peter Gabriel's "SO" had everything below 75 HZ cut off every instrument including bass.

[Fishybob]

Name dropper!

[PowRGnome]

I use a Nord MicroModular for bass sounds (rock and roll music with FM and subtractive basses). I then use the MicroModular as an insert signal processor on the bass track and most of the time I find myself (gently, 6 or 12 db/oct) rolling off everything below 80 or 85 Hz to give the kick the room it needs. I barely notice that bottom missing, especially after compressing and giving it a little punch around 250 Hz.

I say let the kick take care of the bottomest of the bottom. I hear so many mixes where neither the bass nor the kick is clear and I'd rather have the kick dominate down there than make the brown sound.

[Capt. Snazzy]

I do it differently for different songs, when doing a track with live drums, I'll usually cut it (bass) just low enough to prevent it from interfering with the air movement on the kick drum (sometimes as low as 40 or 45) then compress them together through a sub-buss to get the desired amount of cohesion.
But when I'm doing a track with programmed drums where I've got say, an 808 kick hitting, I'll clear the bass out of the whole region, up to 75-85 so that the electronic kick has room to really punch through.
Hope that helps a little...

Aaron

[mixsit]

I would tend to use a shelf, in combination with bells on the smaller problems way more often the HP.
Wayne

[Cloneboy Studio]

I generally highpass everything in a mix to keep a tight low end. On bass or with a kick drum I will usually start a roll off around 35-50hz depending on what I need to accomplish. For stuff like guitar 70hz and under is usually clutter. Vocals around 125hz. Background stuff, like synth pads or strings, I may even go up to 200hz... because synths have a TON of constant low end energy (especially analogs) that will muddy up your lows very fast.

[Zed10R]

Originally Posted by PowRGnome

I use a Nord MicroModular for bass sounds (rock and roll music with FM and subtractive basses). I then use the MicroModular as an insert signal processor on the bass track and most of the time I find myself (gently, 6 or 12 db/oct) rolling off everything below 80 or 85 Hz to give the kick the room it needs. I barely notice that bottom missing, especially after compressing and giving it a little punch around 250 Hz.

I say let the kick take care of the bottomest of the bottom. I hear so many mixes where neither the bass nor the kick is clear and I'd rather have the kick dominate down there than make the brown sound.

Some days it seems like I am just destined to be in the minority.

I understand the thinking behind letting the kick fill in the lowest of the lows, but I have always approached the kick as an instument of impact rather than tone. Either a tight punch or a dull but full thump. Either way does not interfere with the bass guitar. Maybe it's because I tune lower than standard....???

[Dr. Jeep]

Originally Posted by Cloneboy Studio

I generally highpass everything in a mix to keep a tight low end. On bass or with a kick drum I will usually start a roll off around 35-50hz depending on what I need to accomplish. For stuff like guitar 70hz and under is usually clutter. Vocals around 125hz. Background stuff, like synth pads or strings, I may even go up to 200hz... because synths have a TON of constant low end energy (especially analogs) that will muddy up your lows very fast.

I tried this recently - and I felt some of my bass did kind of disappear. THen again - its hammering out a note in D which isn't very low...nonetheless - where should I boost to get the thump back in while preserving some of the nice mids in the bass?

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Originally Posted by Dr. Jeep

I tried this recently - and I felt some of my bass did kind of disappear. THen again - its hammering out a note in D which isn't very low...nonetheless - where should I boost to get the thump back in while preserving some of the nice mids in the bass?

Depends on the amp and the mic placement if you're not going direct, but try a little tight boost somewhere between 80 and 100Hz (give or take a Hz or two) for the thump and, if desired, a little boost somehwere around 4kHz (+/- 1kHz) to accent the pick.

Or sometimes instead of boosting on the ends it can be better to throw a litte cut in at about 400Hz to get rid of some mud, and then add a little makeup gain.