Best bass rig ideas

The first 10 seconds sounds more like a synth bass just doing a low sine wave than a bass guitar. 10 seconds in, it sounds like a bass.

BTW, I was interested in the theme you're using in Reaper. I don't recognize that one. It looks to have some interesting features, like the slide pan control.
 
The theme is called Rado Darko.

What I am also fighting with is the rendered level. I will normalize the tracks to -14 LUfs. Render the mp3 with the mains at 0, and the mp3 is NOT -14 Lufs on analysis. Is this normal , and how do I predict the actual volume its going to be?
 
The theme is called Rado Darko.

What I am also fighting with is the rendered level. I will normalize the tracks to -14 LUfs. Render the mp3 with the mains at 0, and the mp3 is NOT -14 Lufs on analysis. Is this normal , and how do I predict the actual volume its going to be?

Wait, you are 'normalizing' tracks? I have never in my life using DAW used any type of 'normalizing'. Get that out of your tool box. You only need to keep levels in order. Not even sure why that is an option.

You have tons of headroom with a DAW in digital world here. I think you need to stop looking at numbers and just go with what sounds right. It not about levels. It is about placing instruments in a mix.

So that sub part does not seem like it fit's the song. But obviously I do not know what the whole song is. You should post the whole song.

Bass guitar sounds pretty good man. Post the whole song! No way to give any insight with pieces and parts.

That being said, many try to work on individual tone separately without knowing how the mix works together. Anyone could tell you how to get a tone for an instrument, but it will not always/usually not work in a given mix. It takes all of the variables to combine together. It not just one instrument that makes a composition work. Once you have a good mix, then you can go into the individual sounds, and find what works best with the mix.

Nobody ever knows what is best bass/drum/guitar/vocal sound without all of them together. Shit does not mix itself on it's own tone alone. It is a combination of all.
 
No NORMALIZATION! What?

Any suggestion for the volume drop after rendering to mp3?

Song? no this playing a measure of this or that. Seeing what is what. I would not go for a whole song yet. It needs to sound right first. Then I will spend some time on a few tracks. 1 measure looped.
 
No NORMALIZATION! What?

Any suggestion for the volume drop after rendering to mp3?

Song? no this playing a measure of this or that. Seeing what is what. I would not go for a whole song yet. It needs to sound right first. Then I will spend some time on a few tracks. 1 measure looped.

Rendering after Mp3?

Please refresh my memory on what software you are using. If you are not in full Wav format while recording and going to MP3's, there is likely a bad start with your software.
 
OK, please explain what your writing process is. I think I missed that you are only in writing stages. Still, why beat around the bush. Do shit right the first time and stop working backwards...

Just my opinion.

Please state your process and software. I may be not understanding what you are going for.
 
Reaper. Win10. Apollo twin USB.

If I analyze the mix down track with the action command it is -14, but the resulting mp3 is noticeably quieter.
 
This is new to me. So I need time to try a bunch of things. When I record a song I get so into it wasting time on redoing takes nudging.. Then to be unhappy or believe something is not right and continue, gets frustrating. I am on a good path, making progress. Yall are helping just fine.

Never even opened any of the UA effects yet. I tried the 1176 on a 1073 neve, it was impressive. Then there are some VST's a bass and guitar. Each one is very detailed. My absorption of the data is not better than my retention.
 
Effects are only going to enhance what you have already recorded. I am not sure what you mean by 'analyze' the mix down with action command. It seems you are placing the cart before the horse.

I do not use Reaper so I have no direct input as to the software, but it does seem you are worried about final things before you have the song tracked. Again, I am just guessing as I have not heard what you are doing, nor the result you are going for.

Trust me man, it is not that hard. Get the song tracked as best as you can, then come back and find what works and what needs improvement. Trying to get individual tracks perfect from the start really only happens after year of learning your gear, room, and style. Even then, it always changes.

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To be honest, I haven't figured out all the metering / normalization to LUFS. I find that often the exported file from Reaper is lower than I thought it would be, but its easy enough to increase it either in Audacity or by rerendering.

Since I'm not mastering commercial CDs it's not a serious issue for me at this point. I can render the track, analyze it and adjust as needed.
 
What ideas have you got for a nice bass rig? Anything in your collections that records well, with what microphone? Anything special that you do when recording
What are you using?
I'm probably the worst person to ask this but I use anything and everything. In terms of mics, I'll use an SM58, the bass drum mics from my Superlux or Behringer drum mic kits, heck, sometimes, I'll even use the tom mics. And a few months back, I used the AKG C1000 condenser mic on my Fender Bassman combo amp on a particular song, to good effect.
You see, I'm of the opinion that there are many different bass guitar tones. I think the bass was the last of the main instruments in popular music to be captured in a standardized sort of way and this, not until the mid 1970s. So prior to that, there was a good 15 or so years where the bass wasn't concentrated on so much, compared to guitars, keyboards, brass, vocals, strings and drums. But as a result, lots of great bass tones flew in under the radar and I suppose it's that that I've been influenced by.
I'll use guitar amps, bass amps, DI, line outs, even that Behringer BD21 sans amp thing. I'll mic the amp, sometimes record simultaneously out of two amps and blend, sometimes mic, DI and line out and blend the 3. Sometimes, I'll use my fingers to play, sometimes I'll use fingerpicks {plastic or metal} or thimbles depending on the degree of click, pick or clunk that I want. Sometimes I'll use a guitar pedal ~ that old Digitech Hendrix pedal has a nice reverb setting that sounds good when a bass is put through it. There really are so many different ways. And on top of that, a 5 string is great for getting seriously low and if I want to go lower than that, I can detune the bass and speed the recording up so on replay, I'm low enough to be eyeballing the snakes and worms.

Trying to get individual tracks perfect from the start really only happens after year of learning your gear, room, and style. Even then, it always changes
I agree. It sort of gets easier but then one becomes more experimental/knowledgeable and your scope increases. I have no set numbers that I routinely add or cut because everything is song dependent. I actually tried to last week. I had a piece that I'd recorded with a friend on guitar and vocals 30 years ago. It was on an old piece of tape and I wanted to preserve it and had a friend add drums with brushes and I put a couple of other bits to enhance it. But the bass felt so woofy and floomy. I spent a couple of days making all kinds of changes to give it a harder tone but in the end I realized that woofy and floomy and low in the mix was really what the song required. It wasn't what I wanted for my bass playing {!!} but the song took precedence.
I honestly just tweak till it sounds "good," that's if it even gets any tweaking.
I am just hoof'n it with my lil' wing
That's me really. I don't do any one style of music so each song is a new adventure or chapter.
 
Trust me man, it is not that hard. Get the song tracked as best as you can, then come back and find what works and what needs improvement. Trying to get individual tracks perfect from the start really only happens after year of learning your gear, room, and style. Even then, it always changes.

.
OK, fine. Kinda big as a mp3. I got the idea down as fast as I could. Vocals. bass. keys. guits. drums sans the cymbals cause they were crazy shhhh.

If it was any good, I would feed each line into the VP9000 and fix up the vocals. I still have time..hmm.


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Not bad man! Dig the tune.

I hear a few things you could work on.

First, it seems you have a limiter on the whole mix that is squashing things. Tame that down.

Second, it sounds basically mono. Almost no panning or spacial yumminess. I would work on the drums first. What program is that? Give the snare some reverb or something. It is very raw and not really pleasing to the ears.

Third, I would double track the guitar and pan the tracks left and right. Would definitely suggest working on the tone there. Less distortion.

The bass guitar sounds fine for this. Think you have that down the best so far. :)

Keep working at it man. You are on the right track!
 
Not bad man! Dig the tune.

I hear a few things you could work on.

First, it seems you have a limiter on the whole mix that is squashing things. Tame that down.

I would work on the drums first. What program is that?

Thanks for the compliments.

Yes I have a ReaComp in the mixer bus. Mild setting 3-4 :1. Letting the tracks fight for the loudest position in the compressors headroom.


If thats bad, I will stop.

Drums? I want to smash a set soooo bad. This is EZ Drummer preset Hard 02 -02 variant 02. Tempo 80. I know it is not correct. The cymbals sound horrible, I added them with a MPD218 AKAI pad. It did not work out. Hey you got to try things. In a while I will make a post on how to drum software a song. Make the Zazie Beetz.
 
Thanks for the compliments.

Yes I have a ReaComp in the mixer bus. Mild setting 3-4 :1. Letting the tracks fight for the loudest position in the compressors headroom.


If thats bad, I will stop.

Drums? I want to smash a set soooo bad. This is EZ Drummer preset Hard 02 -02 variant 02. Tempo 80. I know it is not correct. The cymbals sound horrible, I added them with a MPD218 AKAI pad. It did not work out. Hey you got to try things. In a while I will make a post on how to drum software a song. Make the Zazie Beetz.

Yeah, stop that heavy comp on the mix. Not the right thing to use just yet.

EzDrummer has the worst sounding cymbals of any drum program I have used. I get it. But they need to be in there. Take the room mics out when using. They were the most annoying of that software.

You can also do it manually and edit the midi file. Sometimes it crosses over well to other drum VST's. Maybe send me the drum MIDI file. I could see if I can make it better for ya.
 
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Yeah, stop that heavy comp on the mix. Not the right thing to use just yet.

EzDrummer has the worst sounding cymbals of any drum program I have used. I get it. But they need to be in there. Take the OH mics out when using. They were the most annoying of that software.

You can also do it manually and edit the midi file. Sometimes it crosses over well to other drum VST's. Maybe send me the drum MIDI file. I could see if I can make it better for ya.

OP, to Jimmy's point, maybe just reduce the hits if they are too hard. I know one SD I take out the room channel and then play with the overheads.
 
I just edited my previous post. It was the 'room' mics that were annoying to me with EZD. The 'OH' cymbal sounds were still a bit harsh, but they need to be in there.
 
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