Bass guitar consistency

You know what, I am a bass player and sound Engineer. In the studio I play on a lot of other peoples recordings as well as my own band. Recording wise my favourite setup is to have a miced amp and a DI. Various amps and mics depending on the sound wanted. However when playing on other peoples recordings I often record from the control room and setting up an amp in the recording room is a bit of a pain, so I track using an instrument input on a TL audio Fatman (actually some were HHB badged and purple coloured I have one of these too) with a little compression, and I mean not much.

When mixing I hardly touch the EQ except to sometimes slightly boost the upper mids and to sometimes cut some low MID / Lows fi there is too much energy there, I often compress with the amount depending again on the sound wanted and how it sits in the mix.

This setup is standard for any of my basses I play, 4 string, 5 string, fretted, fretless. It is essential that the bass be setup correctly and have good strings or what ever you do to improve playing will still be wasted when you hit record.

Alan.

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I just cannot help going back to that original bass track and thinking there's nothing wrong with the playing, and the fact it doesn't blend in the mix is production, not playing!
 
rob aylestone said:
I just cannot help going back to that original bass track and thinking there's nothing wrong with the playing, and the fact it doesn't blend in the mix is production, not playing!
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Thats why I mention it as my 3rd item. It is essential that the recording is good first.

Alan.
 
rob aylestone said:
Do you think that isn't? Sound fine to me - what exactly is bugging you about it?
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Not much, I am only commenting because the original poster was talking about notes that could not be heard, so I was saying that if the bass was set up correctly, good strings, good recording, good playing, the notes would be there or if they we lost a bit in the mix would be easier to bring out. I was not trying to be critical only making suggestions.

Alan
 
You can slice the notes and adjust each one individually using clip gain. If you have a tab to transient feature in your DAW it is not hard to do. Or copy the first note and paste at the 2nd note location. Hard limiting could work also.
 
Ainaudio said:
I think the main problem is in bass guitar (dead notes), partly maybe in a bass player. Some rare case it can be loudspeaker / enclosure / room - only if you are recording using a microphone(s). Check phasing / polarity if you are using more as one microphone, or microphone + direct line out (or direct-box).

If the bass guitar has dead notes - nothing can help (compression etc.), it provides spectrally different sound, less volume, less sustain, less attack, less pressure, less punch, added wrong harmonics, "wolf" tones etc. It simply sounds different and wrong. Reasons of such dead notes most case are hidden in the bridge plate's fastening to body. Especially in case of Fender type bridges. If strings / saddles / bridge-base have lost or weak direct contact with body (saddles through bridge base) such problem is warranted. Most case problem is hidden in overtightened bridge to body behind the saddles ANCHOR screws. It is a little bit different if strings are going through the body or just through the bridge, but results are similar. Release these anchor screws a little bit and check sound then. Can be better or different. The best is to add bridge plate to body screws directly UNDER saddles, in between (in the mid) height adjustment screws of approximately adjusted for octave intonation saddles. One screw per saddle/string. Use flat countersink head, stainless steel, approx 25mm x 3mm screws for it. Use reasonable medium tension for tightening them. Rear ANCHOR screws must be just lightly tightened, never tighten them too strong! This problem can persist even if the bridge plate is additionally screwed to body before the saddles. Do not tighten them to strong too. Bridge base can be deformed up just a little bit - but it is enough for lost or weak plate contact with body directly under the saddles! Please read one more time now - from the beginning - to understand all this "mechanics" :).
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Why are you still neg repped from the Greg L days?

Fixed.
 
If I'd played it, I think I'd blame the mix. It's not wild variations in volume between notes, it's normal competent playing and I just don't hear anything I could do better myself, apart from replace me with a bass synth track with absolute volume across the board.
 
Toastedgoat said:
You can slice the notes and adjust each one individually using clip gain. If you have a tab to transient feature in your DAW it is not hard to do. Or copy the first note and paste at the 2nd note location. Hard limiting could work also.
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You guys have too much time on your hands LOL.

I still say that with the correctly set up compression you can bring these notes up into the mix.

Alan.
 
Ainaudio said:
Can you please say it in form/language I can understand ? Who is Greg L ? What is fixed ? What do you mean ?
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You had red bars under your username due to negative reputation comment from long ago. I nixed it so that you don't look like someone was putting you down. It done. Enjoy the new green deal. lol
 
Hey spottydog10 was only refering to technique as it might relate to notes being soft or quiet. As for the other, working in a DAW you can copy the track, find the soft notes, and cut everyhting out around them. Then you can work with those notes with vol or eq whatever, separately.
 
I must say, if you have issue with bass guitar notes being quiet or loud, it is the bass itself, the playing, or some really bad monitoring in your space that is lying to you.

Bass is quite easy to a degree. It should not be so tough to need manipulation/massive compression unless you are recording a distorted track for A kORN record.

That being said, there are times in a production where there is need for a boost or effect here and there. But not ....


Where is Spotty?
 
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