Bass Boom issues..critique the mix

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chandman1004

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Here is one of the songs that I am mixing...Having issues with "boomy bass" Would like to tighten it up.
 

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In your other thread, you said you notched out some freq's in the bass. Can you put those back in? The bass doesn't come across as boomy, just missing in some spots. Makes me think your monitoring environment needs attention. I know you said you have 5" monitors, so you'll never hear the low end like you need to. Going back and forth to the car isn't a good way to dial in a mix. definitely need to treat your mixing room.
 
Agree with Chili. Maybe also turn the bass up. It's kind of low in the mix.
 
I'm having the same problem. Trouble with my setup is my monitor earphones seems to have very low bass output so it's hard to dial it in, it always ends up being boomy in every other setup.

Your recording seems fine though.
 
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Exactly. Going have to come up with a solution . Monitors don't have enough bass, headphones have a strange curve that makes mixing hard, car has way to much bass, can't get them all to meet in the middle.
 
I would suggest looking on craigslist, Ebay, or somewhere for a used subwoofer to get low end reference in your room for now. Then invest in monitors and room treatment as soon as affordable. I still use a DCM home theater sub for my monitors. I found it years ago for like $50. May not have the flattest response curve, but at least I can hear what is going on down there.
 
I'm doing this on phones' rather than monitors, but I hear as well the bass lost in the upper notes and the kick is lots of 50-60 maybe. You need to decide about the kick's decay + tone center + bass's tone, how they pile up.
Is that double hits or beater rebound hits on the kick?
 
Probably double hits ..drummer is very capable. However, he wasn't using his pedal, it was borrowed, so I will check with him. So what I get is that the bass drum is in same freq as bass guitar upper notes, causing cancellation? Any suggestions for a total kick eq? ( besides cut at 50-60 hz and low pass) Also maybe tighter compression on kick?
I really appreciate the help.
 
After comparing this to some of the other mixes on here I now know how different I hear than everyone else. Maybe I am over obsessing and trying to get everything too "clean" . I don't want to lose all of the "live " sound, thats more or less what this band is , a live band.
 
chandman1004 said:
.. So what I get is that the bass drum is in same freq as bass guitar upper notes, causing cancellation? ..
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No, (hate not having been on my speakers) but if I recall the bass was stronger in the the range around or just above the kick freq.
My method (generally) is listen to kick, tone balance, attack and decay, the same for the bass, put them back into the mix with that info in mind, and adjust from there.
Maybe (big maybe..) straighten out the bass frequencies, then see where broad adujustment on the bass, and perhaps bell trim (or filter or shelv?) on the kick so they can both 'speak. :)
 
Sky mix ,part 2

Ok , i tried to bring out some of the bass in upper mids , but ended up with a more wooly sounding mix with less definition. Maybe global eq now? Here's the second mix, however it has lost some of it's punch to me.
 

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Wow. I'm not sure what you have going on here. The first mix is a bit harsh, and light on the low end. The second mix is mushy sounding, and the bad bass notes are really bad. Can you list the settings on the bass, the amp, and the mix channel? It really sounds like a bad room issue (during tracking), but if you recorded direct, then that can't be.
 
It's direct, through a SVT 6 pro post eq. Settings were a preset, supposed to emulate "Ampeg Rock" , boost at 150hz and 600hz, bass and treble 1 o'clock. There is some slight distortion. I guess I am just going to have to retrack without the bass amp, maybe the Sansamp BDDI as a pre. Usually this cuts out a lot of mids though.
 
Bass is a Geddy Lee both pickups up , some high end rolled off with tone control. Recorded through SVT directly into Pro tools, no inserts or effects. The problem here is experience, I don't have much. Bass can be retracked ,, as can guitar, but not drums.
 
Yeah I guess the bass is a little indistinct in the second mix, but I didn't think it was horrible. I also don't detect any boominess. Could you post a version with no EQ on the bass? I'd like to hear what you were working with.
 
Yea, I'm regretting the title of the thread now. I pretty much have decided that it's the bass track causing the issues. The bass drum also has a lot going on . Pretty much I am going to have to retrack the bass. I will post a new mix with just a bass sample later.
 
NL5 said:
The first mix is a bit harsh, and light on the low end. The second mix is mushy sounding, and the bad bass notes are really bad.
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Bass is my nemesis especially with distorted guitars - I'm watching this thread carefully....
 
Going to start over from scratch, focusing on kick drum at first. I'll post a remix at a lter date, probably after the weekend.
 
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