bass compression
- Thread starter dolecek1
- Start date
The Bass is for sure a unique instrument when talking about sound reinforcing or mixing. It can produce sounds as low as 40 Hz and as high as 1000 Hz and above. So, here come physics to give us some nightmares:
Low frequency sounds need more amplitude to be noticed than high frequency sounds. Another problem is that almost all speakers cannot handle frequencies below 20 Hz. And o lot of them crumbles when playing something below 80Hz. And this is very important as most of the people who will listen to your record have cheap and regular stereo systems.
So, basically what you need to do is to equalize the different frequencies of a bass recording to have an "equal" volume for the whole spectrum. And, of course, make a dropping curve of amplitude for the frequencies 80 Hz to 0 Hz. (PS: This is not a rule. You might want to try some equalization sets to see if 80 is really the point. It can be greater or lower.). Just keep the physics in mind.
After equalized, you have to deal with the fingers of the performer. He/she can hit the strings harder or softer on different parts of the music. For this you use the compressor. But please, don't kill the performance. For some rock/pop songs I'd say 3:1 is just enough. Leave some room for the performer to express him/her self.
Applying the compression before or after the equalization will produce different and acceptable results. Try them out.
Last tip: Spend sometime trying different configurations. "It's impossible to tell how snow feels until you grab some with you own hands".
Low frequency sounds need more amplitude to be noticed than high frequency sounds. Another problem is that almost all speakers cannot handle frequencies below 20 Hz. And o lot of them crumbles when playing something below 80Hz. And this is very important as most of the people who will listen to your record have cheap and regular stereo systems.
So, basically what you need to do is to equalize the different frequencies of a bass recording to have an "equal" volume for the whole spectrum. And, of course, make a dropping curve of amplitude for the frequencies 80 Hz to 0 Hz. (PS: This is not a rule. You might want to try some equalization sets to see if 80 is really the point. It can be greater or lower.). Just keep the physics in mind.
After equalized, you have to deal with the fingers of the performer. He/she can hit the strings harder or softer on different parts of the music. For this you use the compressor. But please, don't kill the performance. For some rock/pop songs I'd say 3:1 is just enough. Leave some room for the performer to express him/her self.
Applying the compression before or after the equalization will produce different and acceptable results. Try them out.
Last tip: Spend sometime trying different configurations. "It's impossible to tell how snow feels until you grab some with you own hands".
peopleperson
I'm so sorry.
Basses can be extremely inconsistant. In my experience, everything will be fine, and the bass line will hit certain notes and that "woofy" area around 90-130 or so will take off almost three times as loud. A multiband compressor works great for this so you can tame just that part of the frequency. Optical compressors work good for me too.
giraffe
i love negative rep
i usually use a slower attack and release
maby 35ms attack (this is not a rule, just a place to start)
120 release
5/1
and about a ton of compression
(this is not a rule, just a place to start)
*but*
all of this varies WIDELY depending on the situation
i'll often run a limiter after the compressor, but not too hard, just to kill any transients that may happen....
again that varies widely upon the style being played, and the quality of the player.
(good players will often need less compression)
maby 35ms attack (this is not a rule, just a place to start)
120 release
5/1
and about a ton of compression
(this is not a rule, just a place to start)
*but*
all of this varies WIDELY depending on the situation
i'll often run a limiter after the compressor, but not too hard, just to kill any transients that may happen....
again that varies widely upon the style being played, and the quality of the player.
(good players will often need less compression)
Bass players with a light touch play more consistantly and are easier to record. When compressing bass I take the compression up in steps, squeeze it a little then listen to it and if it needs it squeeze it some more untill it sounds right. The undo feature of digital recording has saved me from having to do a track over on many occasions when I have overdone some effect or compressed something too much. I have found that when altering a track it is best to use small intervals untill I reach the desired level. Once I reach the levels which sound best I write them down for future reference as a starting point. After a while I noticed certain settings were pretty cloce most of the time. I record a lot in analog (tape the tracks, if it sounds good on tape it is easy to mix on the PC) then load them to the PC for editing and mixing, it's an extra step that i don't recomend to others but it works for me.
Joel Hamilton
New member
Multiple compressors help with this a LOT. Better to have a few things, not doing as much individually, than one thing doing a LOT to the bass.
Try not to EQ, just compression and GAIN. Use gain and placement as EQ...
Try high passing... get it to sound like a HUGE bass without eating headroom so much....
Good bass players make bass easier to manage.
Try not to EQ, just compression and GAIN. Use gain and placement as EQ...
Try high passing... get it to sound like a HUGE bass without eating headroom so much....
Good bass players make bass easier to manage.
Joel Hamilton
New member
7string said:
Meaing the amount of gain you use to make the bass feel "forward" or "present" as opposed to "round" or "dark" or "inside" compared to the kick. It is amazing how much you can change the way something sounds in relation to the other sounds you are working with, simply by returning it hotter to the console and attenuating at the fader, rather than returning quieter and gaining up at the fader.... I mean placement in space, in relation to the "front to back" and spatial relationships...
Getting a concise overall "picture" of the song is half the battle IMHO, because that means you have gotten everything to sit properly in space, even if you are defining it with surreal gain structuring, just to make something pop out WITHOUT eq again. Try turning up a bass, you hear more of the dominant frequencies in the capture, rather than just "louder" because it is relative to the other elements in the mix... If you have a super subby kick, for example, you could turn up a bass played with a pick, and it would effectively sound like a boost from 300 and up, rather than just UP in general.... Placing sounds with their relative gains is a big part of how I like to mix, not just "turning stuff up or down" or EQ'ing the hell out of everything.... Make it fun!
teainthesahara
New member
Joel Hamilton said:
Would that be a mixing-in-analog techique, and, if it is, is there anyway to acomplish that with ITB mixing?
Joel Hamilton
New member
teainthesahara said:
The relative tonal movement due to compression and amplification works ITB, but not nearly the way it works analog. I mix analog. 100% of the time. I forgot to clarify and be specific about how I was working....
The concept is more about how to approach a mix, but this is becoming a super duper thread hijack.... If anyone cares, we could start a new thread about gain structure I suppose....
I think you guys are way over-analyzing this stuff. 
Just get a good bass with semi-new / broken-in strings.
Track, and you're done. Compress the holy hell out of it if you have to.
If it doesn't sound right, then you probably messed up one of those steps. Boo-hoo. Find out which one it was, and correct it. This shit ain't rocket surgery, you numb nuts!
Just get a good bass with semi-new / broken-in strings.
Track, and you're done. Compress the holy hell out of it if you have to.
If it doesn't sound right, then you probably messed up one of those steps. Boo-hoo. Find out which one it was, and correct it. This shit ain't rocket surgery, you numb nuts!
Joel Hamilton
New member
chessrock said:I think you guys are way over-analyzing this stuff.
Just get a good bass with semi-new / broken-in strings.
Track, and you're done. Compress the holy hell out of it if you have to.
If it doesn't sound right, then you probably messed up one of those steps. Boo-hoo. Find out which one it was, and correct it. This shit ain't rocket surgery, you numb nuts!
Hooray! someone said it!
I was off on some esoteric mix concept rant... as usual... 'Tis true though....
earthboundrec
Member
chessrock said:I think you guys are way over-analyzing this stuff.
Just get a good bass with semi-new / broken-in strings.
Track, and you're done. Compress the holy hell out of it if you have to.
If it doesn't sound right, then you probably messed up one of those steps. Boo-hoo. Find out which one it was, and correct it. This shit ain't rocket surgery, you numb nuts!
LMAO.. rocket surgery
