Did someone say tight bass sounds?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ray J
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Ray J

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The more I read, the more I realize that I'm not the only one not getting the good tight bass sounds. My sound is good to my ears while recording and has far too much boom and not enough presence or definition when mixing in addition to not a lot of drum punch. I am expirementing with my compressor and have used it on the mix. I like what it does to the bass and drums but I hate what happens to my hi-hats, vocals and cymbals. I don't have the option of compressing only selected tracks, because of my recorder and compressor limitations, so I want to compress on the way into my recorder with the Bass, Kick and Snare then maybe using a touch of compression or limiting to round out everything during mixdown. Any advice about compressing on the way in would be appreciated, and may save me some trial and error. Any do's and don'ts or advice on where to set my threshold and ratio? I'm using that cheap Alesis Nanocomp, and an Sr16 for drums. I run my bass through the preamp out of my tubed guitar amp.Again any advice except buying new equiptment would be appreciated. I just dropped a bundle by my standards on a recorder, mic-pre, DI, monitors and Drum machine. Oh yeah and a condensor mic. So I'm kinda stuck with what I have. Thanks. Ray J
 
its seriously hard to give explanations on how to set attack, release, threshold and ratio because you will want a different sound and will have different recording levels and anything else. so there really is no how to. one rule of thumb, dont over compress. but obviously i once was a nanocomp only person and i tell you what, i tracked with compression and it doesnt hurt. you are doing homerecording you obviously dont have the option to stick a compressor in every insert of your 640003432350 channel SSL. by the way, you recording analog or digital?
 
Thanks for replying. I use a Yamaha MD8, it is digital, and here's what's happening. I'm having to track with a very bright setting to have any definition in the mix. I also have to play with a pick to get it and a lot of songs I would prefer to play the bass with my fingers. I get a killer sound in my headphones and even in my monitors but it translates into boomyness in the mix. I've tried small strings, and I've also tried hitting the low notes or the stuff on the E string softer to compensate. I've EQed my amp, guitar, track, and mix everyway imaginable. What's working the best so far is to record bright and play with the mids alittle during mixdown and add lo end during mixdown when necessary. This still doesn't give me much punch though.
 
I know you don't wnat to buy any more gear but I would think that the Bass Pod would solve most of your bass problems (when it comes out). I use to use a Stewart DI box, Aphex 107 tube preamp, Alesis 3630, to Adat and a couple weeks ago I recorded a bass track using a clean tube setting on my RP2000 and it kills anything else I've tried. The Bass Pod has to be at least this good.
 
Yo: You can call me Ray or Jay but not....
RayJ:

For a clearer bass sound try this:

Record your bass line with fingers or pic on A SINGLE TRACK. Now you can eliminate the BOOM BOOM-I-NESS because you don't really need reverb with bass.

Next, push up the bass EQ a bit and lower the hi EQ a bit and test it through the monitors or your headset. But, remember, the environment in a headset is much better than what you actually will get when you mix down. Try 800HZ to increase clarity and punch of bass. [also good to remove "cheap" sound of a guitar.]

I also use the MD-8 and I get some pretty good bass sounds from my Yam DX-7 but, then, I can also tweak the synthesizer if I want to. Tweak, tweak, and tweak, but not too much.

Have fun,
Green Hornet

[This message has been edited by The Green Hornet (edited 05-03-2000).] PS I'm quoting the sheet you got from Kristian as I got it and printed it to take home to the studio. THanks Kristian..GH

[This message has been edited by The Green Hornet (edited 05-03-2000).]
 
Thanks for the help, everyone. I'll keep plugging away at it. And hey, Green Hornet, you're showing your age with the 'you can call me Ray' stuff. And I guess I'm showing mine by knowing what you're talking about.....Later, Thanks again....Oh Yeah by the way, thanks Kristian. This should help. Is this all you could come up with? HEHE

[This message has been edited by Ray J (edited 05-07-2000).]
 
Thanks kristian. I asked Dragon to put one of those up about 6 months ago and it I think it was put down on his very long "to do" list. Thanks man!!!
 
Kristian - killer link!

I have a couple books that discuss EQ and I was going to go through them and makeup a chart just like this. You've saved me some work good friend!

I wonder why simple charts like this aren't more commonplace....of course things aren't as easy as this thing would have you believe, but it's a damn good place to start!

Slackmaster 2000
 
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