Guitar and bass clashing?????

  • Thread starter Thread starter yorgo
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yorgo

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Hi guys, I'm in mixing hell once again. I think I have the drums and vocal working but it sounds as if the bass and the guitars are clashing. I can't get the seperation happening. And when it did sound seperated the guitars sounded like razor blades. Any help would be appreciated.

https://soundcloud.com/fernando-t-5/haunted
 
The guitars could afford to lose a lot of reverb. They are a noisy mess this way.
I could hear the low end but I could not make out the bass notes. A note without any attack won't register properly in our brains.
 
It's kind of odd that the bass seems to have the same tonal content as the guitars. It is a common thing to have a certain tone that you gravitate toward, but if you make all the instruments have that same tone, it will all turn to mush.

For the bass, add some 50hz to get the low end thumping. Add 800hz to give it some growl and note definition and add 3-4k for sparkle. Run that into a compressor, something like an LA2A or 1176 plugin. Putting the compressor after the EQ is important.

IF you have an amp sim, run the DI track through an Ampeg SVT patch.
 
Farview said:
It's kind of odd that the bass seems to have the same tonal content as the guitars. It is a common thing to have a certain tone that you gravitate toward, but if you make all the instruments have that same tone, it will all turn to mush.

For the bass, add some 50hz to get the low end thumping.
Click to expand...

+1
 
Firstly, I kind of like it overall. I think you have quite a pleasing metal vocal and sound and general mix. If I were you I would be experimenting with much drier mixes or combining dry and your currently very rich mixes for texture and contrast.
 
I agree that the song and mix sound good. I listened to Girls, Girls, Girls by Motley Crue, Pour Some Sugar on Me, and Nothing but a Good Time to see how the bass sounded on those. In those tracks, the bass is a little bit buried and you mostly hear a low rumbling. It kinda sounds like an extension of the guitars. I'm not saying that's good or bad, but just hoping this information might help you get closer to what you're aiming for. From a quick listen, it sounded to me like the Motley Crue song did a good job of keeping the bass a little bit distinct from the guitar.
 
Thanks for taking the time to help guys. Much appreciated.

I'm going to try what farview suggested with the bass frequencies. The rhythm guitars have no delay or verb... they are bone dry and they are what I am having the distinction problem with. Having said thatI will lose the extra verb and delay on the leads. I recorded it with a touch and that should be enough.

I don't want the bass to sound like those 80's bands....the vocals for sure I'm trying to go for that big 80's vocal sound. I like the bass to have its punch and characteristics...note definition. I'll try working on it tomorrow night and I'll repost.
Thank you
 
I didn't think the guitar/bass separation was all that bad. I suppose it could be better, but I didn't think it was that bad.

The biggest thing I would do is get rid of all that 80's reverb. Maybe roll off a little of the low end on the guitars. And maybe a small boost to the low end of the bass.

There is also some weird effect on the backing vocals. Chorus or flanger or something. BUt it sounded weird to me.
 
https://soundcloud.com/fernando-t-5/haunted-mst2

Alright so I made the changes suggested and do have more seperation before so it is better...you guys be the judge. There is no reverb and delay now on the leads except for what was on when it was recorded which is little at best. The backing vocals also have very little verb on them and even the the lead vocal has less....

I think what I'm going to try next is just thumping the bass a little more around the 100hz range and give the overall mix just a hint in the highs.
Feedback is appreciated.
 
That sounds pretty darn good. But I think you're missing out on a whole lot of great opportunity to include some weight and size' in the mix- the bottom octaves. -35,40 to 60 or so range, from the bass- and/or kicks perhaps?
 
Yes I think you're right. I'll have to back off the hpf....but I'm going to do it on the bass. When I had the kick lowered sounded very odd
 
yorgo said:
Yes I think you're right. I'll have to back off the hpf....but I'm going to do it on the bass. When I had the kick lowered sounded very odd
Click to expand...
Good fun that. Pickin out which speaks' down there, Which to go with.. The Big Thump, or 'Rollin' Thunder..
:D
 
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