Having trouble with bass in this mix...

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ChickenStomp

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I'm almost done with this mix, but I'm having trouble with the bass. If you listen, you'll notice it's a bit 'boomy' at parts and too quiet at other parts. Which frequencies would be a good starting point to cut with the hi and low passes (For both electric and Bass guitars?)
Thanks!

Note: The whole song was recorded in Drop Bb on a baritone
(Dropbox Link)-

https://db.tt/kwlbxUqo
 
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I find the guitar sound boxy, not boomy. I think the guitars are masking the bass a bit too and that's why you're not hearing it so well. What have you got the highpass set at on the guitars? Have you got any complementary EQ'ing going on between the guits and the bass?

I like that business you came up with at 2.15. Interesting shift of feel.
 
dobro said:
I find the guitar sound boxy, not boomy. I think the guitars are masking the bass a bit too and that's why you're not hearing it so well. What have you got the highpass set at on the guitars? Have you got any complementary EQ'ing going on between the guits and the bass?

I like that business you came up with at 2.15. Interesting shift of feel.
Click to expand...

What does "boxy" mean? You're right about the guitars masking the bass, I forgot to cut some of the low-end eq on them. I think that is the main source of the problem.

I don't remember exactly what my guitar hi/lo pass setting are at right now, thanks for the advice. Here is an updated version except the guitars still need some low-end cut out. https://db.tt/kwlbxUqo
 
There's some real hot narrow resonances piling up in the 100-200hz range. The specific pitches are shifting around with the chord changes. Unless that's something intentional, I'd go after them first, see what that uncovers.
 
love the heaviness

I just used a free visual analysis plugin on a song I was working on with low hz issues:

Real-time audio spectrum analyzer plugin (AU, VST, VST3) - Voxengo SPAN - Voxengo

useful on each track, but especially on the main bus, where digital summing makes big increases.

It kind of helped to visualize things - especially when you can see how that range stacks up to the rest of the spectrum (in my case before I fixed it, it was 2-3x the magnitude of everything over 200hz)
 
"What does "boxy" mean"
dobro said:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/general-discussions/newbies/what-does-boxy-mean-130285/
Click to expand...
Ahh! I just clicked on your link there :D
From 'Protein's post..
Words I'd probably use:

too much treble - tinny, harsh, skinny, too bright, brittle, too much top etc
not enough treble - dull, lifeless, flat, distant etc
nice treble - clean, clear, crisp etc

too much middle - boxy, whoompy (just made that one up) ...snip
Click to expand...
Just made it up'- ? It's a perfect! Exactly the word I was using (hearing) last night ' whoomp whoomp whoomp whoomp.. '

Spot on ;)
 
the guitars have quite a lot of mud and need high pass filtering, they feel like they are masking the bass guitar and kick, which also need tightening up.
 
Keithr41 said:
Side chain the bass to the kick.
Click to expand...

Perfect idea, I didn't even know about side chaining until you posted that, and had to google it, Booya! Thank you good sir.

Edit: I'm using Garageband, and apparently side chaining is not really an option with a song that has a bunch of tracks. BUT I used a parametric eq on the the ~100hz area of the guitars, then boosted the bass guitar slightly. Is this better?

https://db.tt/SMmJmVIU
 
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