Mixing bass

[CedricT]

Hi to everyone!

I have a Pro Tools LE system 5.3.1. I mixed two songs the other week and the issue I'm having on those two songs and most of the songs I have is to mix the bass. It sounds boomy and fills out the whole stereo spectrum instead of being tight and powerful.
I've tried compressor but my knowledge of compressor use is pretty limited so it didn't change anything. I have two tracks of bass: a DI and a miked one. But even when I'm using the Chpaman Stick the bass sounds still boomy and unfocused so maybe I'm lacking some serious mixing skills for bass.
Please any advise?

Cedric

 

[Rockr56]

Maybe a little EQ. Try decreasing at 50Hz for less boom, increase at 800 Hz for clarity. Works for me (sometimes).

 

[dwillis45]

I would solo the two bass tracks and check to see if they contribute too much low end. I would then add the kick and take another listen. Chances are the combination of the kick and the bass are causing the boomy sound. If that's the case, I would cut the bass somewhere in the 75hz to 120hz range depending on the sound you are shooting for and how the bass part was played. If that doesn't address the issue, I would try to clean up the low to low-mids by looking at what contributions were being made by guitars, etc. Finally, I would try using either either the mic track or the DI track alone. Just because you took the time to record each doesn't mean they both have to be included. If one or the other is causing problems, toss it!

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Cedric: [Are you the Entertainer?]

Tracking bass is a large, large challenge. It depends on what type of "bass" you are looking for. Like, "rock" stuff? Or Sinatra stuff? Or Striesand stuff? Or whatever.

In my synth I must have about 34 different bass patches and, of course, THEY ALL CAN BE TWEAKED. So, I could spend 22 hours toying with what "exact" bass sound sounds good to me. And, believe it or not, I do this often.

I don't make a living doing recording stuff but I live off the best sound I can get that makes my ears happy.

So, maybe with some time experimenting, you can figure out your bass line EQ -- [and you really don't want to have to over do the EQ] plus don't add reverb to bass -- not needed very often.

I hope my experimental ideas help you.

Green Hornet

 

[CedricT]

Well EQ seems the way to go but the EQ I've done doesn't help the boominess of the bass. I have tried also to use only DI or only miked bass. But I would think that the DI bass would be easier to EQ but I have the same problem of boominess. The kick drum in comparison is ok and pretty much what I want (luckily enough
The style of music is definitely rock with some experimentation going towards prog rock.
I have one song with a 4 string bass and the other one is with a Chapman stick.
Any other advise?

 

[TexRoadkill]

Just turn the bass down and remix. Your monitoring system isn't giving you a very accurate picture of the low end. That can be caused by the monitors and/or the room. What are your rmonitors and room like?

 

[grinder]

The best solution is, adjusting the sound with the pickups, tone controls on the bass and amp. Get the sound you what coming out of the amp, first, then use the right mic and mic placement to capture the sound. Remember that what sounds good in the room, might not fit the mix. Record a clip of the bass playing along with the mix and listen back through the monitors. Make any adjustments and try again. Small differances in mic positioning will make a hugh differance, so take your time and find the sweet spot. Try positioning the mic more towards the edge of the speaker to reduce boominess.

If you can't retrack, then try eq. A parametric will give the best results. Sweep a narrow band in the 60-100hz area, to find the problem area. If that's not quite getting it, then widen the Q and try again. Small boosts around 2k, can help the bass cut through, especially when the kick is eatting up the low end.