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beeresin
New member
for some reason i cant record a bass right. i want so badly to make it sound big and right there but it allways comes out muddy. i record direct......help
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branded
New member
SAME PROBLEM!!!!!!!
Hey!... I have the same problem. This has been driving me crazy ever since I got into recording, if the bass sounds like shit pretty much the the whole song does since the bass is the back bone of the mix. I hope someone replyes to this soon
CHEERS!!!!
Hey!... I have the same problem. This has been driving me crazy ever since I got into recording, if the bass sounds like shit pretty much the the whole song does since the bass is the back bone of the mix. I hope someone replyes to this soon
CHEERS!!!!
Mark7
Well-known member
Hey Mr Bee!
It is I! The bloke what is on that other board you frequent!
Here's a few ideas
1: Try cutting the low end on other instruments, such as guitars and drums (I'm referring mainly to the toms here), rather than overboosting it on the bass track.
2: The frequencies that give an instrument that "right there" quality aren't at the bottom of the range they're in the middle and near the top. Try a boost at 800 hz, another at 3k and a third at 5k (anything above 5k is academic with bass).
3: Do you use a D.I. box or straight into the desk? If it's the latter consider buying a dedicated bass D.I. box.
4: Have you ever played your bass through an amp and cab? Did you like the sound? If so consider miking up the cab as well as going direct (you'll need a splitter box) and using the signal from the miked cab in addition to the direct signal. Give the direct signal boosts at 100hz, 800hz, 3k and a little 5k. Boost the miked cab signal at 500hz, 2.5k and more 5k than you gave the D.I.ed signal. Alternatively you could just use the signal from the cab.
5: Are your monitor speakers near a wall? Proximity to solid surface actually boosts the perceived level of low end frequencies emanating from your speakers. Maybe that "proximity effect" is what's muddying your sound. That proximity thing applies to the bass cab as well. Should you decide to go down that route
Clear as mud!
It is I! The bloke what is on that other board you frequent!
Here's a few ideas
1: Try cutting the low end on other instruments, such as guitars and drums (I'm referring mainly to the toms here), rather than overboosting it on the bass track.
2: The frequencies that give an instrument that "right there" quality aren't at the bottom of the range they're in the middle and near the top. Try a boost at 800 hz, another at 3k and a third at 5k (anything above 5k is academic with bass).
3: Do you use a D.I. box or straight into the desk? If it's the latter consider buying a dedicated bass D.I. box.
4: Have you ever played your bass through an amp and cab? Did you like the sound? If so consider miking up the cab as well as going direct (you'll need a splitter box) and using the signal from the miked cab in addition to the direct signal. Give the direct signal boosts at 100hz, 800hz, 3k and a little 5k. Boost the miked cab signal at 500hz, 2.5k and more 5k than you gave the D.I.ed signal. Alternatively you could just use the signal from the cab.
5: Are your monitor speakers near a wall? Proximity to solid surface actually boosts the perceived level of low end frequencies emanating from your speakers. Maybe that "proximity effect" is what's muddying your sound. That proximity thing applies to the bass cab as well. Should you decide to go down that route
Clear as mud!
Shailat
New member
Your going to have to give more details then that.
Start with the bass you using what type... How old are your strings?....are you gain staging correctly (is going direct giving you the proper levels or perhaps u need a DI?...)
Pick ups that are to close to the strings can result in a muddy sound.....When not compressed some notes vcan dissapear while others will become boomy...Are u adding effects to the bass?....
Does your bass sound good soloed but bad in the mix....
As you can see it can be many different factors...
Start with the bass you using what type... How old are your strings?....are you gain staging correctly (is going direct giving you the proper levels or perhaps u need a DI?...)
Pick ups that are to close to the strings can result in a muddy sound.....When not compressed some notes vcan dissapear while others will become boomy...Are u adding effects to the bass?....
Does your bass sound good soloed but bad in the mix....
As you can see it can be many different factors...
B
branded
New member
I use a yamaha rbx 200 bass with EMG active pickups. The
strings are not new but are not completely dead. I plug
it into a compressor and from that into my recorder, sounds
muddy as hell.
strings are not new but are not completely dead. I plug
it into a compressor and from that into my recorder, sounds
muddy as hell.
D
DJL
Self Banned
I used a SansAmp and I mic up a 12" EV front loaded spearker cab with a Rode NT3 or Sennheiser MD421 or whatever and mix the together, and sometimes I'll add a synth bass with it for a really fat sound.
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Shailat
New member
branded said:
First of all is it muddy solo or muddy in a mix?
There is no logical reason to have a Yamaha bass with EMG pickups to sound muddy, unless the rest of the chain like pre and your playing is problematic.
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F_cksia
New member
What I do with any bass/ amp is mic'ing it with a kickdrummicrophone, beta52 and a normal 58. It always works.
James Argo
Fancy Rock N' Roll
Perhaps the simplest was is to go directly from the amp to a mixing board. This gives you some control over the sound because of the mixers equalizing capability. Doing this allows you to cut out both microphone and amp inadequacies. It also gives you a clean tone. If you are going for that clean tone you can also plug your instrument directly into the mixer or four-track. You will lose the boost character of an amp but you will still capture that “fullness” that some bass players hunger for.
You will find that compression helps a great deal with bass recording. As with the nature of compression you want to cut down on the peaks but not to the point that you spoil your attack. Play around with it.
Another method is to mike the amp as F_cksia mentioned above. A good way to do this is to place the microphone within 4-6 inches from the face of the amp. For a brighter sound point the microphone directly at the center. For a deeper or duller sound, gradually move the mike’s direction away from the center. A great spot is to point it directly at area where the speaker meets the dust cap. You have alot of room to experiment here. You can move the mike’s focus around at your heart’s content until you hit upon a sound you like.
The best of both worlds is to go for both. All this means is that you split the signal between the amp and the board and/or four track. This way you achieve the character of the amp and the full tone of going direct. You can also use a compressor here to smooth the mix out. This can be fun because you have the ability to choose which of the two sources you want to push to the front of your bass track.
There are many different styles when it comes to bass playing, and you will need to find the right method when recording it. You may find one way which works and stick with it. The last word here (as always is) to never be afraid to experiment. Try adding effect to the bass. Some players find that applying bass effects adds just the right amount of punch to the track and they stick with it.
One final thought here is what Shailat said. Unless it’s your intention, you may not want to record your bass to the point that it is so clean that it stands out in the mix. What is meant here is that if you are going for a bass solo then that’s fine, but the bass should typically lie just below the point of being intrusive. The ear will find it – it always does.
Jaymz
You will find that compression helps a great deal with bass recording. As with the nature of compression you want to cut down on the peaks but not to the point that you spoil your attack. Play around with it.
Another method is to mike the amp as F_cksia mentioned above. A good way to do this is to place the microphone within 4-6 inches from the face of the amp. For a brighter sound point the microphone directly at the center. For a deeper or duller sound, gradually move the mike’s direction away from the center. A great spot is to point it directly at area where the speaker meets the dust cap. You have alot of room to experiment here. You can move the mike’s focus around at your heart’s content until you hit upon a sound you like.
The best of both worlds is to go for both. All this means is that you split the signal between the amp and the board and/or four track. This way you achieve the character of the amp and the full tone of going direct. You can also use a compressor here to smooth the mix out. This can be fun because you have the ability to choose which of the two sources you want to push to the front of your bass track.
There are many different styles when it comes to bass playing, and you will need to find the right method when recording it. You may find one way which works and stick with it. The last word here (as always is) to never be afraid to experiment. Try adding effect to the bass. Some players find that applying bass effects adds just the right amount of punch to the track and they stick with it.
One final thought here is what Shailat said. Unless it’s your intention, you may not want to record your bass to the point that it is so clean that it stands out in the mix. What is meant here is that if you are going for a bass solo then that’s fine, but the bass should typically lie just below the point of being intrusive. The ear will find it – it always does.
Jaymz
B
branded
New member
Im thinking that it's probably the strings, come to think of it they are kinda dead. Im new at the whole recording thing and im not
really a bass player so i havent had new strings in a while,its been pretty much sittin in the corner im thinking new strings would make a big difference.
Thanks for all those tips im gonna try those out for sure
This place is f_ucking wicked man!!!!
really a bass player so i havent had new strings in a while,its been pretty much sittin in the corner im thinking new strings would make a big difference.
Thanks for all those tips im gonna try those out for sure
This place is f_ucking wicked man!!!!
Shailat
New member
branded said:
Boil them in hot water for 20 min and they will renew themselfs for a short while...
Again I stress the fact that there is no logical reason to have a muddy sound (soloed). All the top suggestions while being various ways to achive color and variation Should't be a solution to such a problem. If you cant get a decent DI'ed sound then you have to look for the source of the problem. That is not to say that various combinations arent good.
For the record.....micing and amp has a better chance of sounding muddy then a DI.
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beeresin
New member
thaks for the help everyone!!!!!im going to try my best
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postalblue
New member
what the other guys said and.... just to add my two cents, i always change strings when i'm doing an important recording.
if you have an amp, you can record the bass simultaneously throught the direct box, and through a mic to the amp. then you get to mix as much of each as you want.
if you have the cakewalk amp sim, you can apply that to your di track to see if you get a better more lively sound.
you can also take the di and the amp track and apply a lot of compression and/or eq to one of them, and leave the other closer to the uneffected sound.
if you have an amp, you can record the bass simultaneously throught the direct box, and through a mic to the amp. then you get to mix as much of each as you want.
if you have the cakewalk amp sim, you can apply that to your di track to see if you get a better more lively sound.
you can also take the di and the amp track and apply a lot of compression and/or eq to one of them, and leave the other closer to the uneffected sound.
maestro_dmc
Uses Paramedic EQ
My 2 cents
I didn't see anyone reccomending cutting the EQ between 120-200hz! IMHO it's better to try cutting before boosting.
Also heavy compression with a fast attack can add a kind of nastyness to the sound that sounds like distortion, but is actually the compressor dealing with the low freqs over and over again, really fast, which will sound bad.
Definately try to get the best, clearest possible sound going in, and do as little as possible to the recorded tracks. Your bass should sound good in the mix as you record it.
String boiling, a delicious lo-carb alternative to spaghetti!
I didn't see anyone reccomending cutting the EQ between 120-200hz! IMHO it's better to try cutting before boosting.
Also heavy compression with a fast attack can add a kind of nastyness to the sound that sounds like distortion, but is actually the compressor dealing with the low freqs over and over again, really fast, which will sound bad.
Definately try to get the best, clearest possible sound going in, and do as little as possible to the recorded tracks. Your bass should sound good in the mix as you record it.
String boiling, a delicious lo-carb alternative to spaghetti!
Shailat
New member
Re: My 2 cents
Thats becuase the low end foundation sits there and will be heard on all stereo systems. The muddy section is between 250-500Hz.
Eq isnt the primary solution. First go to the source and try to solve the problem.
maestro_dmc said:
Thats becuase the low end foundation sits there and will be heard on all stereo systems. The muddy section is between 250-500Hz.
Eq isnt the primary solution. First go to the source and try to solve the problem.
C
chessrock
Banned
Sometimes, all the difference in the world can be had by your technique, also. If you're "plucking" right on top of the pickup, you'll get more definition, although sometimes it can get annoying to the ear (too much strike). Playing down just below the bottom pickup will give you a smoother sound, while playing between the two pickups will sound even different depending on the type of bass.
Still, when I hear words like "muddy-sounding," my initial impression is you need to change your strings. I won't even think about recording unless the strings are new, and if anyone comes in to record with me without fresh ones, I will promptly chastize them.
Still, when I hear words like "muddy-sounding," my initial impression is you need to change your strings.
I won't even think about recording unless the strings are new, and if anyone comes in to record with me without fresh ones, I will promptly chastize them.
Toki987
Rock Steady
I have always, except for rare instances, been recorded with the volume and tone controls all the way open, that way your getting everything the bass has to offer. You can always take away with EQ but you can`t reliably create something that isnt there to start with. The next step is, check the mixer, or the compressor. Is it accurately reproducing what you give it? If not you need to fix that before you get to the recorder.
meriphew
New member
Aside from using a good bass with new strings through a good DI/preamp, try using a pick.
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Meriphew
www.meriphew.com
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Post indie electronic
Meriphew
www.meriphew.com