Bass in Mix down

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Matt
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Bass in Mix down

Post by Matt » Sat Jun 08, 2002 5:55 pm

Greetings, <BR> Anyone have any ideas for something interesting to do to a bass track in the mix down or dub process?? Maybe to make the bass heavier. I almost always leave the bass as recorded. Sometimes I add a little EQ, or a very small amount of reverb.. What do you do to the bass?? <BR> <BR>peace <BR>matto <BR>www.unitysound.8m.net

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Mike Zee
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Bass in Mix down

Post by Mike Zee » Sun Jun 09, 2002 1:10 am

howDay, Matto <IMG SRC="http://www.interruptor.ch/cgi-bin/discu ... /happy.gif" ALT=":&#41;"> <BR>actually I do not do much to bass when at mixing down stage, and if dubbing/mixing, then bass is something I NEVER TOUCH... well, like in 99% of times...., couple times I did some mad things to bass too while dubbing/mixing, well, things like short mad boost of some extreme part of spectrum, or sent it shortly to some efx/w dlay...., well, this is not like kind of stuff to make bass line what ever through the track, but just for some extra variations of the effects. <BR>But again, when dubbing, all the things I do is about all other parts, leads, chords/skanks, some drums, snare-shots...and what ever else in the mix. To me main groove for dub track &#40;or its skeleton&#41; is bass, kik-drum, and hats &#40;if hats are in there&#41;. And this must stay as is. All the mess is going on in all the rest of the mix. The snare/shots are like one foot here on foot there...., <BR> <BR>So as you are saying, what you have as recorded &#40;the bass&#41; ...that is what you use and keep. <BR>Ans so the whole idea, I think to have good bass line recorded, sure you always do some minor tweaks to balance the whole mix overall the way you want. <BR>There are some ideas about bass in dub here at the site: <A HREF="http://www.interruptor.ch/dub_bass.shtml" TARGET="_top">bass techniques</A>, check em'out if you have not yet.... <BR> <BR>respects, <BR>/Mike Zee <BR>/<A HREF="http://www.audiogalaxy.com/bands/mikezee/dub_lab.htm" TARGET="_top">zee dub lab</A>

Hoester
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Bass in Mix down

Post by Hoester » Sun Jun 09, 2002 1:57 pm

Hi Matto, <BR> <BR>In principle I agree with Mike: Leave the bass as it is. I like the picture that the bass is part of the skeleton of the track. <BR>Forget about reverb, this will take the clearness from the bass. Stereo effects will not work well on the very low frequencies. EQ - hm, perhaps to add subsonic vibes, but I would rather go for a resonant lopass filter in this case. Perhaps you could dub out parts of the bassline and use very little delay instead. <BR> <BR>Tip: I sometimes play the bassline with some 10ms delay in the mixdown, so that it does not peak together with the BD. <BR> <BR>Regards, <BR>Hoester <BR> <BR><A HREF="http://www.hoester.com" TARGET="_top">www.hoester.com</A>

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interruptor
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Bass in Mix down

Post by interruptor » Mon Jun 10, 2002 11:54 am

on a scientist track from the tubby era i heard something i recently also tried out myself: use a filter with high resonance on the bass to boost the midfrequencies and cut away most of the subbass thus giving the bass a light "woody" sound. do this on some portions of the track &#40;for example the intro&#41; instead of muting the bass completely.

The Mad Subwoofer
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Bass in Mix down

Post by The Mad Subwoofer » Tue Apr 01, 2003 10:08 pm

the DBX 120XP is a terrific solution IMO; <A HREF="http://www.dbxpro.com/discontinued/120XP.htm" TARGET="_top">http://www.dbxpro.com/discontinued/120XP.htm</A> You can usually nab them for around $100 used. Polyphonic and as subtle or over-the-top as you need. Works great on live bass amplification as well. I have utilized this tool for years now, with great results.

aleph
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Bass in Mix down

Post by aleph » Wed Apr 02, 2003 4:44 pm

A tube eq can produce fat sub bas too i use a <BR>tla classic&#40;more expensive but can be used for all instruments&#41; where i plug directly a fender precision&#40;this eq has instrument input and a wonderfull 60hz boost&#41; ,but some hard settings needs a smart touch when your're playing. <BR>A friend who have digital studio adjust <BR> different sub frenquencies and resonnance for all different note off the bass line &#40;they use logic to control the filter&#41;,this solution is long and sometime impossible when the bass line is not simple enought,but it allows your sub note to be always at the same level or the level you wanted to be&#40;a single sub frequence can over boost one note off your bass line->needs to be compressed&#41;

aleph
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Bass in Mix down

Post by aleph » Wed Apr 02, 2003 4:59 pm

I've forgot to say : <BR>i think that a good bass player can produce the sound you need without any effect,the bass can be played at different place &#40;like guitar&#41;and produce <BR>clear attack,subbass....Once the take is done <BR>it's often too late to boost high frenquencies for <BR>exemple when your sound is too dark

The Mad Subwoofer
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Bass in Mix down

Post by The Mad Subwoofer » Mon May 12, 2003 5:37 pm

Best dub bass trick ever &#40;IMO&#41; is to play through DOD's cheap-ass green FX25 EV filter. Set it so the envelope stays closed then let that massive subharmonic bloom swallow you whole. This a surprisingly easy and effective tool that is just better than any EQ, filter, technique I have ever used. None of my other filters come even close to the righteous booty of this little jewel. Laswell has used his for years. It's like having a polyphonic subharmonic synth or something....a pairing with the DBX 120XP is breathtaking.

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Neil C
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Bass in Mix down

Post by Neil C » Sun Apr 18, 2004 1:58 pm

A reply to a couple of points in the above posts - <BR>Aleph- A bass player of any quality &#40;and I've played for 17 years&#41; can't get the sort of big, thick, warm, bass sound I want with just the 4 string bass guitar that I use and playing technique alone. Just can't be done. <BR>Hoester - I add reverb to my bass. This has to be done very subtly, but I put a reverb on to almost everything else in my trakcs, and if I leave the &#40;real&#41; bass un-verbed, it sounds too seperated from everything else. I'm using SIR and a sampled reverb of a 30x30 room. I'm adding only a small amount, such as you can't hear it, but would notice if it was taken away. If you listen to 70's dub, most of the bass has quite a lot of what I'm guessing is room ambience coming from miking up a speaker playing very loud. <BR> <BR>Mad Subwoofer - thank you so much, I've just got a Dod fx25 green in response to your suggestion. It's the business. Extreme gratefulness.

aleph
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Bass in Mix down

Post by aleph » Tue Apr 27, 2004 4:58 pm

your certainly right neil &#40;i don't have 17 years off practice in fact my intrument is the guitar&#41;but don t tell me the player has no influence on the sound by is way off playing <BR>Now i prefer a non eq bass sound filtered during the mix so i can get very interessting bass rev sound from the dry sound &#40;befor filter&#41;or filter BAND PASS in medium position and some sub bass sound filter in bass position of course &#40;sometimes it s a little dirty but i think i doesn not really matter in roots dub style&#41; <BR>I really want to hear this magic dod's box anyway

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Neil C
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Bass in Mix down

Post by Neil C » Wed Apr 28, 2004 12:56 pm

I'm not saying a player can't have a significant affect on the sound - the player can &#40;for some styles of music I can get a sound I like by going totally direct&#41; - but like I did say, technique alone can't get the sort of sound I want for dub - you may prefer a different sound that can be made with just technique. <BR>I'll soon have finished a track where I'm using the DOD &#40;should be putting a link to it on this site within the next couple of weeks&#41;.

LeChat
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Bass in Mix down

Post by LeChat » Thu Apr 29, 2004 2:48 am

the dod pedal sounds pretty cool, playing with the 'sens' knob during mixdown is neat-o. sometimes, a teeny little bit of distortion goes a long way, for bass that seems too dry, or not sitting right in the mix. i use an old stereo spring reverb on bass. on everything, actually, it's really subtle, but kind of thickens it up. a real mic'd speaker cab sounds best, to me.

sir_chin
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Bass in Mix down

Post by sir_chin » Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:15 pm

peace&bless <BR>i try to record the bass with the final sound in mind. i tune the 4 strings 1 tone down &#40;D-G-C-F&#41; or with the lowest 4 string of a 5 strings &#40;B-E-A-D&#41; roll out most meds and trebbles, go trough a nice di &#40;w/eq&#41; into the daw. then i either mix inside the computer with several plug-ins or out into the mixer with compression and eq on inserts. whatever sounds good is good. <BR>one love, <BR>m.

Roootzilla
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Bass in Mix down

Post by Roootzilla » Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:41 am

Does anybody know if the new DOD envelope filter &#40;FX25B I think it's called&#41; has the same sound as the original? I don't think they make the EV version anymore, and as the new one has one more knob on it, it obviously has different circuitry as well. Anyone tried this one? <BR> <BR>One love, <BR> <BR>Rootz

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Bass in Mix down

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