6+ ways to get bigger bass | Kim Lajoie's blog

This is about basslines, not (necessarily) the frequency range. The bassline is the harmonic foundation of a track. A solid mix often needs a solid bassline. So how do you get there? How do you stop your basslines from sounding weak or flabby? Here are some techniques to consider:

EQ. This is the big one. A lot of the time, EQ is all you need. The trouble is, each situation is different. I can’t tell you where to boost and where to cut without hearing your track. Because EQ is relative, the right settings depend entirely on the sound of your bassline and the direction of the mix. Pay close attention to how the kick and the bass interact. In some cases, it makes sense to have a bass with character voiced above a deep kick; in other cases it makes sense to have a deep bass voiced under the kick. Good monitoring is crucial here, because you’ll have to balance the tone across a wide range – sometimes all the way from subbass up to the top of the mix. And most lower-budget monitoring environments are pretty bad at accurately representing the critical range from the bottom through the lower mids.
Layering. You can’t boost what isn’t there. Often a bass sound will have a great character in the mids but doesn’t have a solid bottom end. Similarly, it’s common for a bass sound with a solid bottom end to be missing character in the mids. By layering two complimentary bass sounds, you can have the best of both worlds! Be careful though – effective layering can very easily take over the whole mix. When layering bass sounds, it often helps to filter the layers. For example – an upper layer that adds a lot of character in the mids may have a weak or inconsistent low end. By using a high pass filter to cut out that low end, a lower layer can be much more focussed and provide a stronger sound. Similarly, it often makes sense to use a low pass filter or dramatic EQ to take the mids out of the lower layer so that the upper layer can punch through more effectively. Lastly, don’t forget to pay attention to the relative levels of each layer. Often a mix needs one layer to be dominant – the other layer(s) usually can be much quieter and still provide enough definition and size.

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6+ ways to get bigger bass | Kim Lajoie's blog

6+ ways to get bigger bass | Kim Lajoie's blog

- Bass Compression : Recording Magazine -

Bass Compression
Some ideas on squishing the bottom...
By Justin Peacock

Life has many unanswered questions. Why do we exist? What is our purpose? What is the meaning of life? What was Mona Lisa thinking? And, of course, how do I get a tight low end in my mix? I probably hear this question more often than any other in the world of recording music. And, to be honest, it’s something that I myself often ponder and even struggle with, like a well-matched arm-wrestling opponent: I know I can win, but it doesn’t always prove easy.Tweaking the low end in a mix often revolves around listening on many different sources like car stereos, “boom boxes”, and yet smaller computer speakers. Different systems will attenuate or boost different frequency ranges, perhaps re-shaping your mix for the better but usually for the worse. Whatever happens, keep making comparisons until you find an average sound spectrum that works for everything.

While in the midst of this process remember that a mix’s low end isn’t just the bass guitar, or even the kick drum. It’s the sum of the whole. Acoustic guitars, electric guitars, vocals, and many other instruments can have a lot of low frequency content, all playing a role in the mix. Here, however, we’re going to specifically look at the bass guitar and how compression can be used to perfect a mix. Let me begin by pointing out that bass compression isn’t always needed. There are two typical reasons for compressing a bass (and most things in general): getting the notes to “sit” in the track and not poke out, i.e. limiting dynamic range, and/or because you like the sound of the compression.

Full Article Source:
- Bass Compression : Recording Magazine -

- Bass Compression : Recording Magazine -