Mixing Bass Guitar In Your Home Recording Studio | Disc Makers Blog 07/02/17 18(13

Mixing bass guitar in your home

recording studio
January 17, 2017 Izotope Audio Recording

When mixing bass guitar, dont get discouraged if it takes a while

to get the track just where you want it bass can be the most
dicult instrument to manage in a mix. Here are some tips to get
started.

The relationship between the bass guitar and kick drum in the low end of an
audio mix is of fundamental importance. A rhythm section thats in step and
expertly mixed can make a track (and a band) sound tight and ferocious, while a
sloppy and indistinct bottom end can drag a recording down no matter how
good the performances are.

When mixing bass guitar and the kick, the goal is to create a powerful and
moving combination, avoiding either instrument crowding the other out or
forcing it out of the way.

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Mixing bass guitar and kick drum

With the combination of bass guitar and kick drum, a conscious EQ decision
needs to be made about which one gets to win the low-end battle. Is the bass
holding down and rounding out the bottom end with a rich tone while the kick
drum provides a snap and click? Or, does the kick drum grab the attention with
a deep, sustained sound? Its a stylistic choice, determined by the needs of the
mix and the vision of the producer.

Whichever instrument ultimately drives the low end, you can use EQ to wrap
the other around it. For example, if the kick drum is emphasized at 80 Hz, the
bass should not also emphasized at 80 Hz, but should rather have its emphasis at
40 Hz and 120 Hz.

EQ and distortion

A good mid-range area to boost these low-end instruments lies between 25 kHz,
where the upper harmonics that identify the bass tone and pitch reside.
Adjusting these frequencies can help a bass guitar poke through a dense mix.

Adding tube-style harmonic distortion can also help enhance frequencies in the
lower range, thickening the low end of a bass guitar, while adding tape-style
distortions will be more noticeable in the mid- to higher- ends, brightening the
25 kHz area.

As you work to find the perfect balance of EQ and distortion, toggle between
employing and bypassing your settings to make sure youre really able to hear
and not just see how the changes aect the mix. Its not uncommon to get so
accustomed to working on computers for music production that you judge mixes
based on what waveforms and visual changes in the audio track look like.

As a result, our eyes can actually fool us into hearing a change that isnt
occurring. Its important to use your ears, listen carefully, and make choices
based on the true audio signal. Try turning your computer monitor o once in a

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Mixing Bass Guitar In Your Home Recording Studio | Disc Makers Blog 07/02/17 18(13

while, to make sure youre hearing what you think youre hearing.

Bass guitar compression

Bass compression can vary depending on how the instrument is played. For
instance, if the song has an upright bass, subtle to moderate compression with a
moderate attack and release is probably best. If an electric bass is played with
the thumb or a pick, faster attack and release times may be required to help
tame the transients.

For a finger style electric bass performance, attack and release times can go back
to moderate. These ratios often vary between 3:1 to 6:1 but can go as high as 10:1,
and its important to note how much gain reduction is occurring. Subtle gain
reduction can result in the peaks being attenuated by approximately 2-3 dB,
where moderate reduction might be closer to 6 db. Make sure to apply make-up
gain, or auto-gain, if you have that function. Without it, the bass will sound
smoother and quieter, which can cause it to wash into a mix.

Side-chain compression on bass

Another useful tool for separating kick and bass is side-chain compression. This
form of compression uses one instruments level to activate the gain reduction
or compression on another instrument. For example, inserting a side-chain
compressor on a bass track that reacts to the kick drum will compress the bass
whenever the kick drum is hit. This process will attenuate the bass track each
time the kick is hit while still maintaining its overall level in the mix.

The complexity of the bass

Unlike drums, bass is both a heavily rhythmic and melodic instrument. While
every kick drum hit is largely the same tone, the dynamics on a bass can change
for every note the bassist plays, which makes nailing the low-end on bass a lot
more like hitting a moving target. If the bass part has a lot of movement, you may
have to make further adjustments using automation.

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Mixing Bass Guitar In Your Home Recording Studio | Disc Makers Blog 07/02/17 18(13

When mixing bass guitar, dont get discouraged if it takes a while to get the track
just where you want it bass can be the most dicult instrument to manage in a
mix. If you get o track, call up some of your favorite recordings and listen
closely to how the bass interacts with the kick in the mix. With patience,
practice, and focus, youll be able to nail the right sound for your rhythm
section.

iZotope makes innovative products that inspire and enable people to be creative. Based
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, iZotope has spent over a decade developing award-
winning products and audio technologies for professionals and hobbyists alike. Used by
millions of people in over 50 countries, iZotope products are a core component of
GRAMMY-winning music studios, Oscar and Emmy-winning film and TV post
production studios, and prominent radio studios, as well as basement and bedroom
studios across the globe. Through a robust licensing program, iZotope also powers
products made by industry partners such as Adobe, Avid, Microsoft, and Sony. iZotope
was recently honored with an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in
Engineering Development for its flagship audio repair suite, RX.

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