How To Mix HEAVY Bass - Metal Mixing Tips
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- Опубліковано 29 тра 2024
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Having trouble getting your metal or hardcore bass tones to sit right in the mix?
Here are some tips on getting your metal bass tracks sitting right in your metal productions using simple EQ and compression techniques.
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“There can’t be clashing notes” ...Cliff Burton has entered the chat.
Bobby has THE BEST tutorials...I recommend you all to get his course...AMAZING
Right at the source. Good player. Fresh strings. The key! It's insane that people come unprepared. It's such a good thing to point out that you DON"T need an insane setup. A simple two-channel interface will get the job done. Great video man
Glad you enjoyed it!
Bassist recorded himself with old strings, but i think i found the way around it. Some saturation for upper mids, some multiband to tame unbalanced frequencies and yeah! It works!
It's just a bit different mixing process when you have that kind of bass.
Thanks, bro, glad i found your channel.
Also you remind me of BFMV's vocalist
Cool technique! Thanks for watching man!
Theres a million youtubers giving "lessons" or whatever on here and tbh you are the only one I've actually improved from watching and find educational. These other guys are like "its gotta be like this" and you are telling us what works for you, why you think its the best way to go, instead of "i know everything guys" lol. Fr never change.
You are very good at explaining these things. These videos are really starting to clear the fog for me when it comes to audio engineering.
Dynamics are important. Aggressive playing is good but also some degree of consistency and control. Otherwise it gets a bit all over the place. If it's tight though then that sorts out most of it. So even though if it's a little too hard on attack that can still sound cool so long as its tight. I also DI for bass sometimes with a mic blending.
I like the way you break it down for your mixing tutorials and let us know the frequencies. Even the frequency range of where to do your high pass and low pass filters.
I love that headbanging at 14:32 haha. He should have headbanging tutorial vids too, and show off his repertoire there.
lmao!
Thanks man.
Bass is my worst enemy in mixing until now
So true about the DI. DI in bass makes a huge difference even with different pickup.
This is a KILLER tutorial. Thanks for putting this out here. It's super helpful.
I’m learning so much here in 2023. Great video!
These tutorials/tips have been invaluable for me, thank you so much!
Sick! Glad to hear that, dude. Many more on the way.
This is a fegging awesome video. I learned alot. Thanks for sharing. Rock on ...
Your Tutorials have helped me sooo much in learning how to create decent metal mixes. I now even produce for my Band :) Thank you for your effort!!
Just wanted to share with you all that I spent all day trying to figure out why my recorded bass DI tracks sounded like s**t, but now I just realised I was recording an active bass at INST level 😂 😂 👏👏
Lmao! I've been there.
Wait...you're supposed to record line with an active bass? what's the thinking there? I've been recording my bass with my interface set to instrument lol
@@ace88bf eh, it can work both ways for sure, but as a rule of thumb, active instruments should be recorded at line level, passive instruments at inst (hi-z) level. Therefore, an active bass or guitar with EMG s should be connected to line level!
@@AleArzMusic wait real?? Ok fuck i will remember that
@@Smung yeah 😃🤣 always check the levels BEFORE recording haha
Awesome video! I've been having trouble getting the bass to sit right in the mix and I think this was the secret sauce I needed
Thank you so much for helping me save my bass mix with this tutorial! Keep up the excellent work. Thanks again
Glad it helped!
Waiting to see the drum vid! Nice and simple approach to mixing, I like it :)
Thanks man! Drum vid #1 will be coming in a few weeks.
FrightboxRecording Thanks brov, can't wait! Would be a lot of help!
Awesome tutorial dude, bass is an easy thing to overlook in metal.
With heavy stuff, I almost always add a little saturation/fuzz to the bass to help it gel with the guitars. I find it helps get rid of that flabbiness and makes it sit in the mix instead of random notes poking in and out. Of course compression alone evens out the dynamics but some saturation/dist/fuzz really helps the bass harmonically and eliminates that poke/flabbiness.
Excellent video! Thank you.
Great videos man!
Dude thanks so much for doing these videos
This is awesome! Thank you very much!
🔊🔊🎶🤘😌👌
Another great one! Thanks!
Thank you for this! Man this is amazing
Glad you dug it Jose! Thanks for watching.
the best tutorial ever thanks
great video. thanks.
Great video! Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
this helped me alot
subbed
Glad to hear that! Stay tuned, much more on the way.
Solid video man, thanks for your time!! Would you think a pitch shifted guitar or bass simulator would be better for tracking bass?
Glad you dig the vid! I program bass all of the time, so I prefer programmed bass to pitch shifted guitars. That's just my 2 cents.
I have been using pitch shifted guitars and synth bass, but just picked up a bass a few weeks ago and am looking forward to tracking with it. These are some really helpful tips. I do have one question though; You mentioned using a duplicate bass track and it seemed like you were implying that is was just a copy/paste. So, I can just copy instead of doing a separate performance for anything that isn't going to be panned?
Great stuff brother.... purely for anyone interested, I am processing my bassists ZON custom, which is utterly sublime, it sounds as though Beethoven played it on a heavy metal piano . Currently two DI tracks, one into US Ampeg Pro rig and the other thru Logic Fuzz wah, blend the tinny wah track to taste. We cross Punk Rock with Motörhead so I look for clank and definition and more bottom end than Lemmy had :-) x
Def shoot over a link when you have it up! I'd love to hear how it turns out. I'm a clanky bass junky myself.
This is really logical and straightforward stuff, amazing how many people just ignore it! Really well and clearly presented! I love the Dug Pinnick approach - clean deep track and a distorted, 'bite' track, then merge them.. It ensures all frequencies are covered! Awesome stuff.
Thanks man! Glad you're digging the content.
Your videos are God tier dude
Thanks man, glad you dig!
Bobby, I have a question. I am a Cubase user and if I want very similar bass sound of Sansamp, what plugin do you recommend? I thought BDO is similar but still not sounding like Sansamp. To my ears BDO is too warm compared to Sansamp. I saw you were bypassing BDO on this mix so I’m sure you compared these two and decided for Sansamp. Any alternatives?
Hello! Great tutorial!
I have a question: if I record a D.I. bass track, then I reamp it with a Darkglass preamp which has got "blend" control, does it make any sense to create two separate tracks, one for D.I. sound and one for distorted sound (the darkglass one)? It seems like a duplicate..
Hey man! I would always track a separate DI just give give yourself the flexibility of adding to the tone later. I demonstrate exactly what I use the DI for in this video: ua-cam.com/video/nVSxpD9xPmQ/v-deo.html
Great video Bobby!...2 questions. 1. How do you achieve the bass distortion sound? Is it the exact main track duplicated on a 2nd track with distortion and eq'd mostly to hear the mids only?
2. I use GTR3 bass cabs and you can split them on 1 track to get 2 amps and blend them. Should I try to get 1 amp be the main bass sound and use the 2nd amp on the same track to get a distorted sound? Or split them into two tracks like you show in the video and use one amp and cab per track. Clearly in both scenarios the 2nd amp would be distorted. Thanks as always for your help! Great content!
Great question! I go more into depth on the distorted track in this video: ua-cam.com/video/nVSxpD9xPmQ/v-deo.html
This was a sick Doug!! How did you achieve the disto bass sound that you blended with the DI? Did you alter the distortion of the bass itself, or put it through a saturation plug in?
Leroy! Super simple...just cranked the distortion on the second track within the amp sim itself. Same sound as the original, just with the gain cranked.
HI = ) You didnt show the dist bass, how you eq that one! Where do you cut the frekvences? Thanks
nice headbanging! like!
Sick.
There’s a theory out there that says if you eq in your parallel channel there’s a high probability or it’s certainly confirmed that there’ll be phasing. So usually people eq intelligently and smartly in the parallel channel so that phasing can be used as advantage rather than it being disadvantageous.
Correct me if I’m wrong over here.
Great tutorial though, kudos!!!
Unless you EQ using a linear-phase equalizer.
As a noob to recording I have the most trouble getting a good bass tone but this video has helped me quite a lot I'm still not there but I'm trying
Glad it helped! Just keep it simple and you'll be good.
Will you do/have you done a video on side-chaining? I definitely heard the kick attenuating the bass towards the end there
Believe it or not, there's no side-chaining in this mix. I mainly use side-chaining off of a snare sample to open the gate on my live snare.
@@FrightboxRecording how did you get that thumping rhythmic sound? I've been struggling with getting the kick to cut through the bass and/or vice versa. Any tips?
when you record what settings should tone knobs be at? i have a treble and bass knob on my bass and im not sure what to use :P
There is no right or wrong setting. In general, I go for a balanced tone. If it's too dull, I make it brighter. If it's too bright, I mellow it out. It all depends on the bass I'm using since bass tones vary so much from bass to bass.
What DI would you recommend. I'm mic'ing my mesa boogie cab, and want a DI channel also in the DAW. Would love your input. Money isn't an option, so what would you recommend. Thanks and another great video.
Any DI on the market will do the trick. I have some inexpensive ones by Samson that I use for live shows that work well and I use a Radial J48 in the studio. The Radial is a little more heavy duty in terms of build quality, so I'd say go for that if you want something that can take a beating!
Your Mesa Boogie should have a D.I on the back of it. You could just use that.
Alternatively, get hold of a SansAmp Bass Driver pedal and a little compressor pedal. You can either use it with the Mesa Boogie and cab, or just on their own. I always used to be an "amp in the live room" sound bassist, but started just using the SansAmp and compressor, after a session in Abbey Road. Of course, a good bass, decent pickups and fresh strings are essential too 😁
@@elgamerico Couldn't agree more.
Do you have any alternatives for the sans amp plug in ?I use reaper as my daw and unfortunately I can’t get that one :(
I actually do! Download the TSE Bod Bass Driver. It's actually free and it's awesome. ( www.tseaudio.com/software/tseBOD ). I also dig the bass amp models in the Waves GTR pack. Those are my go to bass plugs when I use Logic and Reaper. They're all pretty similar and get the job done equally as well.
There’s also SoftAmp which is a free. It’s modeled after the pro tools one in the video.
Hey, thanks for the vid. I am new to recording and I have a few questions. How do you those varied tones such had a sub bass, high end , and distro bass? Also what mixing program is that? Thanks again.
Hey man, thanks for watching. The tone in this video is extremely simple. It's just an amp sim plugin with the knobs set to whatever I felt sounded best at the time. I usually start with Bass/Mid/Highs set to 12 o'clock and tweak from there. It depends on the sound of the source DI. The distorted sound is the exact same sound, only distorted to hell to add harmonics underneath my main sound. I keep the distorted sound very low in the mix...it shouldn't be obvious. The program I'm using in this vid is Pro Tools. Hope that helps!
FrightboxRecording Thanks man very helpful.
Hello,
The sound of the bass DI track sounds better than what I've ever played directly into the interface. and what you get out of this sound is exactly how a bass should sound at metal or hardcore.
if I record a bass directly into the interface, the DI bass sounds like shit and then I can not do much because the source already sounds shitty and your video is the first on youtube that I found that explained simply and exactly how it works you get a good bass sound. Thanks for the video.
i hope it will take me a bit further to record my songs and i also have a question: where can i get the sansamp psa-1 plugin?
thanks again and nice greetings from Austria!
corbi
Hey man thanks for watch and I'm glad you found it helpful! Unfortunately the PSA-1 plugin is a stock plugin that comes with Pro Tools only. Luckily there's a free plugin by a company called TSE Audio that's very similar: (www.tseaudio.com/software/tseBOD). I use the TSE BOD whenever I'm in Logic, Reaper or Cubase. It's completely free...can't beat that. Let me know how it works out!
I'm sick of getting stuck on the bass, lol. This helped!
Would be nice if you also explained what you did on that distorted bass-track in a bit more detail though.. :-)
Check this one out if you wanna learn more about the distortion track: ua-cam.com/video/nVSxpD9xPmQ/v-deo.html
What did you do with your second bass tone to have it sound like that? as you didn't go into the inserts process
Good question, luckily it's very simple. It's the exact same tone just distorted to absolute shit. The goal isn't for it to sound good on it's own, it's there just to just sneak harmonics back in behind the original track. Sometimes I'll high pass it to cut the low end out (of the distorted track) if it adds too much unwanted flub, but it all depends on how crisp and tight the original DI is. Let me know if that makes sense!
What do you think about using a tube screamer with a bass. Does it add anything useful to the sound?
Maybe as a secondary track to blend in. I prefer the clean/dirty combo for bass.
Could you please tell me what bass strings you're using? The sound is so clean and fresh to the ears and I need a new set. Please. I don't hear the chunkiness that mine has. I'm also using a Sampson G Track Pro mic that doubles as an "interface" if that matters. Thank you.
I'm using Ernie Ball strings and a cheapo 2-channel Steinberg interface.
What kind of bass?
@@indigoakaben 1998 Ibanez Sound Gear.
Hello ,
Quick question: what if most of my recordings sound like 10:00 ? DId I get scammed? Using Roland Duo capture ex
Hey man! Do you mean your entire recording or just the bass guitar, itself? Either way I'm sure the Roland is more than capable enough of recording high quality DI's.
Hey man, don't know if you still read the comments, but I wonder how you did the subbass hit right on the first note. Does it come from the drums?
'cause I've seen some folks pushing the subbass in the bass track to get those kind of pressures but you are quiet restricitve with your lowends.
Besides that, great explanations, thanks!
Hey man! The sub bass hit is just a simple 808 hit only on the downbeat of the breakdown. Pretty typical for general metal productions. The rest is just drums/bass/guitars.
With metal I think picks over fingers is the best option
How would you approach a bass that is tuned to c? So the low end is super low and so it is deep but also boomy
I'd approach it in the exact same way that I did in this video. The bass in this video is tuned to B. I also have a vid to help with bass clarity that you can check out here: ua-cam.com/video/nVSxpD9xPmQ/v-deo.html
The worst bass tracks I've heard are ones where the strings are not properly muted. If this happens then there is really not much you can do in the mix. I tried my best with dynamic EQ but you will never get a tight lowend with a take where multiple strings are ringing at the same time.
4:40 what you came for
heroes. capes.
So this is all before you commit your amp sims?
What's your opinion on using VST bass guitars instead of tracking real bass guitar? Great video by the way my dude.
I'm glad you dug it! Are you referring to programmed midi bass? I actually mix a lot of stuff where the bass is programmed and it usually suites the Djenty style of metal productions really well since it's machine-tight.
Yessir. Do you treat programmed midi bass any different than real tracked bass when mixing? That's more so what I was getting at.
Most of the time I treat it exactly the same way...I prefer a preset that's more like a DI so I can run it through an amp sim and tweak as needed (just like a real bass DI).
sorry didn't hear a word you said, that movie is great
lol! Thanks for watching.
Wow, eyes opened.. I need a new bass guitar.. :D
lol!! I've been there many times myself.
The Night Of The Liveing Dead is a dope movie
You are one charismatic bastard.
lmao thanks for hangin!
what does the sub track do.
Hey man! The sub track is a submix of both the distorted and non-distorted bass tracks. It's used to glue the two tracks together.
@@FrightboxRecording thanks man. I took your advice and mixed the bass on my track. Coul you give it a listen. audiu.net/projects/wip2mp3/assets/266706 thanks again man!
Nice job! Where are you from?
Thanks man! I'm from good ol' New Jersey USA.
FrightboxRecording i’m from Belgium . It’s now 2 years that i also started with recording and mixing rock and metal . Do you have a Facebook account?
Yes sir! Add me, my page is: facebook.com/mrbobbytorres
hi, newbee here, whats a D.I?
short for Direct Input, just a dry signal from your instrument straight to your interface
Surely putting a high pass at 60hz wouldn't be ideal? thats where the low notes sit
are you matt tuck?
That's Jeff Gordon
You don't use IR's in bass?
Nah, not really. The less is more when it comes to bass for me. A solid DI is all I need.
@@FrightboxRecording Good to know, thanks
It kind of makes the low end more fuzzy, right?
@@ObscureMusicInCatalan I just find that it's not necessary. In my opinion, a great metal bass tone comes from fresh strings, a good sounding bass and a tight/aggressive player.
Most pro mixers just end up ditching the bass amp and sticking with the DI. Like you mentioned, it's usually cleaner.
@@FrightboxRecording Thanks!!
What's the song?
This was just a riff I wrote for the purposes of the video.
I seee you're not using the Split Bass technique, why?
I've found that it overcomplicates things. I only use it if the bass DI I'm working with is lacking something.
@@FrightboxRecording I've also noticed that by using the Split Bass, several times, the bass causes phase issues in the mix. Does that happen to you? Or is it just me?
@@heavymetalmixer91 Definitely when I start splitting stuff in the low-end. I do blend in a filtered midrange distortion from time to time and that usually doesn't give me any issues. It's always the low-end.
If you need new bass strings but don't want to spend the money to get new ones, I seriously recommend boiling the strings. I know it sounds like a joke, but look at videos of people doing it, it sounds almost just like new strings because all of the grime that gets stuck between the folds of the winds gets boiled out. Watch Spectre Sound Studio's video on it, the difference is impeccable.
Cool stuff! I've heard of Eddie Van Halen doing this back in the early days.
What a D.I. is?
D.I. stands for "Direct Injection". It's the pure signal of the instrument itself, not of an amp or anything else. If you record your guitar or bass straight intro your interface, you're recording D.I. signals.
@@FrightboxRecording thanks for the reply, bro. It helped a lot
New strings... or boiled ones😏
exactly!
in my opinion Ernie Ball Cobalt strings for bass are the best! hAILS METAL HEADS!
Yep. Depends on the bass, but I've generally find the Cobalt's indispensable for cutting-through a metal mix, live or otherwise. They really add presence and snarl. No wonder Justin Chancellor uses 'em.
There's no excuse for dead strings 😂 there just isn't.
I agree!
So I know why my bass doesn't sound good in the mix: My bass DI sounds like SHIT. Damn you stupid bass. I'm going to buy a new bass!
Are you using fresh strings?
@@FrightboxRecording Not really a fresh ones, it's been for 2 month I think. Maybe it's just the bass? Sounds really muddy, and lacks high and mid
@@Kanae18 The most common problem, hands down, is people not using fresh strings. It's the difference between a sparkly crisp tone and rubber bands. What type of bass is it?
@@FrightboxRecording Okay I'll try to change the strings to see if it works. It's an Indonesian made, custom (copy) of ESP Grassroots G-T-80DB, 5 stringers with active pickups
Just get a P bass.
Dislike for your excessive talking... i even could not finish the video .