Mixing Bass Frequencies/Output

Y

Yøung

New member
Hi

I would like to know what experience you guys have with mixing bass notes. I have stumbled across a problem I hope you may help me solve.

When I mix a beat with a lovely amount of bass, I sometimes find myself with certain notes taking over. It usually is when the main bass frequency hits 60 Hz and above. The bass loses the fat depth and actually takes over the entire beat, creating a high volume tone. What I would like to know is, how do you guys mix this? Would you fix it with a compressor or simply EQ it hard in specific areas? I found that EQ actually worked for some samples, but I am afraid I am doing it wrong and would like some tips, if you have any you'd like to share.

I believe compressor is the key to most mixing for this part, but maybe you had some other tips I might as well look into.

Thank you for reading. :)
 
Before you do anything, I'd listen on a couple different sets of speakers. It's probably a function of the speakers themselves and not the mixing.

If you're just worried about the difference between notes you could switch some of the higher notes down to a lower octave, or lower notes to a higher octave depending on your goal. You could also put on some saturation or something to make your low notes pop a little more and then turn your bass down to compensate.

I'd recommend viewing the problem as your low notes not punching through, rather than your high notes being too loud. Your low notes probably are super loud but it's hard to realize that until you hear them on a huge system.
 
When you use a keyboard for bass, sometimes there are a few notes that are just way too loud and even compression doesn't get them exactly right. If this is the case, you have to lower the midi velocity on the offending notes. At some point that's your only option.

I wish you the very best with your music!
 
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The Funk Junkie said:
Before you do anything, I'd listen on a couple different sets of speakers. It's probably a function of the speakers themselves and not the mixing.

If you're just worried about the difference between notes you could switch some of the higher notes down to a lower octave, or lower notes to a higher octave depending on your goal. You could also put on some saturation or something to make your low notes pop a little more and then turn your bass down to compensate.

I'd recommend viewing the problem as your low notes not punching through, rather than your high notes being too loud. Your low notes probably are super loud but it's hard to realize that until you hear them on a huge system.
Click to expand...

I see. I am using the BX8 M-Audio speakers and I am afraid that their low frequencies are very strong. They play very well though. :)
I think that's the case with the low notes. Or at least the samples I use. I have tried switching an octave, but sometimes the higher octave will have no bass in it and the lower octave will be so low it has no punch or sound, like the sample wasn't meant for to go this low. Strange. This is why I almost every time use my favorite sample. :D

JR Mastering said:
When you use a keyboard for bass, sometimes there are a few notes that are just way too loud and even compression doesn't get them exactly right. If this is the case, you have to lower the midi velocity on the offending notes. At some point that's your only option.

I wish you the very best with your music!
Click to expand...

Ahh ye. I just never record playing though. I play the thing and gently selects which notes I was meant to play manually. :)
Because I am not experienced like that.
 
It is almost certainly your room. This is a common problem. in fact, it happens to EVERYBODY when you listen on speakers. The room creates standing waves that cause certain notes in the lower frequencies to either be overly loud, or incredibly quiet. I won't go into the physics, but basically all room exhibit this, it is actually insanely difficult to design a room that doesn't have any of these problems (actually, it's physically impossible). You have a couple solutions:

1) the pro solution is to treat the room. This is hands down the best way to deal with it, and with a lot of studying, you can buy the materials you need and roll your sleeves up and mitigate most of the problem (you can never get rid of ALL of it, no studio in the world can). It costs time, money, and a lot of research.

2) Do what I used to do back in the day before I had a nice studio: I took my mix and played it back in different rooms and on different system. I'd make notes on all the changes I wanted on each listen, averaged them all out, made those changes, and then repeated the process until I had a mix that sounded pretty good everywhere. Just listening on different speakers in the same place in the same room won't accomplish this because 90% of what you hear is the room; only 10% is the speaker.

3) You can use headphones. I personally would make this a last resort, or just another way to check along with #2.

If you start EQing the heck out of your bass line to compensate, then you will be creating the very problem you think is there in the first place and it will only sound good in your room on your speakers - but it will sound crappy everywhere else.
 
Light compression together with some EQ on the freq that is 'taking over'.

Additonally have you tried making the bass (or some parts of it, ideally the lower frequencies) mono?

Edit: 1+ what chris is talking about above
 
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