Process #1, first of many - making bass or drums louder

[KuruPrionz]

This is so simple and obvious it made me feel like I've been falling short. 

I've been working on a mix, not quite done recording yet either, us solo recordists with humble home studios can do this stuff in various orders of procedure. Sometimes I don't know what the song needs until I get to a certain point and it becomes obvious - Less of Everything!

And, improved parts in places. 

 

I've been copying and pasting the bass track and just having 2 tracks of the same part. It's louder and sounds good, I'm careful not to push the recording above zero and bass guitar will do that if you pluck decisively I do use a Tech 21 Q\Strip EQ going in but my best level boost so far is just doubling the track. .

 

I've also taken a 3rd track, put a high pass filter on it and a distorted guitar amp and then blending just a bit of that track in to make it audible even if somebody is listening with their cell phone or laptop speakers. 

 

I've been a guitarist for 47 years and I've always had a bass on hand. Now I'm recording and for my songs I feel like the bass is the most important instrument that I can record. Fortunately, I do understand the concept of playing bass as opposed to guitar, I don't want "lead bass", just a solid part that locks the groove with the drums. 

 

How do you record bass? I plan on posting like this on more topics, a Process #? set of hopefully shared ideas since we all seem to come at these problems with different solutions. 

 

[Paul Vnuk Jr.]

My typical bass chain is to take one channel direct through a good preamp and get a clean, strong capture with the tone controls on the instrument set appropriate to the track, then I will also track the bass through an amp (or reamp it after the client has left). Then I phase align the two in the computer. Usually I will then sum both to the same channel and run it through a high-pass filter and a tube compressor (usually opto). 

 

The biggest thing I have learned for myself about recording bass is not to overwork it in the mix. I rarely EQ it after the initial capture, I try and sculpt the tone on the way in and let it be what it will be.

[KuruPrionz]

1 hour ago, Paul Vnuk Jr. said:

My typical bass chain is to take one channel direct through a good preamp and get a clean, strong capture with the tone controls on the instrument set appropriate to the track, then I will also track the bass through an amp (or reamp it after the client has left). Then I phase align the two in the computer. Usually I will then sum both to the same channel and run it through a high-pass filter and a tube compressor (usually opto). 

 

The biggest thing I have learned for myself about recording bass is not to overwork it in the mix. I rarely EQ it after the initial capture, I try and sculpt the tone on the way in and let it be what it will be.

Thanks Paul! Great post!!

Bass has become topic #4, I plan on writing #3 later this evening which will be about Creativity.