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Existential nonsense/what's the basspoint


Ajoten

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I have this crisis every year or so re wondering what the point is, playing bass, when always overlooked and undermixed etc. Or whether my expectations are a bit unreal. So tell me this: the band finished this album, but I almost threw in the towel when thought my er carefully crafted bassin' treated as - dunno - extension of drum kit? Few extra strings of a guitar? Instead of having equal billing with other instruments. 

 

https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/fGTX1

 

Do YOU think the bass is loud/clear enough? And do YOU think it sounds similar volume/clarity vs other people's output these days*? (It is mastered btw). Coz rest of band thought on the verge of being too prominent tbh. So I on the verge of giving up.

 

*My take? Everyone's bass unfairly nudged down in mixes. Always. With the exception of Esperanza Spalding, whose producers nail it.

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bit of a mush tbh, sorry, not very clear IMO, some more mids perhaps and a little less bottom end? I was listening on pc speakers and a sub so not studio monitor quality.

 

I've had another listen this morning and turned my speakers down. It's definitely not as mushy as I heard it last night (wine?)

"Come back down" bass sounds loads better on cans but is a little quiet in the mix?

On headphones "I should know" sounds much better, more prominent and there's obviously quite a bit more going on playing wise

Edited by skidder652003
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I've not listened so can't comment on the mix, but I've been in similar situations that in hindsight I realise was more about my ego - do you want to contribute to the song or do you want to be personally recognised for your skill as a bass player. It's a difficult line to tread and it's so difficult to step outside of the situation when you're in it - there's no way I'm able to critique my band's mixes without some bias towards bass, and I've definitely ruined songs with over-playing. 

 

It's a tough one, I think everyone feels this at some point though. 

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stuck it on (MacBook speakers). got on with other stuff. It stayed on in the background. 

sounds fine to me. 

Sounds like there's a bit of a disconnect of where the bass tone you've got going on, and where you've been put in the mix... but if anything I would tweak the bass tone to the mix rather than the other way around

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I listened to three tracks at random. The songs seemed not to be the kind of material where the bass line really needs to be up and driving everything along in a muscular way

 

I think the problem is that the guitar sound is too raw and bright: those little details are being rammed in our face, distracting from the song, when they should be kind of how your bass already is, supporting the song

 

(Now I've written that I want to go back to the first Geneva album, which I haven't listened to in many years, and hear how they mixed those kinds of guitar figures)

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3 minutes ago, Ricky Rioli said:

I listened to three tracks at random. The songs seemed not to be the kind of material where the bass line really needs to be up and driving everything along in a muscular way

 

I think the problem is that the guitar sound is too raw and bright: those little details are being rammed in our face, distracting from the song, when they should be kind of how your bass already is, supporting the song

I agree with all that. The songs and the production were good. Guitar sound got a little samey after a while. 

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Yes, agree with both @LukeFRC and @Ricky Rioli.

I haven't listened to all of it, but there is a point around the 50 second mark in Come Back Down where whatever comes in there seems slightly too loud for everything else that is happening, bass included.

On the other hand, I Should Know sounds much better and doesn't suffer from that. Unglued seems fine too.

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Bass sounds great on studio speakers - fat and very present in the mix. Perhaps if you wanted to cut through a little more you might consider tweaking your sound a little. However it sits great, fills out the mix and as noted the playing is good. You should be happy with this I'd say. Also remember you need a good few years before you can be emotionally removed from any recording to listen to it properly!

 

...just arrived at 'ticket' - bass is fat and present and some of the higher register work in the chorus is very prominent in the mix indeed, perhaps more present than the vocals (!!). 

 

Nowt to worry about there :)

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I've had a quick preview of a handful of the songs, and the bass sounds (IMO) about right in the mix for the genre of the band. It isn't right up front, but if you are listening out for it, all the notes can be heard. If I was in a band doing a cover of one of the songs I'd be able to work out the bass part from these recordings.

 

On the other hand if you think the bass needs to be louder and more prominent, the only way you are really going to be able to do that is to form a new band doing music in a genre where it is accepted for the bass to more heavily featured in the mix and then write and produce all the songs yourself.

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not my area of expertise... but I played it back through my hi-fi (Naim amps and Neat speakers). Bass sounds quite nice. I had a listen to several tracks and my thoughts I see are similar to others which is the guitar is maybe a little forward, which might be what you're responding to? I'm not an expert on mixing etc so I'd just ad that caveat to my comments! 

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IMO the bass is good, maybe could be a fraction louder, but that doesn't detract.

 

The guitar is way too loud in the mix.

 

Who thought the bass was too loud? This guitarist?

 

IMO giving up over this is an overreaction. OK, you're disappointed, but learn from this experience and fight your corner harder when you record and mix the next album.

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Well... for me, I don't think I've EVER heard a recording where bass was too much, by anyone. Please recommend examples! 

 

You are right though re learning from it. And I think working 100% with the kit, and not try "melodic flourishes" (wtvr) will be better. Also I've just bought a beautiful fretless, and the lower that is in the mix the better 🙃

 

(Thing is of course, it all worked together nicely till guitar and vox went into the studio and recorded dozens of unexpected overdubs, thus diluting a lot of what I'd done and rendering it a bit daft tbh.)

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