5 Minutes To A Better Mix: Compressing Bass Guitar - TheRecordingRevolution.com

Part 11 of 31 - This video shows you how and why you would want to use compression on your bass guitar tracks. Even out the volume of your bass hits and add fullness and fatness to the overall sound using a simple compressor.

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• mixing
• bass
• guitar
• compression
• compresser
• protools
• pro tools
• tutorial
• tips

[wasee07]

Thanks for posting your tutorials....very helpful.......I mostly use VSTi's, so is it applicable on vsti bass too?

[recordingrevolution]

@wasee07 Only if you feel the bass playing is inconsistent or the tone isn't upfront enough.

[bleeper4]

thanks Graham! I'd love to hear the full song after this is all done!

[AllysDad2008]

Man, I love compression and what it can do for you if you use it subtly on individual tracks. This is a great example, and it works just as well in my DAW of choice (Sonar) as it does for you. Thanks so much Graham!

[Oneness100]

Well, if I were an engineer playing around with demo tracks just to get used to playing around with eq, compression, limiters for learning purposes, fine. But i were going to get paid for this work on dealing with these tracks, I would suggest retracking everything and if not, then re-evaluate the people I work with. These kind of basics aren't high quality basics. they should train students on what makes good basics in the first place rather than just polishing a turd.

[jrhager84]

What A/D-D/A converters are you using?

[Mic1904]

@Oneness100 Also, he can't nessicarily re-track the bass if he wasn't even the person who recorded the bass in the first place. A good mix engineer can deal with less than ideal circumstances, without calling up the band/producer and demanding that they re-do everything from scratch :)

[Mic1904]

@Oneness100 No one would argue with the philosophy of recording good tracks - it's what we all aim for. But like Graham says, the bass guitar is *naturally* a very dynamic instrument. That is to say, a good bass performance will naturally have varied dynamics. But he's pointing out that in a full, busy, modern mix, perhaps a more consistent, unusually even bass is required as a strong foundation. He's not trying to fix something bad/wrong, he's simply making adjustments to fit it into the mix.

[KnowUrSoul]

@recordingrevolution: Hey Graham, what's the artist/song on this one? (And by way of suggestion, I would put the song credits in every video description just so people stop asking all the time (like me), LOL)...

[xorezx1]

@TMRonin85 Yes. Consistantcy is extremely important in playing bass. Unless the style of bass (such as slapping) is what is intended.

[Oneness100]

Well, it sounds like you should just re-track the bass track instead of "fixing it in the mix". My philosophy is get good basics, then there is little or no problems to fix.

[ryurookie]

thank you !

[adubthedon]

That music is nice