We’ve gotten so used to working on computers during our music production that it’s easy to begin to judge our mixes based on what waveforms and changes in audio look like.Īs a result, our eyes can often fool us into thinking we hear the change occurring. Try tape-style distortion for brightening up the 2–5kHz area.Īs you work to find the right EQ and distortion, continue bypassing and un-bypassing your settings to make sure you’re really able to hear-not just see-the changes you make. Adding tube-style distortions will thicken up the low end of a bass guitar, while adding tape-style distortions will introduce harmonic distortion that will be more noticeable in the mid- to higher- ends. Some harmonic distortion can also help enhance frequencies in this area. This 2–5kHz area is where the upper harmonics that more easily identify the bass tone and pitch are located.
Dialing in the right EQ and distortionĪ good mid-range area to boost is between 2–5kHz, which will help a bass poke through a dense mix. For example, if the kick is emphasized at 80Hz, make sure the bass is not also emphasized at 80Hz but give it some emphasis at 40Hz and 120Hz. Whichever instrument you decide will drive the low-end, wrap the other instrument around it with its EQ. The choice is a stylistic one, and it’s really up to the needs of the mix. Is the bass rounding out the bottom end with a rich tone and some serious low notes, while the kick drum is more snappy and clicky? Or, does the kick drum need the attention for a deep, sustained sound?
When EQ’ing the combination of bass and kick, a conscious decision needs to be made about which one gets to win the low-end battle. Together, the bass and kick should create a feel that’s powerful and moving without crowding either instrument or forcing one out of the way of the other. A rhythm section that’s perfectly in step with each other and alsowell mixed can take a track (and a band) to the next level, while a sloppy and indistinct low-end can drag a song down no matter how good the playing is. The low-end relationship between bass guitar and kick drum is one of the most fundamentally important relationships in a mix.
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