Another bass mixing approach: turn it up and cut out the junk

[SweetDan]

I'm curious to get your feedback on a new idea I had about mixing bass.

I've got a new-ish song idea I've been playing around with, and the first experimental mix sounds like this:

nlto_idea_2020-05-02_take2.mp3

Days later I was listening on my phone and could barely hear the bass; it's almost like it wasn't even there.

To "fix" this I turned the bass way up, and then used EQ to cut out the frequencies that "hurt", so to speak. Kind of going to extremes, I pushed the track up high enough (about +9dB total) that nearly everything else was masked, then I scooped out a big scoop (nearly -24dB!) around 300 Hz until I could hear the other parts clearly again. I also slightly boosted the very bottom end, and also boosted the 2.5k-4k range. That sounds like this:

nlto_idea_2020-05-02_bassRemix.mp3

(EQ and level on the bass is the only change between the two snippets)


So, I'm curious what y'all think. To my ears the 2nd one sounds better overall, a bit wider, and I can hear the bass better in less-than-ideal environments (like on a tiny cell-phone speaker) and yet it doesn't interfere much with the other parts. Is this the default way any of you have for mixing bass? What other things have you tried to make bass parts audible but keep from interfering with everything else?

[vomitHatSteve]

Hmmm... Interesting idea.

On decent headphones, the 2nd mix definitely sounds much more bass-forward. I kind of like it, but I don't know that it would be a great choice for a go-to.

The big thing with phone speakers is that they basically have no response below a certain frequency, so you have to boost your bass in some alternate range to get it to come through, right?

[Lt. Bob]

2nd one sounds better to me.

IMO you have to have a totally different mix for phones because they just suck and you have to compensate for that.

For me, my mixing approach is almost always to be able to listen to every single instrument/voice on the recording as if solo'd.
I want every single detail hearable ........ so for me the 2nd mix is closer to that.

[rayc]

I've been experimenting with this on bass of late...

I quite liked the 1st but the 2nd does have a little level & cut through over it.
I did the thing in the video for three songs getting my head around it. This week I did a bass track with NOTHING except some compression and distortion and this morning used just the mid range part of the technique. It works quite well but I think the compressor he used is important to it working.

[vomitHatSteve]

I've been experimenting with this on bass of late...

I quite liked the 1st but the 2nd does have a little level & cut through over it.
I did the thing in the video for three songs getting my head around it. This week I did a bass track with NOTHING except some compression and distortion and this morning used just the mid range part of the technique. It works quite well but I think the compressor he used is important to it working.

Interesting how he doesn't use any routing features. So instead of actually using the band splitter as a band splitter, it's just an HPF and LPF in its respective tracks.

[WhiskeyJack]

Really interesting experiment and corrective approach. I don't love it or hate it.

Oh i have na idea. I'll do a play back on my phone here and report back. I am currently on my really good cans. BRB.

[WhiskeyJack]

It sounds pretty good on my phone SD! I'd say it is a mission accomplished for what you were trying to do. If anything it sounds bit compressed though. mashy in some spots. notably 0:29-0:32 seems to max out.

fun stuff.

I know this sounds like a stupid question but are there any mastering plug ins that will specifically attempt to detail your master mix for phone streaming?

[Armistice]

I've been experimenting with this on bass of late...

I quite liked the 1st but the 2nd does have a little level & cut through over it.
I did the thing in the video for three songs getting my head around it. This week I did a bass track with NOTHING except some compression and distortion and this morning used just the mid range part of the technique. It works quite well but I think the compressor he used is important to it working.

I can't

Listen to this

Guy as

He can't say more

Than

4 words at

A

Time



I kept looking for evidence of a tracheotomy but as far as I can tell he breathes just fine and simple talks that way. Annoying as fuck.

Also, probably a useful tutorial, but part of teaching people to do stuff is perhaps including information as to WHY IT MIGHT BE USEFUL... but no, straight into it.

[rayc]

I can't

Listen to this

Guy as

He can't say more

Than

4 words at

A

Time

He covered that in a Q N A ...he normally speaks very quickly and he missus told him he needed to slow down and phrase things in digestible chunks so he scripts & edits to the clipped four word thing.
His excuse anyway.

[rayc]

Interesting how he doesn't use any routing features. So instead of actually using the band splitter as a band splitter, it's just an HPF and LPF in its respective tracks.

yeah,
I did it as he demonstrates on a couple of songs...on the most recent ones I'm working on I didn't bother with the sub 100Hz split and just use the 100 - 20k one. It seems to be a much better cut off filter than EQ can manage and leaves sub 100 for the kick drum. So far I like it but it's early days.