
When balancing the bass versus any other instrument, you can solo them both so you only hear them in contrast with one another. When making broad decisions listen to the bass along with the full mix. Work in Solo & in Context - When doing precision work to shape the bass tonal characteristics themselves, you'll want to listen in solo mode for the most part so that you only hear the bass guitar. You will have to focus with your ears to make the right decisions! And nobody can tell you exactly what to do at that level of detail. Mix With Your Ears - I say that to emphasize that, while many of these tips can be followed broadly every time, the specifics will need to change. Even the exact same bass guitar recorded 15 minutes later will end up needing slightly different adjustments. All audio processing effects act upon the signal you feed them, so it makes sense to hone the tone first.Įvery Track is Unique - It must be stated that every bass guitar recording, whether recorded with a microphone on the amplifier, direct injected into an audio interface, or even a large stand up bass will require unique EQ settings. That goes for any instrument and any track. Bass Guitar EQ Settings - Things to Know FirstĪs a rule of thumb, before you do anything else (besides tasks like cleaning up silent regions) you'll reach for the equalizer.

I'll even warn you of the dangers of how people destroy their perfectly crafted EQ with other signal processing tools, too.īy the end you'll still have punch, harmonics, and a track that balances well with the rest of your mix that sounds perfect on any sound system, whether that be ear buds, in the car, with a subwoofer, or otherwise. Today we'll cover exactly how to EQ for a pristinely clear bass guitar track that doesn't compromise. But nothing beats the ultimate tool for the job, the parametric equalizer. Compression and tricks with chorus and flangers can help. And that's all because people can't get the basics of bass guitar EQ right. From equipment and playing technique to recording and mixing tricks, it's been explored to the depths. There's endless discussion about various attempts to provide a rock solid groove that drives a song to the top of the charts. The bottom is the foundation and has to be solid. Mess it up and your entire mix will suffer. Get it right and you'll hear endless praise. The sub-bass and bass frequencies of a song are everything.
