Bass EQ

Bass is the one thing I tend to shape a lot with EQs. Even if I track my favorite player with my favorite instrument, mic, amp.
Some units just fills the bottom regardless of what is going in. I really like cutting with the low and boosting the lo mid on a 550B. 1081 can be awesome as well. And Helios modules also.
I mix in a super compressed signal. Usually some tube unit. I really like Altec 436. I've heard sta-levels do a great job. A clipped V72 is sweet.

Oh. Sorry. Not my intention. I liked the temple. Will change it...

Good info.  Thanks Ward.

Always works..

Not following the blue site anymore

jules avatar picture over on the purple site looked a lot like pma's picture here? pma changed his avatar pic(as a come backer i think) in response to JK's joking about it? Ahh the nuances of communicative expression lost in the written word are a topic within itself lol!

While a squire won't help the situation...the key to getting a bass guitar to cut/punch is two components: distortion and attack time on the oppressor being SLOW.

The distortion, I still pipe it out to a Tech21 RBI. Digital plugs just have not worked as well. Ymmv, but I think modellers blow hard. And I think that because of how hard I have to work to get a single modeller rhythm track to work...digression--you want this on a second channel, because you want to be able to heavily filter the distortion and use it to enhance the main track. My mixing template has two channels for bass routed to a mono buss. 

Second one is as important. IME--the bass's attack is its punch/definition, but the sustain will be responsible for mud and "loud notes" (hot spots on a squire?)...and low frequency waves take some time to develop, so you want a solid 27-40ms attack time with a pretty med quick release say 150-180ms. The idea being you want to leave the player's finger dynamics on the attack while controlling the sustained volume. This is an example where a little goes a long way--you need it to recover naturally. So, we're talking 3-5db gain reduction. 

Also...eq? Very little. HPF. higher than your 50hz on any song with a pulse. Then, it depends on context and the bass and how it was tracked. Usually there a bump between 4-8khz to play up the attack more after the oppressor, but again--sometimes the distortion channel takes care of that. In fact, I've been known to filter IT at like 250hz and 8khz. Jazz basses are usually harder to mix than Ps. I finally sold mine so that I'd never have that experimental moment where I use it for a track and regret it once the arrangement's built around it. If you want to hear the bass. If you don't and just want to feel low end--thats what Jazz's do. It's counter intuitive, since alone they have more articulation, but my experience has been they want to gel into the background more, where a P has the higher lows and mid bark that actually cuts in a mix.

The tone's pretty good, a bit loud in the mix. I think the bass itself isn't a great one. As a guitarist, I'm glad I have a very decent Mexican Fender P-Bass. It's been set up by a great tech here, and plays well. But, if I think about it, my guitar tracks might not sound the way they do if I didn't have a mint, vintage ES-335 or my Martin D-41 Turbo. In the same way, if we were bass players, we would likely have one or two premium basses, like a 66 Jazz Bass or something similar. I think that makes a world of difference on the country tunes you're referencing. Also, our bass playing just isn't that great, when compared to the full time session pros.

The one time I played a rare vintage Fender bass on a track, it sustained notes so long, it was unbelievable. I played differently because of it. Less notes, better placed. That thing just filled up the track without my even trying.

My bass playing buddy loves the sound of his bass going through one of these whenever I run his track through mine.

Where are people picking on their bass and what picks?

I usually just end up using Blue Tortex's pretty around the neck pickup area, but I see some guys picking at the bridge. Depending what pickup and what position you play, you'll end up highlighting different harmonics. J Basses are particularly notable for this - you'll get a prominent +2 oct sound at one point, a +1 oct and a major third at another. The harmonics are crazy, yo!

It's a combination of technique, how it's recorded, EQ'd, and compressed that gets you your final sound regardless of using a pick or fingers.  Carol Kaye has always recorded with a pick and she sounds great regardless.

Regards,
Frank