Was just about to comment on this. The lowest normal note on a 4-string bass, E1, is 41.2Hz. However, it's also true that most speakers people actually listen to music through have pretty serious frequency dropoff well above that (and many start to roll off around 100), so targeting the first harmonic is not necessarily a bad plan. Generally you'll want to HPF the bass away below about 30-40Hz anyway because the entire mix just accumulates so much mud down there, and bass is the worst offender there. And I say this as a bass player that loves my low end tone.
Please continue this series! I already downloaded your cheat sheet but there is just something about watching you actually do it in a mix! I feel like I’ve learnt more from your Magic Frequencies-videos, watching you mix with only the SSL-channel than I have from watching any other videos. I would also love to see a series where you show how to compress all the different instruments but only using the compressor from your SSL plug-in. I just love the simplicity of it.
I downloaded that cheat sheet a couple of years ago, it's helped me a TON. I saved them in my presets in Logic and it's been a great place for me to start my mixes. I've leveled up since then but I always start with those now.
The bass player in that song was using a pick which produces quite a different sound than playing with your fingers. Perhaps you should do another video explaining how to EQ that style as well. Thanks for posting! I always appreciate your videos.
I find that this advice does get you some good results. But from my time working in studios, I'll offer some contradictory things. 1) The fewer EQ maneuvers you do, the less 'artificial' it will end up sounding. You say you rarely cut frequencies, but if you took a pretty wide Q band at about 500 or 600 Hz and dipped it, you'd end up with similar results that sound really smooth & organic. 2) My experience with pro engineers is that the fundamental frequencies of an instrument are almost never boosted, for several reasons. First of all, it's not interesting. Overtones are what convey the character of the instrument, not the fundamental. Secondly, it makes for more dramatic dynamic changes, forcing you to lean more on compression. You can make a bass sound really solid and warm with a boost at around 200-250 Hz. This also gives you a bass tone that shows up on small speakers. If you find that you have to boost the lowest bass frequencies of the lowest instrument in the band, you probably do not have a good recording. 3) For modern bass tones, please consider multi-band compression at recording time. There are quite a few compressors that will get this done for you, or you could mock it up yourself with EQ and filtering. I'm finding this to be a magic bullet for getting all the warmth AND all the presence I could ask for, and I don't have to work hard to get a good EQ out of it.
Could you please go deeper in your 3rd point. I find it very interesting but I don't know how to EQ and filter to achieve the goals you are commenting.
@@zeclomal2265 Multi-band EQ can get done by basically splitting your signal into two paths - one is high-pass and the other is low-pass. You then perform compression on each path, and then mix them back together and EQ from there. Usually you'd want to compress them differently, because low frequencies and high frequencies have different dynamic characteristics. On the low side you can set a slower attack & longer release, but on the high side you would want it to be a bit snappier. Or maybe just compress the low path and leave the high one alone. Experiment with them. There are pedals that actually do this and they're fantastic - the TC Spectracomp and the EBS Multicomp are some good examples. The effect doesn't really jump out at you by itself, but it solves so many problems in a mix. A warning though: overusing this effect definitely does make it sound weirdly artificial.
I find the biggest keys to great sound and minimal processing efforts come from a great performance executed on a great sounding instrument. All the dynamic processing you do after that to "fix it" means the performance and instrument were lacking. I should just be frosting the cake come mix time..or that's what the goal would be.
Honestly, as a general rule, I don't listen to a Music RUclipsr's advice if I don't like the sound they're producing (because why would I follow their advice if I don't like what they're doing) and I LOVE the bass sounds you're making. Also, I love the advice that you put out. Such an amazing channel.
Thank you for this video! I just wanted to clarify something that was unclear to me upon first watching. At 6:25 it's said that if a song is in drop D, the fundamental frequencies of the low octave range from around 70 hz to around 147 hz. This is for a normal guitar in drop D. If a bass guitar was tuned down to D, the fundamentals of the low octave from D1 to D2 would range from 36hz to 73hz. (Which makes sense given that the 4th magic frequency is the range from 0 to 100hz.)
Remember any peaks in the sub range are dependant on the key of the song. If you're boosting 55hz then you're boosting the note A. If that's a bad note for the key or not the home of the chord progression then you're doing more harm than good. Imo if you don't know the key of the track and the chord progression then just use a shelf only.
@@ThalamusGhipopotamus that's rarely a good idea, you'll just end up with one long drone out front. Even in dance music I rarely recommend. I actually made a video on tuning kicks already.
Hi, Life its simple, and now mixing its as simple as life, there's no more hard work anymore finding the lost frecuency, thanks for your honest and simplicity, your a great guy
As soon as you said 1K I said NOPE! But that's the beauty of music - everyone has their own taste so I watched to the end. Like many bassists who commented here 800Hz "ish" is where I also boost. For me 700-800. The reasons are 1) 1K is the prime guitar area, and pop vocals live there too. You don't want to compete with those and if you do you'll have to boost so much the mix may be harsh. 2) Basically nothing else is at 700-800 so it fills a gap and that's the easiest area to get bass heard. 3) It's hitting more of the fundamentals or lower harmonics of the bass rather than the noise. 4) I personally like the sound. After 700-800, 1.5K is great - totally agree. But 4K for the upper limit. I'd say 5K. Many bass amps have tweeters and there's some nice air up there, as long as it doesn't class. Thanks for the video though. Great plugin! Well done!
These videos are all soooo freakin' good. I am actually shaking my head in disbelief. Never before has a set of videos made so much difference to my mixes. (I promise I'm not sponsored!) I've watched these type of videos before and I thought I'd taken things in, but evidently not! Are Jordan's vids just so much more practical, or well explained, or not smarmy? Thank you one trillion times over.
Honestly, I prefer 800 Hz to 1k. I know that's a small distinction. I feel like 800 Hz is a little more out of the way of the guitars but still achieves the same effect (while sounding less harsh). But then again, I mix for less aggressive genres than you do.
@rome8180 800 Hz area is what I prefer too since the vocalists I've been working with don't want much between 1 to 1.5kHz interfering with their vocals. I'll usually duck some of that region only when they're singing.
I want to thank you for this video. I have been working a Bass track for a good while. And always getting lost lost or boomy in the mix. This EQ sequence save the mix. And you are so right. You cannot mix solo. It will sound great but sour altogether. I used Wave's SSL. Also I used your EQ line for a Kick track as well. But with a parametric. Most YT vids make everything so complicated. You use Cliff Notes. Thanks
I do pretty much what you're doing on the SSLChannel plugin; however, I also like to engage the SSL compressor after the EQ just to tap the level a little... maybe 1db of GR 3:1 ratio. Like cutting the ends off the scallions when cooking or something. Little moves add up. Nice video!
Those acoustic guitars sound freaking PRISTINE. Can you make a video on recording acoustic guitars & mixing them to sound this clean and bright without it hurting?
Does this mixing technique apply to slap bass, too, please? In particular the high pass filter at 4k. I see some mixes where they actually boost the high frequencies. Is that ok or does it clash with the cymbals? Thanks!
I like your videos! However, here you're advising to boost at 1 kHz and 1.5 kHz on the bass, but the cheat sheet says 1kHz and 2-2.5 kHz (and 1.5 kHz for guitars), which is confusing to me. Could you please clarify?
I think there is more struggle. Most basses - espeically DI, but also Amp - has a build up in the range 100 Hz-150 Hz. You need to control that. Than there is the magic or strange frequency around 180Hz. A lot of live foh mixers boost that range. And indeed i can give the bass more fullness, but with a tendency to boxiness. It depends on how low and how loud the lowend of the guitars are. This range 100-200 Hz I found is the most struggling for bass, and also for guitars. And to make things worse, thats the range where the foundation note of the snare is.
Bass player, this video came up on my feed. I've always gravitated toward mid boosting, and my preference for eq tends to be trying to balance out the various notes that I'll be playing up and down the neck of my bass. I generally try to boost 800/1k and set my low pass around 3.5k. I'm going to try your recommended tweaks on my board (ampless stage sadface) and see what the results are this week. Shout out to the best bass pedal of all time: FEA LABS DB-CL. Thanks!
Stuff I wish I'd been taught when I worked as an audio producer in radio! Christ! We had to wing so much of this kind of core knowledge. It's kind of what I learned to do intuitively, but it's nice to have the "science" for it.
Great topic EQ on Bass Jordan, Thanks for sharing your wisdom and expertise ... this is Gold! To get those low frequencies I've using Waves R-Bass, Logic' Pro's on board Sub bass app, Waves SSL EQ and your BS Audio Clipper for weight. I think I'll now purchase your BSA - Low Control plugin for my production arsenal! 🧘♂
Loving your vids! Thank you! I do however, wish you were demonstrating these AMAZING EQ tips on a visual EQ. Or I just need to get better at these types. Either way,,,,Great Vids!!
Definitely a good video. Personally, I don't agree with such a low pass at 4.5khz. Bass guitar produces higher frequencies then most electric guitars. And I love to hear those clicks and harmonics. So I do a little boost in about 4.5 which add to blending it with the percussion periods and set my low pass very gradual soft slope starting around 7 or 8 k
Thank you so much for this and so many other tips! You have helped my mixes tremendously, especially when you offered advice about workflow tips/the mixing process.
Funny what you say about 4k, that's where I boost all the time to get more attack and definition ! 1k/1.5k very depends on the song, but I find 4k to always add something nice, and then I use a low shelf to lower just after that, then low pass at 8k or 10k. Then I'm not playing metal anymore so that may depend on the context obsiously ! I find that the most important move I always do is cutting below around 50hz, you get so much more focus !
In addition to presence and power, or even over them, I'd say the most important function of bass is to add depth to the mix. Pretty good video. The constant zooming in and out really makes it feel super restless tho. I hate the fact that people think it makes their videos more edgy or something.
I love this format! Really straightforward and helpful. Would you consider sharing how do you route your mixes in future videos? Looking at your videos over the years i never quite understood why, for example your snare reverb doesnt go to your drum bus and stuff like that.
try it both ways and with a limiter on your drum buss which is often the case.. You will answer your own question. there is no right way if you like the sound, but you have to look and listen to have choices. All sorts of things can work.
While I kind of agree with you, EQ is not the end all. Yes, you start with just getting it to sound good, but there is a second layer. I use to hate distortion on bass, but I finally figured out how to make it work. So you add a second channel. Chop the high and low freq, so all you have left is midrange. Compress the snot out of it. The reason for this to twofold. First it controls the distortion and keeps it from getting raspy. Secondly, when you add it back in, it keeps the bass tonal definition and detail from getting lost, regardless of how inconsistent the player is. So once compressed, add distortion. You want a real meaty distortion, not raspy. Just enough to color the sound. Now add that channel back into the mix. This keeps the bass right in the pocket. You always can pick it out when you want to, but it never is distracting.
@@rsmith9094 I may not have been clear. Use Parallel processing. In other words, you run two channels fed from the bass feed. First channel, you make it sound the best you can. The second channel, you high pass around 250 and low pass around 2.5K. This second channel is highly compressed and then fed through a round sounding harmonic distortion. Then this channel is lightly mixed in with the clean channel. Most of what you hear is the clean channel, with just a tiny bit more midrange so it stands up in the mix. Then depending on the song and what you are working with, you fade in the dirty channel, just to bring the tonal definition out. Most of what you hear is the clean channel, and then fading in the dirty channel as needed. The purpose of the high pass is to prevent the distortion from getting too dirty. The purpose of the low pass is to prevent it from getting raspy. But again, you are only adding a very small amount of the dirty channel back in, as you are only adding definition and detail, but it is not the primary sound one "thinks" they hear.
@@rsmith9094 Yes, I use high pass on the primary channel. Sorry if that was not clear under the statement of "just getting it to sound good" without specifics. I usually high pass around 40 to 50, depending on the instrument. The sound I am going for is to have bass fill out the pipe organ affect, with super deep foundational stuff. The whole rest to the mix rides on those very bottom low tones. The low "E" string is 41 Hz, why would you filter out the fundamental?? Typically you just adjust the high pass to whatever sounds good. Go as low as you can without it getting flubbery, depending on what your system is capable of. The real high pass belongs on the kick. This will tighten up the kick so it has a lot of punch in the gut, but doesn't get dirty, or flap in the breeze so to speak. Then bass has a notch cut, somewhere between 90-110 Hz, depending on the instrument and the room and system smoothness. Kick is for punch, bass is foundation. It defines the chord. Then link up the bass as an extension of the piano or electric guitar, depending who is playing what. Those deep frequencies end up being an extension of other instruments. Then the distortion, gives detail, when the playing is being artistic. Of course I did have this one guy I use to run perfectly flat. No EQ, no high pass, no distortion. His sound was dead on, coming straight out of the instrument. He also owned a recording studio, which may explain why.
@@rsmith9094 Hey, if you want to hear how this works, hear is a link to this past Sunday's service: ruclips.net/video/1t2lZHEJ7rw/видео.html The kick was not high past very much, but it still was OK. You can hear how solid the bass is, supporting the whole chord structure.
So many mixer/producers are so psyched-out with compression, they forget EVERYTHING starts with EQ! Just about every effect can be created naturally - reverb, delay - yes, even compression. The tool that really is worth its weight in gold is having access to a good equalizer. That's what's required to give every sonic aspect of a mix its own "space", and to "carve" out the unwanted frequencies of each instrument. To be fair, yes, EQ can be tamed by mic choice - but that will only get you so far. Train your ears. That's my advice. Cheers!
Below 100 Hz and maybe even as high as the 150 hz can be a challenge for new mixers to get right. Especially when you got a kick drum, that might have sub frequencies.
Do you have a video where you just show a full track, not mixed with the Magic Frequencies, then show what it sounds like with just the Magic Frequencies added? Because, man, I would sign-up for that cheat sheet 30 times over (already have, obviously, but I think it'd be a cool concept! Each individual piece sounds crazy in the separate videos, but together it must be an insane difference.
Thank you ! So helpful. I notice that electric jazz players often play there bridge pick ups and have more oh a treble sound. Any tips on this? Also would love tips on upright bass. Thanks again! Virgil
Nice video ;) I do the same thing in my mixes, and control the low end with multiband compression using only the lower band to cover the lower notes sub 100hz like you've said ;D It's nice to see similar technique,. I had to learn things myself the hard way ;D cheers
Hey Jordan, it would be nice for you to respond to some of the comments here especially those that seem to give alternative views or different opinions from those you give in the video... For instance the drop D thing being 73hz but other commentators here say its 36hz ........ Other wise i find the channel very informative thanks for the good work.
Nice video, but the type of Music that I play ( Jazz, Brazilian tradicional, fusion) , those are the exactly frequencies that I hate and avoid. What I mean is that It ALL depends ( always) in each one's taste. But, very Nice video 😊👍
Byron - you made an excellent point about how a player affects the tone by his own particular style. I'd like to add another point for the sake of the less experienced who depend on formulas until they've gained enough experience and develop their own ear: each bass model has it's own sonic personality - the sonic personality of a Rickenbacker 4003 vs a Fender Precision for example. Two totally different animals right out the gate!
So this really will depend upon the actual bass guitar/amp/ cab used. This recording to me sound like a P-bass type of pickup position so the EQ will be dependent upon this. But the fundamentals of your approach are valid to all bass guitars.
I found out that recording using an amp is the best both for electric guitar and electric bas. First you need to set up how you want it to sound live out of the amp before you hit rec. If you want a nice low end or any end to sound nice with your bas you need to play with your fingers and imagine you play horns of some kind. This to learn how you trigger the notes with the least delay from your brain out to your fingers. Then if you still need to you can start fiddling with frequences
If I ever make a decent amount of money off of mixing, I'm paying you back! Thank you so much this channel is a gold mine ❤
Same here! Jordan taught me like 90% of what I know about music production.
I will say that I recently completed his course on ProMixAcademy and it's made a HUGE difference in my mixes. Totally worth it!
@@sisyphushappyxvx a b. 😊😊ngchhc iviivicv
If I may, if you're in drop D tuning, 73hz is the first harmonic. The actual root frequency of the low D is the octave below, so 36,72hz.
Was just about to comment on this. The lowest normal note on a 4-string bass, E1, is 41.2Hz. However, it's also true that most speakers people actually listen to music through have pretty serious frequency dropoff well above that (and many start to roll off around 100), so targeting the first harmonic is not necessarily a bad plan. Generally you'll want to HPF the bass away below about 30-40Hz anyway because the entire mix just accumulates so much mud down there, and bass is the worst offender there. And I say this as a bass player that loves my low end tone.
@@amethystlegion On top of that, most people are listening to music with earbuds, so headphone mixes should be the starting point.
@@downtownbillyandthenewjivefive Only if you have years of experience. Never underestimate how awful headphone mixes can sound on high end systems.
Your channel has literally changed my mixing and quality about 2000%. Really appreciate your work! Thank you so much!
Great to hear!
me too
Please continue this series! I already downloaded your cheat sheet but there is just something about watching you actually do it in a mix! I feel like I’ve learnt more from your Magic Frequencies-videos, watching you mix with only the SSL-channel than I have from watching any other videos.
I would also love to see a series where you show how to compress all the different instruments but only using the compressor from your SSL plug-in. I just love the simplicity of it.
I downloaded that cheat sheet a couple of years ago, it's helped me a TON. I saved them in my presets in Logic and it's been a great place for me to start my mixes. I've leveled up since then but I always start with those now.
The bass player in that song was using a pick which produces quite a different sound than playing with your fingers. Perhaps you should do another video explaining how to EQ that style as well. Thanks for posting! I always appreciate your videos.
I find that this advice does get you some good results. But from my time working in studios, I'll offer some contradictory things.
1) The fewer EQ maneuvers you do, the less 'artificial' it will end up sounding. You say you rarely cut frequencies, but if you took a pretty wide Q band at about 500 or 600 Hz and dipped it, you'd end up with similar results that sound really smooth & organic.
2) My experience with pro engineers is that the fundamental frequencies of an instrument are almost never boosted, for several reasons. First of all, it's not interesting. Overtones are what convey the character of the instrument, not the fundamental. Secondly, it makes for more dramatic dynamic changes, forcing you to lean more on compression. You can make a bass sound really solid and warm with a boost at around 200-250 Hz. This also gives you a bass tone that shows up on small speakers. If you find that you have to boost the lowest bass frequencies of the lowest instrument in the band, you probably do not have a good recording.
3) For modern bass tones, please consider multi-band compression at recording time. There are quite a few compressors that will get this done for you, or you could mock it up yourself with EQ and filtering. I'm finding this to be a magic bullet for getting all the warmth AND all the presence I could ask for, and I don't have to work hard to get a good EQ out of it.
Could you please go deeper in your 3rd point. I find it very interesting but I don't know how to EQ and filter to achieve the goals you are commenting.
@@zeclomal2265 Multi-band EQ can get done by basically splitting your signal into two paths - one is high-pass and the other is low-pass. You then perform compression on each path, and then mix them back together and EQ from there. Usually you'd want to compress them differently, because low frequencies and high frequencies have different dynamic characteristics. On the low side you can set a slower attack & longer release, but on the high side you would want it to be a bit snappier. Or maybe just compress the low path and leave the high one alone. Experiment with them. There are pedals that actually do this and they're fantastic - the TC Spectracomp and the EBS Multicomp are some good examples. The effect doesn't really jump out at you by itself, but it solves so many problems in a mix. A warning though: overusing this effect definitely does make it sound weirdly artificial.
I find the biggest keys to great sound and minimal processing efforts come from a great performance executed on a great sounding instrument. All the dynamic processing you do after that to "fix it" means the performance and instrument were lacking. I should just be frosting the cake come mix time..or that's what the goal would be.
your no 1 has been tested as far as boost vs cuts and all things being equal it made NO sonic difference.
Could multi-band compression work for a Muse-like distorted bass?
This guy is one of the best for teaching.... so clear and concise.
Honestly, as a general rule, I don't listen to a Music RUclipsr's advice if I don't like the sound they're producing (because why would I follow their advice if I don't like what they're doing) and I LOVE the bass sounds you're making. Also, I love the advice that you put out. Such an amazing channel.
Thank you for this video! I just wanted to clarify something that was unclear to me upon first watching. At 6:25 it's said that if a song is in drop D, the fundamental frequencies of the low octave range from around 70 hz to around 147 hz. This is for a normal guitar in drop D. If a bass guitar was tuned down to D, the fundamentals of the low octave from D1 to D2 would range from 36hz to 73hz. (Which makes sense given that the 4th magic frequency is the range from 0 to 100hz.)
Remember any peaks in the sub range are dependant on the key of the song. If you're boosting 55hz then you're boosting the note A. If that's a bad note for the key or not the home of the chord progression then you're doing more harm than good. Imo if you don't know the key of the track and the chord progression then just use a shelf only.
at live concerts, will you also tune the kick drum to the key of each song?
@@ThalamusGhipopotamus that's rarely a good idea, you'll just end up with one long drone out front. Even in dance music I rarely recommend. I actually made a video on tuning kicks already.
One of the most useful and logically presented instructional videos on the subject
Hi, Life its simple, and now mixing its as simple as life, there's no more hard work anymore finding the lost frecuency, thanks for your honest and simplicity, your a great guy
As soon as you said 1K I said NOPE! But that's the beauty of music - everyone has their own taste so I watched to the end. Like many bassists who commented here 800Hz "ish" is where I also boost. For me 700-800. The reasons are 1) 1K is the prime guitar area, and pop vocals live there too. You don't want to compete with those and if you do you'll have to boost so much the mix may be harsh. 2) Basically nothing else is at 700-800 so it fills a gap and that's the easiest area to get bass heard. 3) It's hitting more of the fundamentals or lower harmonics of the bass rather than the noise. 4) I personally like the sound.
After 700-800, 1.5K is great - totally agree.
But 4K for the upper limit. I'd say 5K. Many bass amps have tweeters and there's some nice air up there, as long as it doesn't class.
Thanks for the video though. Great plugin! Well done!
Maybe on a pop slap bass It's better to LPF at 5K, with a drive bass in a heavy song I think it sounds better going down to 4K
These videos are all soooo freakin' good. I am actually shaking my head in disbelief. Never before has a set of videos made so much difference to my mixes. (I promise I'm not sponsored!) I've watched these type of videos before and I thought I'd taken things in, but evidently not! Are Jordan's vids just so much more practical, or well explained, or not smarmy? Thank you one trillion times over.
Never been happy with my bass , this really helped , thanks!
Best video I've seen so far about this topic, very straight forward and informative. Thank You for the tips!
Straight ahead and to the point, that's what I love. Source is always key -- thanks Jordan!
Honestly, I prefer 800 Hz to 1k. I know that's a small distinction. I feel like 800 Hz is a little more out of the way of the guitars but still achieves the same effect (while sounding less harsh). But then again, I mix for less aggressive genres than you do.
@rome8180 800 Hz area is what I prefer too since the vocalists I've been working with don't want much between 1 to 1.5kHz interfering with their vocals. I'll usually duck some of that region only when they're singing.
I've had a lot of success with boosting there on the bass and just cutting the guitars there a bit.
@@Fiascopia I’m doing the exact same probably 80% of the time. Boost 800 and 2.5k.
Sometimes boosting 800 makes the bass sound a little bit boxy.
He does mention that he boosts 800 at times
I want to thank you for this video. I have been working a Bass track for a good while. And always getting lost lost or boomy in the mix. This
EQ sequence save the mix. And you are so right. You cannot mix solo. It will sound great but sour altogether. I used Wave's SSL. Also I
used your EQ line for a Kick track as well. But with a parametric. Most YT vids make everything so complicated. You use Cliff Notes. Thanks
I love the simplicity! But I was surprised not to see any Hipass filter.
Agreed. I'll usually roll off up to 35-40 Hz to clean up any sloppy low rumble. Also leaves room for cleaner sub on the kick.
I do pretty much what you're doing on the SSLChannel plugin; however, I also like to engage the SSL compressor after the EQ just to tap the level a little... maybe 1db of GR 3:1 ratio. Like cutting the ends off the scallions when cooking or something. Little moves add up. Nice video!
BOOOOOMMMMM💥 I want to hear the entire song with someone singing pls🤩 love this sound!!!
Those acoustic guitars sound freaking PRISTINE. Can you make a video on recording acoustic guitars & mixing them to sound this clean and bright without it hurting?
Grab your free Mixing Cheatsheet to learn the go-to starting points for EQ and compression in heavy mixes: hardcoremusicstudio.com/mixcheatsheet
I singed up a couple of days ago - have yet to receive the email...
Does this mixing technique apply to slap bass, too, please? In particular the high pass filter at 4k. I see some mixes where they actually boost the high frequencies. Is that ok or does it clash with the cymbals? Thanks!
I like your videos! However, here you're advising to boost at 1 kHz and 1.5 kHz on the bass, but the cheat sheet says 1kHz and 2-2.5 kHz (and 1.5 kHz for guitars), which is confusing to me. Could you please clarify?
@@leolovetoparty same here
Hey would this cheat sheet work well with a live setting? Or just in studio?
Thanks a lot, my mixes with your advices about EQ became better!
I think there is more struggle.
Most basses - espeically DI, but also Amp - has a build up in the range 100 Hz-150 Hz. You need to control that.
Than there is the magic or strange frequency around 180Hz. A lot of live foh mixers boost that range. And indeed i can give the bass more fullness, but with a tendency to boxiness.
It depends on how low and how loud the lowend of the guitars are.
This range 100-200 Hz I found is the most struggling for bass, and also for guitars. And to make things worse, thats the range where the foundation note of the snare is.
side chain from snare drums at this frequency
I´VE.BEEN.WAITING.SO.LONG.FOR.THIS!!!!!!!! Thank you so much, my friend! Thank you!
please do the guitars!!! this is great!!!
Bass player, this video came up on my feed. I've always gravitated toward mid boosting, and my preference for eq tends to be trying to balance out the various notes that I'll be playing up and down the neck of my bass. I generally try to boost 800/1k and set my low pass around 3.5k. I'm going to try your recommended tweaks on my board (ampless stage sadface) and see what the results are this week. Shout out to the best bass pedal of all time: FEA LABS DB-CL. Thanks!
Like the high cut idea, I've had a lot of hiss on some bass recordings
Brilliant! I love the compressor you've made❤
Thanks a lot! Explains things greatly.
Awesome Video buddy will check out your plugin for sure 🔥👌🏾✊🏾
Stuff I wish I'd been taught when I worked as an audio producer in radio! Christ! We had to wing so much of this kind of core knowledge. It's kind of what I learned to do intuitively, but it's nice to have the "science" for it.
Great topic EQ on Bass Jordan, Thanks for sharing your wisdom and expertise ... this is Gold! To get those low frequencies I've using Waves R-Bass, Logic' Pro's on board Sub bass app, Waves SSL EQ and your BS Audio Clipper for weight. I think I'll now purchase your BSA - Low Control plugin for my production arsenal! 🧘♂
Thank you! Just what I was looking for. This also helps me understanding how to utilize the SSL plugin better.
Loving your vids! Thank you! I do however, wish you were demonstrating these AMAZING EQ tips on a visual EQ. Or I just need to get better at these types. Either way,,,,Great Vids!!
Need some magic compression vids too!
Thanks for the Mixing Cheatsheet! Will be very helpful for me!
Definitely a good video. Personally, I don't agree with such a low pass at 4.5khz. Bass guitar produces higher frequencies then most electric guitars. And I love to hear those clicks and harmonics. So I do a little boost in about 4.5 which add to blending it with the percussion periods and set my low pass very gradual soft slope starting around 7 or 8 k
Thank you so much for this and so many other tips! You have helped my mixes tremendously, especially when you offered advice about workflow tips/the mixing process.
Funny what you say about 4k, that's where I boost all the time to get more attack and definition ! 1k/1.5k very depends on the song, but I find 4k to always add something nice, and then I use a low shelf to lower just after that, then low pass at 8k or 10k. Then I'm not playing metal anymore so that may depend on the context obsiously ! I find that the most important move I always do is cutting below around 50hz, you get so much more focus !
I recently discovered your channel, and it's awesome! Thanks
That was awesome advice.Thanks man.
Love black salt products.
Thank you so much for this and so many other tips!
In addition to presence and power, or even over them, I'd say the most important function of bass is to add depth to the mix.
Pretty good video. The constant zooming in and out really makes it feel super restless tho. I hate the fact that people think it makes their videos more edgy or something.
I love this format! Really straightforward and helpful. Would you consider sharing how do you route your mixes in future videos? Looking at your videos over the years i never quite understood why, for example your snare reverb doesnt go to your drum bus and stuff like that.
try it both ways and with a limiter on your drum buss which is often the case.. You will answer your own question. there is no right way if you like the sound, but you have to look and listen to have choices. All sorts of things can work.
Great stuff. Subscribed.
That Low control. Yess!
While I kind of agree with you, EQ is not the end all. Yes, you start with just getting it to sound good, but there is a second layer. I use to hate distortion on bass, but I finally figured out how to make it work. So you add a second channel. Chop the high and low freq, so all you have left is midrange. Compress the snot out of it. The reason for this to twofold. First it controls the distortion and keeps it from getting raspy. Secondly, when you add it back in, it keeps the bass tonal definition and detail from getting lost, regardless of how inconsistent the player is. So once compressed, add distortion. You want a real meaty distortion, not raspy. Just enough to color the sound. Now add that channel back into the mix. This keeps the bass right in the pocket. You always can pick it out when you want to, but it never is distracting.
At what frequency do you put a steep high pass filter? If you're just left with midrange then it sounds like 200 Hz which sounds a bit extreme?!
@@rsmith9094 I may not have been clear. Use Parallel processing. In other words, you run two channels fed from the bass feed. First channel, you make it sound the best you can. The second channel, you high pass around 250 and low pass around 2.5K. This second channel is highly compressed and then fed through a round sounding harmonic distortion. Then this channel is lightly mixed in with the clean channel. Most of what you hear is the clean channel, with just a tiny bit more midrange so it stands up in the mix. Then depending on the song and what you are working with, you fade in the dirty channel, just to bring the tonal definition out. Most of what you hear is the clean channel, and then fading in the dirty channel as needed.
The purpose of the high pass is to prevent the distortion from getting too dirty. The purpose of the low pass is to prevent it from getting raspy. But again, you are only adding a very small amount of the dirty channel back in, as you are only adding definition and detail, but it is not the primary sound one "thinks" they hear.
@@Daveinet You don't use any high pass at all on the primary channel? That's a bit unusual not even down at 70?
@@rsmith9094 Yes, I use high pass on the primary channel. Sorry if that was not clear under the statement of "just getting it to sound good" without specifics. I usually high pass around 40 to 50, depending on the instrument. The sound I am going for is to have bass fill out the pipe organ affect, with super deep foundational stuff. The whole rest to the mix rides on those very bottom low tones. The low "E" string is 41 Hz, why would you filter out the fundamental?? Typically you just adjust the high pass to whatever sounds good. Go as low as you can without it getting flubbery, depending on what your system is capable of. The real high pass belongs on the kick. This will tighten up the kick so it has a lot of punch in the gut, but doesn't get dirty, or flap in the breeze so to speak. Then bass has a notch cut, somewhere between 90-110 Hz, depending on the instrument and the room and system smoothness.
Kick is for punch, bass is foundation. It defines the chord. Then link up the bass as an extension of the piano or electric guitar, depending who is playing what. Those deep frequencies end up being an extension of other instruments. Then the distortion, gives detail, when the playing is being artistic. Of course I did have this one guy I use to run perfectly flat. No EQ, no high pass, no distortion. His sound was dead on, coming straight out of the instrument. He also owned a recording studio, which may explain why.
@@rsmith9094 Hey, if you want to hear how this works, hear is a link to this past Sunday's service:
ruclips.net/video/1t2lZHEJ7rw/видео.html
The kick was not high past very much, but it still was OK. You can hear how solid the bass is, supporting the whole chord structure.
So many mixer/producers are so psyched-out with compression, they forget EVERYTHING starts with EQ! Just about every effect can be created naturally - reverb, delay - yes, even compression. The tool that really is worth its weight in gold is having access to a good equalizer. That's what's required to give every sonic aspect of a mix its own "space", and to "carve" out the unwanted frequencies of each instrument. To be fair, yes, EQ can be tamed by mic choice - but that will only get you so far. Train your ears. That's my advice. Cheers!
you are amaster saleman! i'm not mad at you bro!
Your work on the Auras albums is fantastic. Well done.
Thanks for this..subbed and downloaded cheatsheet.. do you know of any free ssl eq strip plugins? Also, Re you available for mastering?
GREATEST MAN ALIVE! THANK you!
Below 100 Hz and maybe even as high as the 150 hz can be a challenge for new mixers to get right. Especially when you got a kick drum, that might have sub frequencies.
Do you have a video where you just show a full track, not mixed with the Magic Frequencies, then show what it sounds like with just the Magic Frequencies added? Because, man, I would sign-up for that cheat sheet 30 times over (already have, obviously, but I think it'd be a cool concept!
Each individual piece sounds crazy in the separate videos, but together it must be an insane difference.
390hz is my magic frequency!👌🏿
As something to cut?
Great video. I remember CLA telling me about mixing Green Day calling the bassist Mike "call the 4k police" Dirnt 😂
these videos are amazing thanks man ✨🙌🏼
thank you, this is really solve my bass problemss
We should discuss mixing under cans. I just got the abbey road room plug just for this approach.
He is using waves ssl eq here is that Good enough for commercial recordings i see mixed reviews on it.
Man , this is crazy helpful . Thanks for Sharing!
Thanks! This validated and enhanced what i thought should be for bass mixing. Great cheat sheet for reference. 😀👍
Great episode. Subscribed, ding!
Hey man I love your channel. Can you do a video on magic frequencies for Metal guitars and Acoustic guitars. Thanks.
I lost so much perspective when mixing low ends as a teenager that I felt I was trapped in a glass booth of emotions. Sincerely. W. Ferrell.
This is really good stuff man! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for another great video.
Thanks for this, mixing bass is hard!
TDR Nova is the perfect tool for bass with both EQ and parallel compression in one plug-in.
Pretty solid! Nice one.
Thank you ! So helpful. I notice that electric jazz players often play there bridge pick ups and have more oh a treble sound. Any tips on this? Also would love tips on upright bass. Thanks again! Virgil
Thank you.
Thank you for the class!
Nice video ;) I do the same thing in my mixes, and control the low end with multiband compression using only the lower band to cover the lower notes sub 100hz like you've said ;D It's nice to see similar technique,. I had to learn things myself the hard way ;D cheers
Hey Jordan, it would be nice for you to respond to some of the comments here especially those that seem to give alternative views or different opinions from those you give in the video... For instance the drop D thing being 73hz but other commentators here say its 36hz ........ Other wise i find the channel very informative thanks for the good work.
dope dope dope plugin man
another amazing video! thank you
thanks! This was very helpful 🙌🏻
You've done a video on mixing bass.
You've done a video on mixing the kick.
Have you considered a video on mixing bass and kick, together?
Nice video, but the type of Music that I play ( Jazz, Brazilian tradicional, fusion) , those are the exactly frequencies that I hate and avoid. What I mean is that It ALL depends ( always) in each one's taste. But, very Nice video 😊👍
Thanks for a fantastic simplicity! Would you have tips for mixing bass in the blues context coming up soon?
Great method, tnx!
great advice
great job, many thanks
It really depends on if the bass player used a pick or fingers. Then slapping has its own sets of frequencies.
FYI, I’m a bass player and engineer.
Byron - you made an excellent point about how a player affects the tone by his own particular style.
I'd like to add another point for the sake of the less experienced who depend on formulas until they've gained enough experience and develop their own ear: each bass model has it's own sonic personality - the sonic personality of a Rickenbacker 4003 vs a Fender Precision for example. Two totally different animals right out the gate!
So this really will depend upon the actual bass guitar/amp/ cab used. This recording to me sound like a P-bass type of pickup position so the EQ will be dependent upon this. But the fundamentals of your approach are valid to all bass guitars.
Growth video. Thanks......also, what band/song is this?
I found out that recording using an amp is the best both for electric guitar and electric bas. First you need to set up how you want it to sound live out of the amp before you hit rec. If you want a nice low end or any end to sound nice with your bas you need to play with your fingers and imagine you play horns of some kind. This to learn how you trigger the notes with the least delay from your brain out to your fingers.
Then if you still need to you can start fiddling with frequences
Love your channel..
You are a God. Thanks a lot
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THESE VIDEOS :)
Thanks again. Precious!
That guitar sound really crispy. Where is the tutorial, boss???
That accoustic guitar oh my God!!!! Amazing
Excelente sonido, gracias por compartir
I always find myself boosting 800hz to cut through the midrange and then adding a high shelf at 1.5k for the bite/pick attack.