Great article on "low-end theory"

[jane]

Hey guys. I'm primarily a bassist, but since learning how to work a studio I've started playing guitars and drums and even an Indian flute once (don't ask, better yet don't listen). Naturally I obsess quite a bit over how the bass guitar and the kick-drum interact, because I very much covet their combined punch (huge fan of Sevendust).

What I've learnt is that it's hard to get them to play nice! Everything I knew about bass in a live setting means approximately shit in the studio. I hate 1x15 cabs, for instance, but I can't do without them now when I record. I just stumbled over this great article on the subject I thought I'd share with you about it:

http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1211

[lazygecko]

Low-end frequencies are a tricky thing for sure. What makes matters worse is that the majority of monitors and speakers aren't able to reproduce bass frequencies accurately without distortion due to the frequency curves. I also have a hard time believing that segment on music played in clubs having frequencies below the human hearing spectrum. Most (probably all) dance music is mixed and mastered in such a way that lower frequencies are cut, allowing the higher frequencies to be compressed even further. Hence there shouldn't be any energy down there.

[timaeus222]

Oddly enough, I already notch my bass where my kick is. It's weird how there's nothing about sidechaining on there, though.

[XPRTNovice]

Great article, thanks for posting.

[Garpocalypse]

Nice article.

I think I should mention though that Ermin has a really nice guide to mixing rock/metal (judging from your original i think that's what you'd be into). I just got through the chapters he did with bass signals and I couldn't believe how far off I was on mixing the low end all this time.

http://www.systematicproductions.com/mixing-guide.htm

20 bucks AUS but it's well worth it I think.

[Gario]

Mmm, bass - the hardest thing to EQ. This is a great article - wish I'd have read it years back. Interesting fact about any instrument in the bass region is that it'll produce powerful harmonics in other audible frequencies, so it's the kind of thing that can affect an entire mix, if you're not careful, not just the bass drum underneath. Most notes produce strong harmonics, actually, but for the regular 440Hz+ range the harmonics get too high to be much of a problem.

Good stuff.

[jane]

Nice article.

I think I should mention though that Ermin has a really nice guide to mixing rock/metal (judging from your original i think that's what you'd be into). I just got through the chapters he did with bass signals and I couldn't believe how far off I was on mixing the low end all this time.

http://www.systematicproductions.com/mixing-guide.htm

20 bucks AUS but it's well worth it I think.

That's awesome, thanks mate.