[PeteS]

I have a song that is really important to my lyricist Neil (you'll understand when I finish it) so I want to give it the best production I can.  I suppose it's in the genre of a rock ballad.  It has a dark Piano intro with a bit of delay and a little picked guitar through the first verse.  I want to take it up a level for verse 2 and the Chorus and what I have in mind is that big dark bass sound that you hear on those sort of songs.  The bass is coming in at thios point so that sets the tone but it's not big enough.  I've added 2 more bass tracks with a different sound and panned them wide but it's still not right.  Everything I try with a guitar just makes it sound tinny. 

So what next?  I could layer more bass sounds maybe with plenty of reverb?  Or a pad?

Any thoughts?

[cowparsleyman]

@PeteS - Hmm, interesting...it rather depends on  what else is happening at the same time, what instruments are playing, and where they are in the soundstage. Take something like FabFilter pro Q3 or the free span and check out shat the frequencies are doing.

Sometimes you have to carve the bass frequencies from other instruments to make sonic way for the dark bass, some folk add a sub bass plugin like Bass Mint (which does a great job) but might not be the answer, as that will add the feel of a sub bass, not necessarily the sound of a bass gtr...when I get a problem like this sometimes it's down to the choice of bass cab sim...Had exactly the same issue in my latest release, where there such a lot going on.

Also ensure you have enough headroom in your mix (correct gainstaging), have about 10db to play with on all the other instrument fader meters, especially with bass, it'll EAT your headroom and that's all you'll hear bass and nothing else.

I'd also advise to listen on a bunch of sound sorces as each one will respond differently, headphones, phone, studio monitors, car...

Hope this helps Peter, and good luck with it.

[shadowfax]

Add some sub with Renaissance Bass or Waves Submarine...

[PeteS]

@cowparsleyman Thanks Rich.  I've looked at FabFilter, not sure I know enough to really take advantage of all the features.  I have tried to check they're not clashing and I think that's ok.  I think it's most likely to be in the bass tome or cab sdo that's where I'm headed.  Actually having built the track a bit further, it may not need as much ad I thought originally.

@shadowfax I have a couple of Sub Bass plug ins, neither of those 2 though so I will have a play with them. Might just give it a little extra oomph, but as Rich says, I don't want it to be all bass.

[cowparsleyman]

@PeteS - FabFilter is expensive, but very good, as for the features, you'll probably never use them all, but when you do need  them  it has it all, from huge h/lpf chops, to steep filtering up to silly db/oct, a great choice of shapes including tilt, it's nice little things like the piano keyboard telling you where the notes are in relationship to the curve, so if your vocalist is singing in A, then you can see the notes that are spiking really clearly, and adjust accordingly, if you have an instance on each track you can see them all on top of each other, solo them etc. etc. pretty cool, but as many rerally handy/expensive plugins, they need real practise.

...anyway Pete, let me know how it goes.

@shadowfax - They are both great plugins, better than many...

[cowparsleyman]

@PeteS - Might be an idea to add a little saturation to it, just so you notice it solo'd...

[PeteS]

Good idea!

[Boydie]

@PeteS

Ironically, I have just seen your other post about some rogue automation - but I think some level automation may be your friend here (on top of the great advice you have already received)

A good trick I use in situations like this is to give the instrument you want featured a healthy level boost as it comes in - and then quickly sit it back in the mix

This draws the listener's ear to it (even when it drops back down) without it swamping the whole mix for a prolonged period of time