Help with removing bass from songs for demo

**Ronny49** · #1 06-23-2011, 01:22 PM

Hey...

Do you know how to remove the bass line from a song so you can record it with your own bass line?

I need to do this for a demo. Your help will be greatly appreciated!

Baer · #2 06-23-2011, 01:26 PM

This would be next to impossible without access to the multitrack tapes or files from which the recording was made.

Papa Dangerous · #3 06-23-2011, 01:55 PM

When songs are professionally mixed, the instruments have their own track. However, when it is put on to a cd, those tracks become a single entity and can no longer be separated from each other. I suppose the best way to go about handling this would be try and minimize the amount of bass via EQ settings. Understanding EQ seems pretty difficult to me, esp since I do not devote the necessary time to it, but from looking at this website http://recordingwebsite.com/articles/eqprimer.php I would suggest, if you have access to an EQ, to turn down everything below 5KHz. You will lose other things aside from just bass though. Maybe you can try to lower those frequencies, record the bass line, and the fix the EQ again at a bass boosting level to make it stand out more. I do not know if this will work, but hey.. it could be worth a try,

**Ronny49** · #4 06-23-2011, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baer

This would be next to impossible without access to the multitrack tapes or files from which the recording was made.

Well, I'm not looking to totally remove it, just lower that frequency so my line will become dominant and the old line will not be heard.

I heard of some software that does this, but I am looking for advice of how best to do this.

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papa Dangerous

When songs are professionally mixed, the instruments have their own track. However, when it is put on to a cd, those tracks become a single entity and can no longer be separated from each other. I suppose the best way to go about handling this would be try and minimize the amount of bass via EQ settings. Understanding EQ seems pretty difficult to me, esp since I do not devote the necessary time to it, but from looking at this website http://recordingwebsite.com/articles/eqprimer.php I would suggest, if you have access to an EQ, to turn down everything below 5KHz. You will lose other things aside from just bass though. Maybe you can try to lower those frequencies, record the bass line, and the fix the EQ again at a bass boosting level to make it stand out more. I do not know if this will work, but hey.. it could be worth a try,

Yes, I just spoke to someone who said the same thing and that is what he did for his demo. But I also did a search on the web and came up with some softwares that will lower the bass quite a bit. But talk is here-say until you actually have done it and know it works.

Papa Dangerous · #5 06-23-2011, 03:19 PM

I suggest definitely trying it out. It seems like it would be a school project.. possibly with a teacher who is jazz influenced and likes the musical workings of John Cage... lol but that is my own experience. lol If the point of doing this is the success of figuring out how to do it, then this would be a good method cause it takes a number of steps and a good amount to report upon. (Rather then just downloading a program to eliminate the lower frequencies.) If the purpose is just having your bass line in the music, well.. it seems like a good approach as well.

**Ronny49** · #6 06-23-2011, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papa Dangerous

I suggest definitely trying it out. It seems like it would be a school project.. possibly with a teacher who is jazz influenced and likes the musical workings of John Cage... lol but that is my own experience. lol If the point of doing this is the success of figuring out how to do it, then this would be a good method cause it takes a number of steps and a good amount to report upon. (Rather then just downloading a program to eliminate the lower frequencies.) If the purpose is just having your bass line in the music, well.. it seems like a good approach as well.

You're probably right.

But I wonder how the seasoned guys make demo's? All I have done in the recent past is play covers w/ no recordings.

SBassman · #7 06-23-2011, 05:57 PM

Get some minus-bass tracks.

**Ronny49** · #8 06-23-2011, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SBassman

Get some minus-bass tracks.

Can you provide a little more info? What is it?

SBassman · #9 06-23-2011, 10:23 PM

For jazz, here's one of many sources:

Play Along Jazz - it's the next step in your musical journey. - For Bass

What type of music are looking for?

**Ronny49** · #10 06-24-2011, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SBassman

For jazz, here's one of many sources:

Play Along Jazz - it's the next step in your musical journey. - For Bass

What type of music are looking for?

I play rock to blues and Motown and some smooth jazz.

Thanks