Super Bass!!!11

marob · #1 04-29-2005, 11:08 PM

OK, now that I have your attention...
Listen to this:

http://www.freehostz.com/marob/SSB.mp3

What do you guys think?

And I'm not talking technique or "Dude, take some more lessons", etc. I just want to know, how does it sound? ie:Tone, depth, balance, stereo imaging, and quality (the whole mix, not just bass).

Please be honest, and don't be afraid to lay into me.

Aaron Saunders · #2 04-29-2005, 11:30 PM

The bass is unnecessarily loud. Turn it down. Also, when you're recording these kinds of basslines, play more towards the neck for a more appropriate tone for the music -- if nothing else, this stuff really calls for a nice acoustic bass sound (DB, acoustic BG, or a P with flats). The bass tone sounds completely out of place in this setting, with the nice, open, airy sounding melody and the slick ride playing on the drums...all of it screams acoustic, and your bass sounds like a synth compared to the rest.

PS: The playing (all instruments) is very enjoyable. Tasty walking lines. Also, the drums sound really nice, especially the ride.

**Adam Barkley** · #3 04-30-2005, 12:02 AM

Sounds pretty good. I agree the bass is too midrange-y, but the volume is fine. Thumb plucks at the end of the fretboard will give you more bass than you need in most situations.

Good work,
Adam

Trevorus · #4 04-30-2005, 12:16 AM

That song made me un-naturally happy. Made me want to roll in a meadow of wildflowers. I feel fuzzy.

As far as the tone, I am thinking Temptations P-tone. Round, but not huge. Has to be smooth. But as far as everything else, the feel and general quality are good. I have yet to get the hang of mixing properly. I can get great live, but recording always comes out wrong.

WalterBush · #5 04-30-2005, 12:27 AM

The flutes are well-mixed, they sound huge IMO, and have that old-school "it's coming at me from everywhere at once" quality that I like to hear. The same goes for the ride cymbal and other drums, but the high hat was WAY too focused for the rest of the song, I thought. It just sat there and clicked behind my right ear. The bass was a little bright, I thought, but the volume level was fine. Overall it sounded pretty good. What did you use to record the flutes? They really sounded good.

I just listened again--is there any compression on the bass? It sounds a little uneven in spots. As well, the drums/flute both have a nice room ambience in them, but the bass sounds dry as a bone--a little reverb might go a long way towards helping it sit in the mix better. Once again, it sounded great, though, good work

Aaron Saunders · #6 04-30-2005, 11:36 PM

Quote:

I just listened again--is there any compression on the bass? It sounds a little uneven in spots. As well, the drums/flute both have a nice room ambience in them, but the bass sounds dry as a bone--a little reverb might go a long way towards helping it sit in the mix better. Once again, it sounded great, though, good work

Ah! That's what was bothering me. I listened to it again, and agree fully on the reverb suggestion. "Dry as a bone" is indeed what I was feeling, and why the bassline seemed to stick out in my ear like a sore thumb...but yeah. Definitely a huge +1 here.