Slap getting lost in the mix

waytoodeep03 · #1 10-04-2010, 01:55 PM

I play a bart system through and Eden 550 with the enhance about 12 oclock.

Finger style my bass sounds glorious but when I go to slap within the context of a song the whole thing gets lost in the mix.

What should I be doing EQ wise to get a good slap sound and volume?

WMV2 · #2 10-04-2010, 02:01 PM

You should never use any EQing except to boost your mids.

Eublet · #3 10-04-2010, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waytoodeep03

I play a bart system through and Eden 550 with the enhance about 12 oclock.

Finger style my bass sounds glorious but when I go to slap within the context of a song the whole thing gets lost in the mix.

What should I be doing EQ wise to get a good slap sound and volume?

Good gosh, enhance at noon? The Eden enhance knob is the most useless knob ever invented for live purposes. It absolutely removes all mids from your tone. It's no wonder your getting lost in the mix. Turn that thing off, or at least run it under 9 o'clock.

Skitch it! · #4 10-04-2010, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waytoodeep03

I play a bart system through and Eden 550 with the enhance about 12 oclock.

Finger style my bass sounds glorious but when I go to slap within the context of a song the whole thing gets lost in the mix.

What should I be doing EQ wise to get a good slap sound and volume?

For my thing I've always found an e.q. pedal with an output volume control on it really useful for sound/volume switching, I'm not really one for pedals but it's great for boost and shaping, I've always found there is a volume drop when you go to the thumb, so you hit harder but with obviously less control because your trying to 'wack' the volume up with the thumb technique, maybe worth a try?

LaBassGuy · #5 10-04-2010, 02:47 PM

Yes, as a proud mid scooper myself, I also advise to cut back on the enhance. If you need to cut anything, cut slightly around 800hz.

Also, finger style tone and slap tone sometimes conflict, with the first being more midish and the latter requiring a more scooped tone. So to get both, you have to comprimise: you have to live with slap tone that's not as "tight" and clean as you'd like it to be.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eublet

Good gosh, enhance at noon? The Eden enhance knob is the most useless knob ever invented for live purposes. It absolutely removes all mids from your tone. It's no wonder your getting lost in the mix. Turn that thing off, or at least run it under 9 o'clock.

Kipaste · #6 10-04-2010, 02:52 PM

Set everything completely flat to begin with. Experiment.

What are you generally aiming for? Modern fusion type of sound or greasy funk stuff?

I personally can't stand the mid scooped slap tone, I wan't my slap fat, meaty and funky. Remember that even though mids might sometimes sound less than flattering when soloed, they usually come alive in the mix.

millerfreak · #7 10-04-2010, 07:18 PM

Try compressor also.. I'm running sadowsky pickups on my jazz (passive) with compressor, here's a clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trSzDRXRGuY

anonymous101511 · #8 10-04-2010, 07:56 PM

you would want to bring back all the mids you are cutting with the enhance control. I would not only go back to flat, but would boost at 800hZ to help bring out the note value. Another tip, don't change EQ/ volume when going from finger style to slap. You should use the same settings and modify your technique, instead.

Bobbo 77" · #9 10-04-2010, 08:38 PM

Órale,
On my Metro, I never go past 9:00 on the enhance, and lately, it's either off or @ 8 1/2-9:00
read this;http://www.eden-electronics.com/foru...TOPIC_ID=17591

crow01 · #10 10-05-2010, 10:29 AM

IMO I have used a Compressor pedal. Then after is recorded, play around with software filters, LP, HP

Thunderthumbs73 · #11 10-05-2010, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WMV2

You should never use any EQing except to boost your mids.

Really?

williamk · #12 10-05-2010, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WMV2

You should never use any EQing except to boost your mids.

no no no,
slap bass needs bass and treble, not mids. Slap bass needs to be compressed to sound full in a mix. The quieter ghost notes can then come out and the popped ones don't sound too harsh.

Rickett Customs · #13 10-05-2010, 11:00 AM

Just don't scoop it too much, you'll find that you get buried by other instruments (I'm a live setting), if you're playing alone, won't matter then.

anonymous101511 · #14 10-05-2010, 05:42 PM

never scoop out the mids if you want to hear the note value

Samsound · #15 10-05-2010, 06:37 PM

Slap bass has note values? It all just sounds like Sylvester to me.

Phhthck! Frrphhk! Ppppleeb! Phhhllsufffferin ssssukphataaaj!

sammyp · #16 10-05-2010, 10:46 PM

fingerstyle EQ doesn't always work good for slap ....slap usually requires some happy face EQ where you have some bottom and highs with scooped mids a bit ...

fingerstyle need the mids to be there ...

compression helps slap too ....i like comp on bass for everything but very little ....you can use a little more for slapping ....compression helps any instrument sit in the mix better!

anonymous101511 · #17 10-05-2010, 11:41 PM

nope, you should use the same settings for all styles of attack, be it pick, fingers or slap.

anonymous101511 · #18 10-05-2010, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samsound

Slap bass has note values? It all just sounds like Sylvester to me.

Phhthck! Frrphhk! Ppppleeb! Phhhllsufffferin ssssukphataaaj!

this is a good point, that's because of the misguided mid scoop EQ settings and poor technique.

Samsound · #19 10-06-2010, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vail_bass

this is a good point, that's because of the misguided mid scoop EQ settings and poor technique.

I was actually just kidding...mostly!

chicago_mike · #20 10-06-2010, 12:10 AM

Scooping mids in any way is not the answer. You percieve to hear a mid scooped tone on some recordings with slapping, lets say marcus for example...but Marcus does not scoop his mids at all. He knows.

If you want more bottom, you need to look at how your slapping, your thumb might be weak or you might not be hitting the string in a way to get that punch. Theres no right or wrong way as far as I am concerened, but there are more and less effective ways.

Those enhance controls are more or less the same as loudness controls on stereo recievers from back in the day. Useless r/c network that messsed everything up.

400 to 800hz is very important. It took me 10 years to figure this out as I always wanted to cut my mids to get that super clean tight tone. THat tone, with any instrument besides the bass, is useless. Imagine a scooped tone competing with a strat/marshall combo.

Leave your amp flat and get used to that tone. after a while, you'll hear the eq'd tones in a different way, you'll start to not like them so much. It happened to me.