Multiple Basses on a single track

[samspike]

Not sure if this is the right forum for this...

I have an idea for a song with lots of bass parts, I think probably will have 5 parts, and will probably split that between 3 real bass guitars, and 2 bass synths.

Anyway the question is how to how to make each of these sounds distinct and individually recognizable without turning the song into a wall of mud.

(I would ditch the synths and use all real bass guitar if I can find a way to make each of 5 basses sound distinct).

The gear I have: Bass Guitar, Several Synths, a whole bunch of guitar (not bass) pedals, Bass Synth pedal, and a couple of effect rack units with reverb, delay, pitch shift, chorus, flanger, symphonic, etc.

[Dirk Diggler]

You just need to spread them out with effects and eq. You'll need stuff for ultra low, low, med, med high, high. For the low parts roll off the high end, for the high stuff roll off the low end.
Also panning will help, low bass in the middle maybe, effects and such to the left and right.

It's all ears really and most of it can be done in mixdown.

Good luck,
Dirk

[Kinetic Monkey]

I stack a lot of different bass tracks in my triphop. A lot of the tracks will have a synth bass, a real bass and maybe a low down rhodes or whirlitzer track as well. Here are my tips:

• Bass tracks don't need to be bassy - you can use really low notes and scoop out the bass frequencies
• Use space in your tracks. Keep largarto pieces largarto, and keep faster lines really staccato.
• Try to make the parts sound as different as possible before you start teching around with them - if you've got 5 parts that sound the same and then you start eq, panning, effects etc it'll be a lot harder than if you've started with 5 distinct sounds
• As well as different guitars and/or pickups and amps, try different techniques. A bowed piece (yes even on electric bass guitar) alongside a fingerstyle and a pick will sound more interesting than 3 fingerstyle tracks.
• Above all - do what serves the song/track. If you end up with a messy noise with 5 tracks, but a beautiful soundscape with 3, don't sacrifice the feel of the whole song just to get all your bass parts in.

[bgmww]

Go to Youtube. Search "OLOGY". it's a Living Colour song. Check it out.. several basses on that song.