I'm told my bass is too loud and to use foam

Play more quietly.

 

The recording sounds good to me, but I can't see what the sound person had to do to mix it this way.

I take it you are not using any pickup or mounted mic?

It could also be the geometry of the venue and/or your or other players location in the room. Location wise, if you're shooting your double bass sound into a corner of the room you're in, it's going to be spread everywhere. Some rooms just have an affinity for the double bass and some don't.

The problem with using foam or any kind of physical mute is that it's hard to dynamically control how much muting is happening. Also be prepared that if you mute the double bass, tone may be affected too.

Might try not stroking the string so hard, left hand muting so there isn't quite so much sustain, or simply being further from the mic, or having everyone else play louder or closer to the mic.

I like the Zydeco sound you guys are producing.

 

I doubt a bit of foam will do much more than take out a bit of highs, stand further away?

To my ears the bass sounds perfect in the mix.
perhaps the leader just wants to hear more washboard.

 

You could try using a "gobo" or baffle between your bass and the microphone. That would make you quieter in the mix without fundamentally changing the tone & feel of your instrument.

Another old trick (from the days when bands recorded by gathering around 1 microphone) is to use a mic with a "figure 8" polar pattern, and put the louder instruments off to the sides.

ps You guys sound great! I didn't think the bass was overpowering, but probably the bandleader has familiar reference tracks in his head that he is trying to duplicate the mix.

 

The bandleader should use one of those mics for himself (if he wants his washboard playing to be loud in the mix). This would also give him more control in mix-down.

 

Play softer!

Glad I could solve that one for you.

 

Well, what do YOUR ears tell you?

Does it sound better to play real loud and overpower the rest of the band?

Most of us are trying to get the damn thing louder.

 

Washboard guy needs to be closer to the mic. If an unamplified acoustic bass is drowning out a washboard, the problem is not the bass.

 

Good point. A washboard is louder than pretty much anything acoustic except a trombone.

 

Bass on the recording sounds fine, for a Zoom recorder in a generic room.

If bandleader guy wants the thing to sound like a properly mixed and balanced studio recording, he ought to pay for studio and engineering time to get a properly mixed and balanced studio recording.

What do YOUR EARS tell you?

 

Can your bandleader hear what's going on at the time, or does he have to listen to a recording to be able to tell how it sounds? (Hint: what HIS EARS tell him is likely to be more accurate than a quick and dirty recording.)

 

Oh gosh, you mean you can use those things on the sides of your head?

Bandleader guy sounds like one of those people who can't figure out whether they enjoyed dinner till they post it on Instagram and see how many "likes" and "dislikes" they get.

And what is the purpose of this-here recording, anyway?

 

Mics pick up sound differently than our ears. Just spend some time positioning the group for proper balance. It's not that hard. Set up, record, listen, move too loud back, too soft forward. That's how they did it in the old days with one mic, so it can be done.

 

Agree.

Foam on the bridge sounds like a silly suggestion. Bandleader doesn't know what he doesn't know.

 

Don't think you are gonna get too many folk HERE complain that the bass is TOO LOUD!

I also think it sounds fine - especially for a 2 mic casual recording. I'm ignorant about recording/electronics - have always enjoyed allowing someone else to run sound. But if everyone mics including you, I don't know why the levels can't be adjusted. We usually use 1-3 mics - primarily for the vocals/lead instruments. My bass projects just fine into such mix. As others said, you can really change the sound from your bass through positioning.

But yeah, you can play forcefully - yet quieter. I have been working on that very recently. I realized I had gotten into the bad habit of overplaying from trying to ride herd at too many too large jams. The bass still projects wonderfully w/ far less effort.

As others said - you guys sound great.

 

I've played plenty of cajun music. If the band is completely unamplified and the bass sounds too loud in the recording, move away from the mikes. Heck, the rubboard itself can easily overpower an unamplified DB.

You do not have to pound away on a DB to get a good sound.