just a thought about these isolated bass tracks

[telecopy]

I hope no-one ever does one on me!

I really love the abundance of isolated bass available lately. Very cool. And no, I would not like to be isolated. I'm pretty sloppy. I must say, it is amazing how even the greats are not always 100%. There are a few kinda questionable bass recordings that made it to the final album. Can't think of them, but they're out there.

 

[morgansterne]

So when we hear an isolated bass tracks, is it being EQ'd the same it was in the mix? what about compression? surely nobody is out there poring over thirty year old recall sheets to send them through the exact signal chain as they were in the mix, assuming they're even being played back in the same studio they were recorded in. Or are we usually hearing the raw track straight from the mic (or DI), without any attempt to make it sound the way it did in the final mix?

 

[JimmyM]

So when we hear an isolated bass tracks, is it being EQ'd the same it was in the mix? what about compression? surely nobody is out there poring over thirty year old recall sheets to send them through the exact signal chain as they were in the mix, assuming they're even being played back in the same studio they were recorded in. Or are we usually hearing the raw track straight from the mic (or DI), without any attempt to make it sound the way it did in the final mix?

I doubt we're hearing raw tracks in the majority of cases. You can hear the effects in most of them.

 

[A.K.]

Those issues can be helped with Music Theory, Ear Training, Private Instruction.

That's pretty condescending. Sometimes basslines are so buried in the mix it's virtually impossible to work it out exactly by ear.

 

[OldDirtyBassist]

Yeah, who hasn't been fooled into thinking a note from a keyboard or guitar was from a bass?

 

[Stick_Player]

That's pretty condescending. Sometimes basslines are so buried in the mix it's virtually impossible to work it out exactly by ear.

Most likely a good reason for that. And not worthy of pursuing.

 

[70'sRockChild]

I have wanted to find isolated tracks by The Cure, Chic, and Prince, but they don't appear on YouTube (which is where I found all the other isolated tracks).

Thanks for all the links. I wondered where they came from.

I can contribute that I've heard isolated tracks on songs purchased for the Jammit app. It sounds like the real thing to me. They don't have a huge selection but it's one of several practice/play tools I use. I'm not that advanced, so it is rewarding to play along with the legends at my experience level. Same as others, I thought it would sound better isolated but it doesn't need to since it sounds great as a group effort.

 

[Fuzzy Dustmite]

My thoughts on all of the iso'ed tracks are that they were from before the advent of ProTools and the micro editing of every note of every instrument. Anything recorded by nowadays is IMHO always shifted to the beat and cleaned up with ProTools, so that 'sloppiness'/human part of these older tracks is by and large eliminated.

 

[Geri O]

over the years in mixing, ive slowly begun to solo tracks less and less. Its kind of freeing to just mix a drum set as a drum set. same with the bass. A lot of the projects ive had, i had to reference the guitar and the kick at the same time as the bass to hear where they were stepping on eachother anyway.

Here, here. I got to this point many years ago, especially when I observed the little minion, errr, traveling relative of the artist, errr, band sound guy, having the drummer mercilessly pound each drum for 5 minutes while he tries to make it sound like something, as well as every other instrument on the deck. When the band finally ran a tune, the results would slay mountain lions at 100 paces. My method evolved into not much more than a line check of each input, then have the band to play a couple of songs while I pulled a mix of the band together (and the bands almost always really enjoyed this since they seldom get to just knock around playing together on the road). Also, mixing for an orchestra where there is seldom a soundcheck (with the orchestras I get, anyway) will help sharpen the mixing-on-the-fly skills (we don't call it the star spangled train wreck for nothing...)

Now, I feel differently about the solo bass tracks. Although I don't think we should live and die by them (nor should we take some mis-guided comfort in the less-than-stellar quality of some of them by the pros), they are a great reference tool to listen to and to consider what's going on and maybe learn something.

 

[Dead Set Dave]

Those issues can be helped with Music Theory, Ear Training, Private Instruction.

That would be like learning how a magician does his tricks! No fun in that