Where did my bass go?

[Jaycat]

OK, riddle me this Batman. Using a Tascam DP-008. I have guitar on track 1, electric bass on track 2, vocals on 3 and 4 and lap steel on track 5.

When doing Master Record I turn up track 2 (bass) to about 4. Sounds good. Playback on Master Play, again sounds good. Then I transfer to the file to my computer and create a WAV file of the master in Audacity...

The bass has disappeared!! I go back and repeat the process a couple of times, finally turning track 2 up to about 8... now I can finally sort of hear it, but it's distorting a bit. Aarggh....

Any thoughts? Guitar and vocals were recorded with internal mic, bass and lap steel with DI. Thanks!

 

[DirtDog]

Do you have the bass track gain-staged correctly in the DP-008? Meaning, are the recording levels set appropriately when you lay down the track?

 

[Jaycat]

Do you have the bass track gain-staged correctly in the DP-008? Meaning, are the recording levels set appropriately when you lay down the track?

Yes I think so. As mentioned above, everything sounds good when I play it back on the Tascam.

 

[DirtDog]

Yes I think so. As mentioned above, everything sounds good when I play it back on the Tascam.

Hmm, thats what I figured.

What does the bass track WAV file sound like before you bring it into Audacity? e.g., if play the track on your computer by itself?

 

[And I]

are you transferring files of individual tracks or just the stereo mix? if individual, is it not transferring the "bass" file altogether? is it transferring a "bass" file but it's an "empty" file?

 

[Jaycat]

are you transferring files of individual tracks or just the stereo mix? if individual, is it not transferring the "bass" file altogether? is it transferring a "bass" file but it's an "empty" file?

Just the mix. But you've given me an idea...

 

[And I]

if you export the mix and your bass is gone then the track is muted or something. seems weird since you hear it when you play back, but clearly it's not present in the mix...

 

[Wood and Wire]

From your description, it sounds as if the bass is routed to your monitor output, but not to your mix bus.