Electric bass

Role in the mix

The electric bass combines harmony and rhythm: it supplies the root of the chords and “glues” the kick to the rest of the band. Its spectrum is wider than you might think: fundamental 41–200 Hz (E1 = 41.2 Hz on a 4-string, B0 = 30.9 Hz on a 5-string), body and warmth 100–250 Hz, growl 600 Hz–1.2 kHz, definition and pick/finger attack 1.5–4 kHz, string noise and slap 4–8 kHz. Without the midrange harmonics the bass disappears on small speakers; without controlled low end, the mix is bloated or empty. Mike Senior (Sound On Sound) points out that too much deep bass is always more destructive than too little.

Recording and choosing the sound

• DI + amp (or DI + simulation/IR): the DI carries the sub and the definition, the amp the growl. Align the two (the miked amp arrives a few ms later) and check polarity: choose the combination with the most bass.
• Strings and technique: fingers (round, R&B, soul), pick (defined, rock and punk), slap (funk, high crest factor), palm mute (soft, 1960s).
• Editing: Mike Senior suggests fixing notes that are too loud or too weak with editing instead of compression, and muting noises in the pauses.
• Simulators in FL: Hardcore Guitar Effects (cabinet and distortion) or Fruity Convolver with a bass cabinet IR; alternatives Ampeg SVT (UAD, Softube), Darkglass (Neural DSP), Ampeg SVX.

Gain staging

Peaks −10/−6 dBFS, RMS −20/−16 dBFS. Always balance in context and at a constant listening volume (the perception of bass changes enormously with volume).

Corrective EQ

Sound On Sound (Mike Senior, “Mixing DI bass guitar”) proposes this starting point, to be adapted:

• HP at 30 Hz, 12–18 dB/oct.
• Wide cut of about −8 dB at 500 Hz with a very wide Q (0.2) if the mids dominate; possibly −4 dB at 1 kHz.
• Shelf −3 dB from 3 kHz if the DI is too bright.
• Mud 200–300 Hz: cut 2–3 dB if bass and guitars clog each other.
• Notes that jump out (from instrument resonances): dynamic EQ or multiband compression on the note.

Creative EQ

• Amp “bump”: +4 dB Q 0.3 centered at 100–120 Hz (sweep between 90 and 150 Hz until the bass “comes into focus”).
• Articulation: +3 dB Q 0.7 at 4–5 kHz.
• Growl: +2/+3 dB at 700 Hz–1 kHz in rock.
• Use wide bells in the low octaves: narrow Qs make the volume vary from note to note.

Compression

• Basic (SOS): ratio 2:1, threshold set so that GR is rarely beyond 4–5 dB, attack 10–20 ms, auto release (or 100–200 ms), RMS detection for consistency.
• Aggressive FET in rock: Chris Lord-Alge uses a 1176 at 4:1 with about 7 dB of GR on bass.
• Opto (LA-2A, CLA-2A): the classic for soul, pop and Motown bass: slow and musical, 3–6 dB.
• Serial: opto (leveling) + FET (peaks) in series, each 2–4 dB.
• Parallel (SOS): send to a compressor at 6:1–8:1 with ~10 dB of GR, fast attack and release, blended in under the signal; you can filter the send.

Transient shaper

Attack − on slap bass to tame the pops; Attack + on fingerstyle bass to define the notes in dense mixes; Release − for a “stopped” bass (funk).

Saturation and distortion

• Parallel distortion (SOS): HP at about 100 Hz before the distortion and LP at about 2 kHz after, blended in underneath: grit without losing the sub.
• Exciter for the “super-highs”: send with an HP from 2–3 kHz and generated harmonics, 10–12 dB of effect, blended carefully for presence.
• Two-band split (SOS): “Bass Lows” with a 24 dB/oct LP at 300 Hz and “Bass Highs” with a 24 dB/oct HP at 400 Hz; compress the lows in parallel to nail them down, blend the highs to taste (saturated, distorted, chorus). In FL: Frequency Splitter or two mixer tracks with EQ; Patcher helps.
• Tape/tube saturation on the whole bass (Distructor, Saturn 2, UAD Ampex/Studer) for cohesion.

Delay and reverb

Almost never: bass is dry. Exceptions: dub (tempo-synced delay on isolated notes, filtered), jazz ballads (very quiet short room), fretless bass with light reverb on a send (HP 200 Hz on the return).

Modulation

Chorus or phaser only in parallel and on the highs (SOS: remove the lows from the effect return), with the main bass kept mono. A classic of 1980s bass and post-punk (chorus on fretless or picked bass).

Stereo and panning

Bass center and mono below 150 Hz. The highs (split) can be widened slightly.

Sidechain

• From the kick: 1–3 dB of ducking (fast attack, release 50–100 ms) or dynamic EQ on the kick’s fundamental. In rock it is often unnecessary if kick and bass are separated in frequency.
• Kick and bass: decide who sits underneath (e.g. kick at 50–60 Hz, bass emphasized at 100 Hz, or vice versa).

Automation

• Fader rides on the bass by section (CLA: it is easier to ride the fader than to EQ).
• SOS: at the end, create a temporary fader for the bass group and set it with your eyes closed; it often ends up slightly below zero.
• Articulation automation (4 kHz) in melodic passages.

Differences by genre

Common mistakes

• Mixing the bass in solo or at high volume.
• Boosting at 50 Hz instead of adding definition at 800 Hz–4 kHz: the bass is heard less and eats headroom.
• DI and amp out of phase: hollow bass.
• Narrow Qs in the low end: notes with uneven volumes.
• Stereo bass with full-band chorus.