worried about what i recording in the studio!

[mrhectic]

hey guys

i went into a studio for the first time to record some of my bands music! the engineer guy wanted me to use his bass amp he had in the studio, because mine was a bit too bassy and said i play some real nice stuff that he would like to make more clearer. so i said yes and decided to use his. When i listened to the recording i noticed it was a bit too trebbly for me. I pefer to have it bassy and less treble. i dont want to be able to hear my fingers and everything.
I dont know why i didnt say anything at the time, but i suppose i thought he knows what he's doing.

i'l be going back in the few weeks time to lay down the guitar etc.
Im a bit worried about it now, that everything will sound great but the bass. Do you guys know whether this is a typical technique to record bass gutiar trebbly so the egineer has more to play with????

Also will he be able to EQ it and make it more bassy in the mixing and mastering????

any advice and help appriciated!

thanks
MrHectic

Edited April 19, 2010 by mrhectic

[ThomBassmonkey]

The engineer will have a lot of control over the EQ in the mixing stage.

If it's an engineer you trust, just wait and see how the end mix is. Sometimes after everything's been compressed and mastered, everything sounds a lot bassier anyway.

If it's an engineer you don't know very well, ask him about it. He should be prepared to explain what he's doing. It's possible he just has different tastes to you in bass tone, so if possible, take in a CD of what you want to sound like, it should give him a better idea of what to aim for.

[EdwardHimself]

the trouble is that it can be difficult to hear what you're playing if you don't have the bit of treble up there under everything else. What sort of music is it? Whether you should listen to the engineer in this case imo really depends on how loud the guitars and everything else are.

[chris_b]

Mention your concerns and tell the engineer how you want the bass to sound. A good live sound and recorded sound is not always the same thing. You might have to compromise in order to get a good sound on record but you should let him know your thoughts, anyway.

I recorded last year and the engineer kept referring to my bass sound as [b]his[/b] bass sound! It was a session so I let it go, but I would have spoken to him if it was my band.

[El Bajo]

My engeneer asked the same of me also. He wanted the option of EQ the bass himself as well as the guitar. He even asked me not to use my overdrive on the sections that required and that he'll use some bass effects he has on software which I'm fine about because I hate my overdrive pedal (to skint to by another). He sent me a copy of where hes up to so far, theres no vocals or keys yet but you can hear that it all sounds a bit trebly and dry which he will mix when everythinsg recorded.

[url="http://www.mymusicstream.com/raisingangels/"]http://www.mymusicstream.com/raisingangels/[/url]

I wouldn't worry about it but i would ask for a progress update of where he is so far and maybe sit in on the mixing of a track so that your both on the same wavelengh

[bumfrog]

it's always a tricky one. As people have said, the sound you may use live for the bass, may sound rubbish recorded and in a mix. I still believe that as much as musicians want their instrument to stand out and be "their" sound, sometimes one has to compromise and go with what sounds better in the mix. When played as a single stand alone track, it may sound horrible, but chuck it in the rest of the mix and all of sudden one can see why it's been mixed like that.

[phil.i.stein]

i've had a comparable situation recently..

the engineer was also a bass player (unbelievably, considering the circumstances !!!)

it's almost like the bass is last priority, although in my mind it should be first !

i will re-open and rant when i've heard the proper mix-down.

[endorka]

[quote name='El Bajo' post='812534' date='Apr 20 2010, 01:38 PM']... you can hear that it all sounds a bit trebly and dry which he will mix when everythinsg recorded.

[url="http://www.mymusicstream.com/raisingangels/"]http://www.mymusicstream.com/raisingangels/[/url][/quote]

Nice playing, and the tone sounds great to me - you can hear the bass clearly, which is not always the case in this type of music. You think it's a bit trebly, but if anything I'd say it could be a bit more trebly/middly to help it cut through, especially once the keys are in place.

But that's just my opinion! :-)

Jennifer

[fatback]

Best to judge the overall mix, not your own instrument in isolation.

A good engineer will be EQing so the bass comes through and doesn't get interfered with by the bass drum, keys etc.

Also, remember that in the studio, you'll be listening through monitors designed not to colour the sound. That can come across pretty harsh.

Nice track btw, and good bass.

I'm inclined to agree with Jennifer that it could cut through more. as I say, judge it in the mix (and listening through a lot of different speakers).

Edited April 20, 2010 by fatback

[El Bajo]

Thanks Jennifer, fatback for your very kind comments.

mrhectic, wait until you do your guitar, it may sound even more dry than the bass (but thats for another forum). Just make sure you stick around for the mixing, how many professional bands do you know where the album mix isnt quite right and the bass is buried under guitars, or the drums sound to much like they have triggers, etc etc

[mrhectic]

hey guys! cheers for the reassurance! Its really put my mind at ease.

I think i'l let the guy keep doing what he's doing and mention the sound i want when he mixes it. we had given him a recording of what we sound like before we went to the studio so he should know what im after, hopefully. I'l definetly sit with him when we get round to mixing to make sure. And the progress updates sounds like a great idea too. I'l ask him about that when i go back in a couple of weeks.

Ive never been in a studio before so i didnt know what to expect in terms of how my bass was going to sound in the studio, so thanks for the infomation guys.

I can sleep easy knowing that EQing will save the day!

[EdwardHimself]

[quote name='mrhectic' post='813686' date='Apr 21 2010, 12:51 PM']I think i'l let the guy keep doing what he's doing and mention the sound i want when he mixes it. we had given him a recording of what we sound like before we went to the studio so he should know what im after, hopefully. I'l definetly sit with him when we get round to mixing to make sure. And the progress updates sounds like a great idea too. I'l ask him about that when i go back in a couple of weeks.[/quote]

great idea, just remember though to do what's best for the song and not just the bass guitar sound would be my advice.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='EdwardHimself' post='813737' date='Apr 21 2010, 01:28 PM']great idea, just remember though to do what's best for the song and not just the bass guitar sound would be my advice.[/quote]

Yeah this is really important. Put your ego to one side (I'm not calling you an egotist, just saying, the song's more important than your favourite bass tone), so long as the track sounds good then you've all done your bit.

If the bass sound is distracting or inappropriate then you ask him to change it. If it's just a case of you not liking it then maybe "Would it trash the mix if you took some treble off the bass?" might be a good approach. That way you're still deferring to his expertise but making the point that you'd prefer a different sound if it's practical.

[chris_b]

I know nothing about the style of music you're playing but as a punter, I think you sound like you've played all the right notes in all the right places and the tone and balance sound pretty good.

[mrhectic]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='815675' date='Apr 23 2010, 03:34 AM']Yeah this is really important. Put your ego to one side (I'm not calling you an egotist, just saying, the song's more important than your favourite bass tone), so long as the track sounds good then you've all done your bit.

If the bass sound is distracting or inappropriate then you ask him to change it. If it's just a case of you not liking it then maybe "Would it trash the mix if you took some treble off the bass?" might be a good approach. That way you're still deferring to his expertise but making the point that you'd prefer a different sound if it's practical.[/quote]

yeah, i'l definetly need to take into account whats best for the mix. As some of you guys have said, it might sound completely different with everything else playing in the mix.

AH! yes, thats a good approach to asking the egineer. I'l keep that in mind! that way he might not go crazy at me