MIXING OF BASS

As we discussed in the previous chapter, the low-end relationship between the bass guitar and the kick
drum is one of the most fundamentally important relationships in your mix. The goal is to have the low
end feel both powerful and moving without crowding either instrument or forcing one out of the way of
the other. A rule of thumb for EQ’ing the bass/kick combo is to decide which one wins the low end battle.
Is your bassist rounding out that bottom end with a rich tone and some serious low notes while the kick
drum is more ‘snappy’ and ‘clicky?’ Or is it your kick drum that rules the roost with deep, sustained sound?
Perhaps it was even recorded through a sub kick. The choice is stylistic, and it’s really up to you.
Whichever instrument you decide is going to drive the low-end, ‘wrap’ the other instrument around it with
its EQ. For example, if your kick is emphasized at 80Hz, make sure your bass is not emphasized at 80Hz,
but rather at 40Hz and 120Hz. You may well decide to change this relationship as you start to introduce
other elements in your mix, but don’t be discouraged by that. Revisions are a normal and expected part of
the process!
Between 2–5kHz is a good mid-range area to boost in order to help a bass poke through a dense mix. This
2–5kHz area is where the upper harmonics that more easily identify the bass tone and pitch are located.
Some harmonic distortion can also help enhance frequencies in this area. As a general rule, adding
tube-style distortions will thicken up the low end of a bass guitar, while adding tape-style distortions
will introduce harmonic distortion that will be more noticeable in the mid to higher ends. So tape-style
distortion is advised for brightening up the 2–5kHz area.