Matching the loudness of two separate types of bass (Slap & Fingered) in a track?

[event2020]

Hi all

I need some real advice on how to match the levels of two different types of bass within the same song so that they both sound as loud as each other without overwhelming the overall mix.

I will explain as best as I can.

I am working on mixing a Funky Disco type track and in the verses the bassline is a fingered 'walking bass' type and in the choruses the bassline is a '16th note' slapped.

I am happy with how each type of bass part sounds both heard on its own and heard with the mix with all the other instruments but I am having real trouble matching the 'loudness' of the two types so that when the verse moves into the chorus (and vice versa) both parts sound the same volume.

Both basslines have little processing as they are quite warm and rich and hardly any compression to preserve the transients. A small amount of Lo-air to enhance the sub frequencies 60hz - 22hz but thats about all.

The slap bass in the chorus, as it is very staccato in nature, sounds louder that the walking 'verse' bass but if I lower it within the mix so, by ear, it sounds the same level as the walking bass, it loses its 'bass' frequencies.

If I lower just the top frequency's of the slap bass it loses definition and just becomes a mess of muddy bass as the bass frequencies (of the bass sound) are then too loud.

So if anyone has any ideas or tips I would be very grateful.

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

This happens live too. A constant battle. One way of doing it is to use a transient shaper. Use it to tame the peaks on the slap bass to let the boby of the sound bloom . A really fast compression can do it also. You will sacrifice those sharp peaks. But there is a balance. Also use rms or vu meters instead of peak. If you know you are going to use a brickwall limiter after mix. Mix into it. It will also effect how that slap bass sounds. Hope that helped some. I have wrestled with this for 25 years.

Spend some time looking at both sections at the same time running through a realtime wave form analyzer ie Span. Set your finger bass where you want it then play with the TS or comp on the slap section to fill out the body portion of it. This is the same as above just more visual.

[event2020]

Hi Scrubbing Monkeys

Thank you for your reply and suggestions.

I have several different Transient plugs and I am trying them all out (I also love and use Span - very handy tool).

As you say, it is a battle - remove or flatten too much of the transients and the slap bass sounds flat.

[kbaccki]

Depending on the sound you're going for (old school or contemporary), a scoop EQ on the slap can highlight the low end and the punch, and cut out some of the muddiness in the low mids... that's more of a contemporary sound though, like Marcus Miller or Victor Wooten, as opposed to say a dirty Bootsy type sound... I know you're not looking for too much processing but I would try some compression to bring the dynamics of both parts somewhat close to each other + some scoop EQ that works well with both sounds... Just my $.02...

[event2020]

Hi kbaccki

More good advice - many thanks