How To Mix FAT Bass Guitar: Slate Digital Pro Tricks

Everything Bundle members now have their very own private mixing course! The first installment transforms a rock tune that was recorded in a living room into a punchy radio-ready mix, and Steven takes you through the entire process in multiple installment chapters. It's hours of private instruction, where you'll learn a ton of tips and tricks the pros use on their own mixes.
To show you the amount of detail and information these courses provide, we've pulled out this excerpt from Chapter Three, where Steven demonstrates the processing he put together on bass.
To join the Everything Bundle and gain access to the full course - which includes the multi-track audio and session files in every major DAW format - check out the Everything Bundle page online at slatedigital.com/everything-bu.... Your mixes will thank you!

[@DS-ru8gd]

I know it's all about the sound, but from a graphic designer's point of view I gotta say Slate has some of the best looking plugins on the market. They are a pleasure to look at (yes the sound is great as well lol)

[@jesse_cole]

This guy LOVES the sounds he's recording. He really LOVES them.

[@ramencurry6672]

Follow what you love. Even if it’s something simple as being a janitor. You can find joy in the small things.

[@jesse_cole]

@@ramencurry6672 I found joy when your mother and I conceived you. Lost interest in her after that.

[@ramencurry6672]

@@jesse_cole What about food? Do you have a favorite dish that brings you joy?

[@ZackBR]

the best thing about all your plugins that even boosting or cutting all the way sounds musical, it encourages to be experimental so much!

[@JimijaymesProductions]

Reminds me a bit of the bass osund across nevermind which I love production wise so great video Steven!

[@MrRickyWow]

I can't dislike that guy, even if I try. Good vibe, brother. Keep working.

[@odic7660]

Why you need to dislike something when you think it's pretty good stuff ? You sound weird-evil XD

[@rafaeltrabolsi]

Wonderful man, you guys really excel in customer oriented service.

[@hiyakkimaru]

I love your work. Helps me a lot to make my mix better!

[@SlateDigitalTV]

All Everything Bundle users are being sent the FULL course including eight videos and multitrack session.. today! :)

[@ImSeeD]

Cool ! Via E-mail.. or gobbler ?

[@rafaeltrabolsi]

I have my everything bundle account, but haven't activated in gobbler... will this affect me receiving the video course today?

[@ImSeeD]

They will send us an e-mail within 24 hours. With the link

[@rafaeltrabolsi]

Cool, thnx Morten Falk.

[@PalaceofVision]

This sounds great, but where is this email? I haven't received it yet

[@GprokYB]

Brilliant! Thanks for this!

[@cptimbal2]

great stuff man. waiting for the full course

[@carabidus]

This entire rack of effects is going to be my bass guitar go-to from now on! I just tried it and the results are incredible. Since my particular bass recording required more presence, the only thing I did differently was add an s-gear amp/cab to the fx channel.

[@benjamagambo8140]

That kick sounds so nice !

[@olegartman6037]

Great tips. Thanks!

[@Kleyver]

It sounds GREAT!!

[@romenpheonixx7005]

That was beautiful.

[@fernandoherrerabastidas]

thanks for the video It would be great to see more videos on different styles of music. I think almost all Slate videos are this kind of rock music. So yes, if possible, would be nice to see also clean stuff like modern pop and r&b.

[@dxwallace55]

Hey Slate TV, this whole concept of the "Everything Bundle" along with the courses/classed is amazing for newbie like me!!! It gives you a sense of direction, as in, I know I want a "fat bass" feeling in my next song, but would have just been playing around with miscellaneous plugins and stuff, with no real knowledge or conceptual direction of why I'm doing or why, Now, I feel like I got a treasure map with instructions!!!!

[@BrentIraEnman]

Love it!

[@Pinkybum]

Easy to sound better when it's always louder.

[@allthebestmoves]

How about you match the wet track volume level to dry track volume level for fair comparison?

[@bluematrix5001]

1:19 hahahahaha Gringo "Some Major Cojones" EPIC

[@ImSeeD]

Hi,i got on the Everything Bundle PRO. Just wondring when and how, i can download The hole Video Rock session ??

[@eggbass]

What is the signal chain on the DI bass?

[@srdandurd2248]

is there a tutorial on how to mix those drums

[@marcuswilespage]

Is the HPF pre or post the low shelf on the SSL?

[@Lucretious2006]

Steve is this course available as single purchase outside of the bundle? I already have pretty much all of your plugins!

[@UnknownHumanoid]

I take 400hz normally. On 280 you are a bit low, but it depends. Andyway that's a massive boost on the base and it makes sense. By compressing the bass a lot you don't add more transient when it overlaps with the kick drum.

[@mystatamiaj]

The best money I spend all month is my slate sub Mind blowing value

[@glassyeti2342]

what computer specs are you running this session on?

[@jordanprice7124]

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT SONG STEVEN IS WORKING ON? I have watched all of the tutorials with this song in it but I can't find it anywhere! It gets stuck in my head randomly all the time.

[@VikingVertigo]

The Plutonium Project - The Bottle

[@JohnsonInc999]

"Phat City !"" LOL

[@LoL-dg3du]

Hi Steve, just a question for you.. . in someway you're doing ''a bit'' of parallel eq as far as I understand.. so, doesn't brings phase issues this? It's doesn't so clear when to use eq in parallel.. as I understand, never should be used.. and in my tries/experimentation.. in busses (doing parallel processing) always brings me phase issues.. so, could you enlight me here my friend? Thanks ' )

[@mensamin]

LoL Parallel eq works most of the time if you make the parallel signal sound drastically different, like he did with the distorsion

[@VentsislavGrozdanov]

Not bad really ! :)

[@ZachHayesRB]

Who knew Anthony Jeselnik could mix

[@robertkajtazi4732]

Damn 87khz cut

[@kryzs_kornhell]

All I understood was "buy those" and nothing much of how to actually use them. Can't comprehend the ideas behind it.

[@kryzs_kornhell]

@scoot manke That's why I watched the video.

[@ajfedz]

I can't imagine boosting 5k (to the max) on a bass. You really don't hear it within the mix.

[@SlateDigitalTV]

AJ Fedz Take a listen! You absolutely do!

[@willb3698]

As a bass player, and someone who has been around a fairly long time - how come bands don't seemable to get their sound down at recording stage any more? I rarely see this. Also every bloody video its "saturation city". Be interesting - saturation happened because we could not afford transistors, just the cheap old valve gear that was always pushed. A clean bass can be terrifying. But its always softened out by someone who shouldn't be making those calls. Take control of your own sound, people, take back control and make interesting and original sounds again. These engineer/producers are like lawers. Nice plugins though.

[@shaftahoy]

The bassist probably did have their own sound during recording... And the engineer siphoned off a DI before the signal hit any of the player's equipment

[@johnmorris2170]

Before you SCREW with the bass shouldn't you hear how it sounds in the whole mix first? When the guitars come in you turn UP the bass track. It's called automation. Gee, what did they do back in 1971. All they had was parametric/graphic Eq, single band compressors/peak limiter, and a phaser. And let they were able to make great mixes wothout all the Pro Tools magic.

[@jimmyjames7720]

Their outboard gear is what all the plug-in are trying to emulate.

[@shaftahoy]

...All he used was Tape, Preamp, EQ and Compression, I don't get what you're trying to say