The Bass Guitar Mixing Trick for Clean Low End (Pocket EQ) | musicianonamission.com - Mix School #14

Ever struggle to get the bass to sit right? You’re not alone.
Free Bass Mixing Cheat Sheet: www.musicianonamission.com/st...
The bass is one of the hardest things to mix, yet it can be the difference between mixes that completely fail…
…and mixes that sound INCREDIBLE on absolutely any speakers or headphones.
So, I set out to develop a simple method for mixing the bass to perfection.
It’s called the Pocket EQ Technique, and I just published a brand new video that breaks it down into 5 simple steps.

[@wildhorse4262]

Not that the first half of the video isn't full of incredibly relevant information - but for those wondering, the actual EQing starts at 6:55

[@yinyangguitars6456]

what did he say?? i went to sleep....

[@Jonotheproducer]

Thank you!

[@drampadreg1386]

Appreciate that!

[@georgev2087]

Yin Yang Guitars I love barbies

This is how it is when you try to make living out of KZbin, the longer videos the more watch time usually. Just saying. I also try to make videos over 10 minutes if reasonably possible. Just have to make sure, it's relevant or amuzing or something not annoying.

[@thefellowshipreforged8901]

This was awesome, thank you. People complaining about the longs start dont get it- some people may already be pros and just want some quick tips to polish off their skillset, but some are newer and need more context to grasp the concepts. You explained it well, like a good college professor might. It makes it easy to understand even for those with little mixing knowledge, but without dumbing it down or reducing information at all.

[@davidokangba1842]

I've been labouring long and hard for Many Years now to try and get my production skills to a higher level. I've been watching your tutorials regularly of late, and the penny has Finally Dropped! You present them so Succinctly, and in my case, idiot proof. You have clearly invested Much Time and Effort in your work. And the Least that I can do sir, is say Thank You..

[@masteringcom]

So glad we could help!

[@dragonpride95]

This is actually enlightening! After hearing this explanation of cutting and boosting certain parts, as well as occupying certain parts of the track, it makes total sense how the tracks blend properly! Thanks for the tutorial!!

[@SubodhhSharma]

Amazingly explained. Thank you so much. I am beginning to understand frequencies more precisely. God bless you.

[@matthewcrawfordmusic710]

One of the things I love about you Rob is how much you talk about frequency range and analysis. I always got hung up on mixing and knew my bass or guitars or kick needed some change, but I couldn't understand where to boost or cut and where that would affect my mix. You explain your cuts and boosts and what they do to the mix, you show it in context, and then you show analysis between two instruments and really explain creating space. You are the absolute best teacher there is out there and thanks to you I'm finally starting to get it.

[@masteringcom]

Clarity Through Catharsis This means a lot. Thank you so much - I'm very happy to help!

[@wastedshores9742]

seriously- same here

[@Congaboy55]

Excellent presentation. I appreciate the pocket image and the steps to fit it in. Keep up the great work Rob.

[@masteringcom]

Thanks David!

[@JamesMahlerMusic]

Wow this is amazing info. That really hit home what you said about the bass and kick not being able to live in the same space.

[@masteringcom]

Good to hear, thanks James!

[@rickc795]

Hey! Very good info. Thanks again!!

[@iamnotarobot1]

So helpful and well explained thank you!

[@Skijumptoes]

Great video, never seen this direct relationship with the kick before. I've found that with recording bass guitar that timing is really crucial too,, which goes back to your opener regarding getting it right at source. Thanks for such well presented vids, I'm a new subby.

[@masteringcom]

Glad we could help!

[@FlopMeister71]

Such a great guide Rob. I used to struggle with muddy bass mixes until i learned the pocket EQ technique you mentioned. I fixed two track in little more than 30mins and will use this technique from now on. This guide should be a a sticky everywhere!

[@masteringcom]

Incredible!!!

[@DavidHudson]

You're an absolute legend mate.

[@masteringcom]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@aiconic10]

Magicians perform "tricks" engineers implement technique. One is a mirage. The other is real. There's a difference.

[@adrianconsta1139]

Awesome tutorial! Thank you!

[@masteringcom]

My pleasure :)

[@phorestro]

You're saving my mixes, the video content is very accurate. Contratulations for yourchannel. 😀

[@SimonTebbenhamMusic]

Great video - talking about boosting as well as cutting...Digital Labs Bark of Dog - is a free plug in that was recommended on Mixbus TV's channel, I highly recommend it, dial in the frequency you want to boost, sound so much better than just eq to my ears - works great on bass or kick, or both, and is a meaty way to get that separation. Use EQ after also to ensure the pocket is well formed also :)

[@shizumaruofficial]

You have saved my mix I've been working on since May 2020. I was wondering why my Kick and Bass are not cutting through. Turns out, clashing frequencies. So, thank you.

[@royteicher]

Brother! Thank you very much! Awesome explanations! Cheers

[@masteringcom]

Our pleasure!

[@kombilakombi5410]

Great Video

[@henryssurfshowcase]

Good perspective, thank you..

[@ghdrum]

Useful information and clearly presented. Subscribed.

[@masteringcom]

Glad you found it useful!

[@tojuprod.5803]

Helpful lesson! Got that khwooooon in my mix

[@drebrose1983]

This helped thanks

[@mikerimi3092]

Tnx 4 Tips, very good...

[@garyleister]

Lot of informations. Thanks 🙏

[@nafawi7965]

Thanks!

[@giabgr]

Good video part huge thuds everytime you say 'pocket'!

[@masteringcom]

Thanks for watching! Thanks for pointing that out too!

[@TheAdventuresOfDnB]

Thanks Rob

[@SubodhhSharma]

It would be great if you make a video of complete process after recording to mixing (and a home studio mastering as well, if possible), step by step, using your 7 basic plugins with some very basic instruments, in a single video. Thank you in advance for that. :)

[@MrAnthonyKennedy1]

Thank you! :)

[@la-keniagreen5913]

lots of info. cool

[@zeesixnine3374]

Nice

[@SteveStockmalMusic]

Great job mate !! (Note: your ‘plosives’ are cracking me up)

[@stephenfell4338]

What spectrum analyser from waves would you recommend for a beginner to clarify were the kick and bass are sitting?🎸

[@karayuschij]

Mixing Contrabass (double bass) would be interesting too ;) How to keep it clean without loosing the "taste" of wood?

[@positronikiss]

Wowserz to yer clients track, adorable.

[@hosseiniranii]

tnx for edu

[@amado5490]

I wonder how some of these tips would apply to a song where, as he says, the bass is sitting below the kick drum in the frequency range.

[@jpablodl]

Love your accent.

[@blakejackson4483]

Do you have any mixing courses?

[@nevmoral3539]

Who was the artist and song you were mixing

[@AudioReplica2023]

yeah kids, jump ahead to 6:55 then when you feel something is not working on your mix come back youtube and watch the first 6:55 min so can have an idea why. Cmon...take your hands away from your daw for a moment and listen so you guys can have a clear mind of whats going on in the spectrum and then apply what you learned. Instead of trying to apply without knowledge and then research.

[@timoti2]

NO - except for when sidechaining the some kick driven compression to help kick and bass stay clear of each other , of channel plus bus. BUT what i would love to know is WHY is 2 compressors doing the same thing different from a single comp working at a higher ratio? Same question applies to parallel compression. Would love an answer on this please.

[@dominicsinicrope2795]

Depending on the style of music you’re working on and the end result you’re going for either method can be used. A single compressor working at a higher ratio will provide a more crushed almost distorted coloration to the sound. Sometimes this is wanted. For heavy rock and metal and some punk styles this is desirable. For some other styles like pop, r&b, and country you may want to maintain more dynamic range. For this instance using multiple compressors at a lower ratio will allow this to happen. Each compressor handing a lesser work load will gently soften the transients in stages and allow the track to breath more. This can also be used to add coloration to the tone because some compressors do color the tone. ie using an 1176 into an LA2A is common because the 1176 is fast acting and can cut the peaks even at a low ratio while the LA2A is slower reacting will add a warmth and fatten up the tone. As for parallel compression, this is used to help make something pop out. Used heavily on drums. This is when you compress for dynamics on the track and send the signal to a bus with a compressor that is crushing the signal. Start that bus with the fader at zero volume and bring it up slowly until it adds the support and pop you want without overpowering the track. Parallel compression is a great tool, but it can cause a lot of problems if used too heavily. I hope this helps answer your question.

[@RavinJaseBlake]

@@dominicsinicrope2795 I had wondered this too - excellent explanation. Thanks!

[@johnpaulporrelli6208]

Question why would u high pass bass over 60 Hz when low E is about 40 and low b on 5 string is lower. Wouldn’t that cut out all the low end from the bass.

[@nuynobi]

Overtones. You don't need to blast the fundamental. The overtones tell the brain what the fundamental is so you'll still hear it even if you cut that frequency.

[@guadadvent]

Salut I think you need to cut around 500hz on the bass guitar for it to sound better on bad speaker It is ok for this track but to boost around 500hz on a bass guitar can bring a lot of mudiness in a mix For lesson to Learn: use your ears But thanks for showing these That can help when you on the start Blessings

[@patlattin6437]

Great video, but one thing that I notice with a ton of you tube video lessons is lack of detail in the explanation of things. No mention of setting the hi pass filter up correctly and looks like your frequency knob on filter is set to 12? Can't move forward without this detail.

[@patlattin6437]

I see how your filter works now though, you click on frequency point on eq and then engage filter, missed that before

[@Faithaven]

Which EQ plugin is this in logic Pro ?

[@Skijumptoes]

Faithaven it's not a logic plugin it's made by fabfilter

[@Virtual_Gains]

I know da wae. I learned from the djent nuurrdz. Boost 500hz, 1.4khz and 3khz with a tight narrow Q. Then cut the lows i.e. 200hz below and cut the highs above 3k. It will growl, it will stick, it will sound boss.

[@KozmykJ]

So many engineers don't appreciate the best of a bass guitar's tone. Given the different dynamics of kick and bass too much emphasis is getting put on frequency territories Again. There was a lot of that going on in the 80s and it wasn't good. Lots of good sounding lines were cut away unnecessarily. Yes, where there is important emphasis needed musically then these techniques can be brought into play but they shouldn't be applied Cookie Cutter style. When they're in the timing "Pocket" together, Bass and Kick reinforce each other so well that it would be a crime to rob either of their strongest punch.

[@richardthelionheart01]

I agree - one of the worst offending records mixed like this is from people I really like, Phil Keaggy, and producer/engineer JB (RIP). BUT - The album 'Find Me In These Fields' goes to bizarre lengths to carve out every good thing about the bass and the kick. It's like listening to the entire record through an old pocket radio... good artistry but one of the worst mixed albums using this method: Example: Strong Tower kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4CpnoN3hKikfNU

[@drumcoversbysean9802]

no cheatsheet

[@cadelegat]

is my guy mixing kirk franklin!?

[@shahnewazmanto4798]

Just show the technique, i heard the talking part 100 times

[@farhanhosseini3881]

Mixing in context and using refrence it could be a best tips and tricks 4 every thing.

[@d-watshoustonsfinest7363]

Just deduct from what you're paying him..I bet that'll teach him.

[@Fineviech]

Great that you already know stuff but there are people who don't and for those it's pretty helpful lol

[@ObieOneHHH]

No homo but I love you.

[@OXyGeNe8DJ]

Starts 6:56

[@TheoVoidTV]

Maybe I'm not exactly sure what I'm hearing but every time I record bass guitar (DI into audio focus rite 2i4-Into Live 10) It's got this boominess in the low end but when I eq it out the bass loses it's bass-ness! Suggestions?

[@bennyelsensohn9299]

Hi! Do you get thr boomyness on headphones or studio monitors. If its on studio monitors, than it's the build-up and resonance in your room. If your working space is near a corner, than you get it from there. DI Bass with every knob on flat can't sound boomy wothout processing. I think it's your room. Try headphones or bounce a recorded file and check on other devices in other rooms. If the boomyness is in your room where you record, plan and invest in acoustic treatment. Rob has a great video about treatment on his channel.

[@rRichmoo7]

To be more prof, you should pay more attention to how loud your music is compared to the talking parts.

[@Dablessingproduction]

A lot of you are so mean. Someone takes their time to teach you something and what you do is say mean things. It is his video and that's how he teaches. If you can’t wait 6 mins to see the EQ, why don't you go somewhere else? Do your own tutorials if you feel you can do better.

[@KudosCultureCartel]

14:17 basically. thank me later

[@horstlemke9591]

Alles gut erklärt, dennoch sehr "langatmig" in der Theorie, vielleicht die Erklärungen etwas kürzer fassen (weniger reden, mehr zeigen und hören!!!), damit auch "Newcomer" mehr Interesse an so einem Tutorial haben. Viele Grüße, Horst Lemke, Musicproducer, Germany

[@johnmorris2170]

A real bass guitar or even a sample of bass guitar will not just have the fundamental notes. All the fundamental notes will have UPPER and LOWER harmonics. The bass (if it's a real bass and not "one note" synth bass) it will have plenty of UPPER harmonics that will go right up into the midrange. No need to pocket. Mixers in the old days didn't have this problem as big as it is today. Yes, let's high pass the bass. Let's cut the balls off the bass. Most of the upper harmonics of bass is around the 500hz - 800hz. You know who does a lot of this frequency sculpturering? Rupert Hine. Have a listen to Rush's, "Presto" and "Roll The Bones." Overly bright and little bottom end. In fact "Roll The Bones" has NO BOTTOM END AT ALL. HIGH PASS MADNESS.

[@crapadopalese]

My goooooood this is so repetitive. You're just wasting time to stretch the video. Count how many times the word pocket is said up to the fourth minute.

[@oqsy]

crapodopalese pocket

[@jackempson3044]

Good info but he talks too much.

[@svenrustempasic8332]

Half of this video is overbearing, time-wasting, exibitionism of this fellow - the other half is relevant.

[@GoransMusicCircle]

Thanks!