What’s the first thing to do when you want
more of that big bass sound?
“Boost the bass!” with a low shelf EQ
filter.
OK, don’t lie.
We’ve all done it!
Unfortunately, that’s not the best way to
get the full and rich bass sound you want
– and it can actually make the bass sound
really muddy.
Instead of boosting the bass, let me give
you three counterintuitive tips.
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The tips I am about to go over actually came
from a good friend of mine, James Wasem.
He is the author of Great Church Sound, a
book I highly recommend picking up on Amazon.
I’ll include a link in the description.
Alright, first tip is to cut frequencies below
40 Hz.
The lowest note on a 4-string bass guitar
only goes down to 41 Hz, so filtering frequencies
below that note just helps remove any extra
rumble and clear up the lows.
Next tip: Boost mids for more clarity and
tone.
Mid frequencies in the 400-900 Hz range will
have a lot of tone and punch from the harmonic
frequencies of the bass strings.
Applying a modest boost of select frequencies
in this range can help clear up a muddy sounding
bass, add more defined musical tone, and could
provide some of that extra punch you’re
looking for.
Here’s the third tip.
Add presence and pop with a high-mids boost.
If your bass player uses a pick or likes to
play with a slap-bass style, then making a
small boost in the 1-4 kHz range will really
make the string sound stand out.
While using EQ to cut frequencies is always
the preferred method, don’t be afraid to
boost a few frequencies here and there.
It can really be effective in making things
pop in your mix.
Now, if you find yourself overwhelmed with
EQ, James Wasem and I created a course just
for you.
Get everything you need to know, and nothing
you don’t, to feel comfortable and confident
as you are adjusting those EQ filters.
Learn more about the EQ Crash Course at collaborateworship.com/eq.
I’ll also include a link in the description.
If you have questions, drop them in the comments.
I’d be glad to answer.
If you’d like to see more videos like this,
give me a thumbs up to let me know.
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See ya next time.
