new tune

I think the bassline is clipping. There's some nasty distortion there that I do not think is entirely intended. The samples sound nice and produce a good atmosphere. The snare sounds a little thin. This is more like background/soundtrack music and not so much a tune.

bassnation said:

thanks for listening and the feedback!

yeah, it is clipping a bit - trying to learn how to compress and eq basslines and drums properly - any tips would be gladly received this side of production is something i want to get to grips with. someone advised me that its more important to pick sounds that sit well together than it is to eq afterwards.
marc

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Well, don't ask me. Getting the bass right is kinda like drawing wheels on cars, the hardest part. That advice sounds right to me. The bass could use some EQ and volume changes but the snare just needs a different sample.

I think with the bass it's a good idea to really cut stuff below about 40hz since most speakers can't really reproduce those frequencies so they just take up space in the mix. Another common mistake with beginners is to turn up the bass too loud. I think it's because we think that the bass needs to be heard like a melodic element when all it needs to do is be a presence. You don't need to be actively aware of it for it to do the job.

The part of the bass that can be heard melodically lies somewhere around 300 hz. So if you want a catchy bassline do not use sounds that are very low or make sure that in addition to physically impactful 60hz frequencies there are also some 300hz level harmonics in there.

DigitalDjigit said:

Getting the bass right is kinda like drawing wheels on cars, the hardest part.

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So true.

DigitalDjigit said:

The part of the bass that can be heard melodically lies somewhere around 300 hz. So if you want a catchy bassline do not use sounds that are very low or make sure that in addition to physically impactful 60hz frequencies there are also some 300hz level harmonics in there.

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Thanks for the tips. I recently picked up a free spectrum analyser VST plugin to help me keep an eye on these things but it's still pretty hit and miss. Plus I'm always of two minds about cutting off the sub-bass. Should I aim for home stereos or, if I might send out a demo, do I keep a club system in mind?

And Marc, I really like the atmosphere in this one, especially when those bending bell sounds come in just before 2:00, and the way the vocal samples work with the crashing sounds. The bass is nice and sick. It could maybe change up a bit (pitch change or maybe reverse?).

Yeah, apart from the mixing issues, I reckon it's coming along nicely. Send me the finished mix when you've tweaked it! lookin' forward to some demos from you too, Paul

bassnation said:

thanks nick! i'd love to.

btw, heres another earlier one i did recently, the bass is nicely compressed on this one so its loud without distorting - but i ditched it because i felt the last half of the song was a bit cheesy. see what you think.
http://www.bassnation.uk.net/sound/itchyscratchy.mp3

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I wouldn't say it sounded cheesy particularly. I like the way it suddenly changes pace and gets all Amen on my ass. Just needs a little tightening up with the edits. Sounds like a perfectly good b-side to me