Bass Guitar Compression: Now or Later?

[hasbeen]

I used to always put a bit of compression on my bass when recording direct. With all of the amazing plug in compressors available, are you waiting to use compression after recording the bass guitar? Or doing hardware on the way in and then adding more?

[paul999]

As a general rule I do not make any compressor do all the work. A little on the way in, a little more as I mix, some more in it's sub group, even more on the 2 buss. I use all hardware compression at the moment and I find this approach generally lends to keeping sources sounding big.

[The Real MC]

For non-DAW recording, compression should be post processing. If you print the compression as part of the bass track and it doesn't sound right, there is no way to "undo" compression.

[litepipe]

depends on the sound you are going for. I'm not a mix it later kind of guy. I'm old school and make my decisions on the spot. You'll make some mistakes until you really get good at it. The only way to learn is to make mistakes. I would be careful how much "learning" you do that when clients are paying... Often you only need a little compression when tracking if any. Unless you're going for an effect or Beatly type squash. I do a lot of mixing while tracking. I want to hear what it's going to sound like in playback.

[Ron Vogel]

I tried it several times and regretted it later...there is really no need to comp it on the way in so why do it?

Sometimes a song can develop to the point that it changes the direction of the mix...like said before you can't un-comp it.

[Lenzo]

My input would be that unless you have a inexperienced player who is playing very dynamically, so that you have to tame some peaks, then use just enough to keep your peaks from distorting...otherwise, do it later.
L.

[wwittman]

Originally Posted by The Real MC

If you print the compression as part of the bass track and it doesn't sound right, there is no way to "undo" compression.

then make it sound "right" and you don't need to "undo" it



always on the way in, for me

[henge]

Originally Posted by The Real MC

For non-DAW recording, compression should be post processing. If you print the compression as part of the bass track and it doesn't sound right, there is no way to "undo" compression.

Sure there is. Recut the track.

Originally Posted by litepipe

depends on the sound you are going for. I'm not a mix it later kind of guy. I'm old school and make my decisions on the spot. You'll make some mistakes until you really get good at it. The only way to learn is to make mistakes. I would be careful how much "learning" you do that when clients are paying... Often you only need a little compression when tracking if any. Unless you're going for an effect or Beatly type squash. I do a lot of mixing while tracking. I want to hear what it's going to sound like in playback.

Man it's alot easier to paste a great reply than to make one up yourself!

[Lenzo]

Originally Posted by henge

Sure there is. Recut the track.

Yeah, you or your bass player just played great on a track after 4 or 5 takes, and because you over compressed it, you go back and do it again or worse, you don't realize how much you killed it until you get into mixing it...then you leave it sucking or reset for bass..retune, etc., or even worse, the original bass player is long gone and your SOL. I wouldn't cut and paste this reply too often.
L.

[kafka]

Originally Posted by Lenzo

My input would be that unless you have a inexperienced player who is playing very dynamically, so that you have to tame some peaks, then use just enough to keep your peaks from distorting...otherwise, do it later.
L.

+1. I usually use just a little limiting to keep it from clipping. Even then, I've usually set the gain low enough so that it either never or just barely trips.

[Swamp Thing]

I mostly use an analog compressor do the work both while recording and after. When "in the box" i often limit the deep end of the bass to make it more steady.

[nedorama]

As always, "It Depends."

Usually will record bass DI through a Summit 2BLA preamp into a TLA50 tube limiter, just to make the recording slightly more even but to bring warmth into it. Once I have the track in Pro Tools, will then look to add compression with one of many plugins.

For recording bass through an amp, I have found for some styles the Keeley compressor is hard to beat - sounds great and just evens out the dynamics slightly without quashing the sound.

[malaclypse]

For bass, I usually record a DI track and the amp, and I always compress the amp track on the way in and leave the DI track alone until mix. if I'm just doing DI, then i will compress it a bit on the way in. I'm also not worried about messing it up, because after all these years, i know how to use compression to achieve what I'm going for.

[Musiclab]

Originally Posted by Ron Vogel

I tried it several times and regretted it later...there is really no need to comp it on the way in so why do it?

uhhh because it sounds good, if you have a good compressor set right. If not don't

[jinksdingo]

I find most Miked Bass Amps EQ'd right smooth out the notes whereas the DI needs a touch of comp set to even out the instrument.
Depends on what I got and is not set in stone.

[kafka]

Originally Posted by Musiclab

uhhh because it sounds good, if you have a good compressor set right. If not don't

+1. As with guitar, sometimes compression is part of the sound. If it is, record it. If not, don't. I usually don't, so I just use it as a fail-safe to keep that occasional odd note from clipping. But if compression is part of the sound, I wouldn't hesitate to stick one in the chain, or even slam it.

[MarkhamCornoit]

I generally do the compressing first, then do my EQing. My reason for doing this is that putting a compressor after the EQ will then cause any boosts. In a higher headroom environment, such as Protocols LE’s 48 bit fixed, or most other DAWs 32 bit floating mixers, this isn’t nearly as much of an issue, though you still need to pay attention to gain staging.

[Ron Vogel]

Originally Posted by kafka

+1. As with guitar, sometimes compression is part of the sound. If it is, record it. If not, don't. I usually don't, so I just use it as a fail-safe to keep that occasional odd note from clipping. But if compression is part of the sound, I wouldn't hesitate to stick one in the chain, or even slam it.

I guess that's my take because I'm the one playing...and if I need to comp it, then I should really be looking at my playing.

I'm not saying I haven't ever done it, but IMHO it's something more or less a band aid.

For that very reason I sold my only hardware compressor and haven't looked back.

[Dean Roddey]

I do all compression on everything on the way in, since I'm the only one affected if I get it wrong, and if I do get it wrong, I try to understand why so I can get it right next time. A Blackfinger compressor pedal or 1176 are both nice for bass. Definitely if playing through an amp I'd want to get the amount of compression on the way to the amp sounding nice as played.

[kennybro]

A touch of easy does it comp on the way in never hurt anything. It's never anything that'll ever need to be undone, for me anyway, as I've never delivered a finished mix without some level of comp on the bass. Just a smoothing agent to keep things in the mix.

Only time I'll ever really lay it on thick is if I've got a pop/slapper going crazy, just to keep the transients inside the envelope.

[Musiclab]

As someone who has to mix projects where no or very little compression is used, you make the mixing tougher by not compressing a little on the way in.
Compression is a sound, and it's the sound of records, using a little ain't going to hurt anything, provided you have a good compressor

[Hendyamps]

Originally Posted by paul999

As a general rule I do not make any compressor do all the work. A little on the way in, a little more as I mix, some more in it's sub group, even more on the 2 buss. I use all hardware compression at the moment and I find this approach generally lends to keeping sources sounding big.

I agree with this advice. I compress before the poweramp, from the mic, and usually during mixdown.

[Silent Sound]

Originally Posted by kafka

+1. As with guitar, sometimes compression is part of the sound. If it is, record it. If not, don't. I usually don't, so I just use it as a fail-safe to keep that occasional odd note from clipping. But if compression is part of the sound, I wouldn't hesitate to stick one in the chain, or even slam it.

+1 Well said!

[Jazz Noise]

Originally Posted by kafka

+1. As with guitar, sometimes compression is part of the sound. If it is, record it. If not, don't. I usually don't, so I just use it as a fail-safe to keep that occasional odd note from clipping. But if compression is part of the sound, I wouldn't hesitate to stick one in the chain, or even slam it.

Definitely +1! This is the difference between compression as an effect or as a mixing tool.

[lakeshorephatty]

Answers are going to vary here on taste.

There is no right answer for all of us.

The right answer for me is to always track with compression. I'd never get the sound I love without compression on a bass. Sometimes insane amounts depending on what the track calls for.

Russell