muddy bass

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

David Grant wrote:
> I'm playing my mixes on my average-sounding computer speakers. Low bass
> guitar notes consistantly come through muddily though they sound clear and
> well defined on my monitors. I've heard notes this low on commercial
> recordings play well on these speakers, so I'm assuming there's a solution.
>
> Is this something that's usually addressed during the mastering stage? Is
> some processing often done such as Waves MaxxBass where the fundemental bass
> frequencies get removed and are replaced with a harmonic series from which
> the ear reconstructs the fundemental?
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Dave
> Does anyone have suggestions on things to try?

Try adding bass traps to the monitoring enviornment that you mix in. It
is possible that you have unconrtolled bass frequencies bounding around
in a way the the reflection become out of phase with the direct signle
and canele eah other out. That could lead you to beleive that there is
lass low end in the mix than is acutall there. Then you add more and it
sounds good until you bring it some place else and hear the probelm.
THe commercial CDs where probably mix and almost defintely masterd in a
room without major acoustical deficiencies and that's why you don't
hear problems with them.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Mike Caffrey <mike@monsterisland.com> wrote:
>David Grant wrote:
>> I'm playing my mixes on my average-sounding computer speakers. Low bass
>> guitar notes consistantly come through muddily though they sound clear and
>> well defined on my monitors. I've heard notes this low on commercial
>> recordings play well on these speakers, so I'm assuming there's a solution.
>>
>> Is this something that's usually addressed during the mastering stage? Is
>> some processing often done such as Waves MaxxBass where the fundemental bass
>> frequencies get removed and are replaced with a harmonic series from which
>> the ear reconstructs the fundemental?
>>
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Dave
>> Does anyone have suggestions on things to try?
>
>Try adding bass traps to the monitoring enviornment that you mix in. It
>is possible that you have unconrtolled bass frequencies bounding around
>in a way the the reflection become out of phase with the direct signle
>and canele eah other out. That could lead you to beleive that there is
>lass low end in the mix than is acutall there. Then you add more and it
>sounds good until you bring it some place else and hear the probelm.
>THe commercial CDs where probably mix and almost defintely masterd in a
>room without major acoustical deficiencies and that's why you don't
>hear problems with them.

Bass trapping to fix room modes is never a bad idea, but you also can't
expect anything with any real low end to work on cheap multimedia speakers.
-scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."