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[Waltz Mastering]

I've received a couple songs recently where the bass plays a low octave C1 note(32Hz)  with the bass sound  pretty much being a sine wave.

In the studio  the note is very clear (full range speakers) but the note disappears on headphones and conventional speakers.

I'm having a stem of the bass and a mix with out the bass sent, but was curious for any tips?

[Viitalahde]

Here's something pretty extreme I've done exactly twice in my life, although the bass sound was probably weaker in these than it is in your case:

I go through the tracks as usual, doing the best job I possibly can. After all the tracks are done, I go to the processed tracks and put a pretty steep low pass filter in them (plugin), or EQ them so that you pretty much only hear the bass notes, evenly.

This track I crank into my chain again, this time a little grungier. I've got good results by going pretty loud into my Knif Pure Mu compressor and fiddling with HEDD's pentode/tape controls. Some EQ might also be needed. What I try to do is to create some good harmonics there and clearly hear how the bassline goes.

Record it back, align with the original (processed), and sum. The last time I had this pretty hot signal summed at about -30dB, and it still managed to make the bass articulate quite a bit better.

Overkill.. But did the job in these cases.

EDIT: Oh, you've got the bass stem. I'd just try to create some upper harmonics to that one.

[Waltz Mastering]

Thx. Sounds like it would be worth trying.

So, if I'm following it right, parallel process the mix with a mix that's been filtered down to around 40Hz (It's just the one note that goes away because "normal" speakers can't really read it).

I was thinking about the overtone thing but on a sign wave, it's going to be difficult.

Still waiting on stems.

[Tomas Danko]

If you distort the stem you create harmonics that make the note easier to hear, and then you can attenuate some of the fundamental to give small speakers an easier task.

Waves MaxxBass does something similar, it's all psycho acoustics FTW.

[Waltz Mastering]

Thx,  Once I get the bass stem I'll try adding a little drive and also give it a shot on the LP filtered stem.

[jdg]

do you really need to hear that note? without it, does the song fall apart?

i would just leave it as is for the ppl who have systems that go low low low

[Waltz Mastering]

+1, I'd just assume leave it,..The trade off I'm finding is that if I get it to sound good on headphones an consumer speakers, it gets a bit heavy for full range. The client had brought it up before working on the song, but I'd never realized what a bitch of a note that was. C#s fine. Ended up using a sharp filter at 40 Hz in parallel and and so far so good.

[pmx]

if you 'create' more 1st and above harmonics, you'll get the missing fundamental effect on speakers that don't reproduce 32. no 32 in sight, but your brain will hear it.

[Greg Youngman]

If that C note (32.703 Hz if tuned to A=440)occurs at multiple times during the song, you could look at the times that C note occurs with a spectrum analyzer and see how it's level is compared to other bass notes.  Surgically select every instance the C note plays and adjust accordingly.  This way you can adjust just that note and not that frequency throughout the song.

[compasspnt]

But it may not be the >actual< level, it is more likely the >apparent< level when played on certain speaker systems.

[Waltz Mastering]

Greg Youngman wrote on Sat, 02 October 2010 10:57

If that C note (32.703 Hz if tuned to A=440)occurs at multiple times during the song, you could look at the times that C note occurs with a spectrum analyzer and see how it's level is compared to other bass notes.  Surgically select every instance the C note plays and adjust accordingly.  This way you can adjust just that note and not that frequency throughout the song.

Thx.  They ended up doing a ride on all the C1 notes as a recall back in the mix stage and sent that version as an alternate.

As far as I know the artist is leaning in the direction of the version done with parallel.. a slow R&b tune so it was noticeable.

I usually don't associate frequency with note values when it comes to eq, but this one had me wondering what was up.

compasspnt wrote on Sat, 02 October 2010 12:05

But it may not be the >actual< level, it is more likely the >apparent< level when played on certain speaker systems.

That's precisely what it is.

[Geoff Emerick de Fake]

http://www.waves.com/Content.aspx?id=327
It's supposed to be exactly what the doctor ordered...

[TotalSonic]

Geoff Emerick de Fake wrote on Sat, 02 October 2010 17:38

http://www.waves.com/Content.aspx?id=327 It's supposed to be exactly what the doctor ordered...

fwiw - Voxengo's LF Max Punch - http://www.voxengo.com/product/lfmaxpunch/ - in my experience sounds way better than Waves Maxx Bass.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[Geoff Emerick de Fake]

You're probably right. I never used any of them.