mixing bass with hard snappy plucks

[joninc]

I'm mixing an indie rock song with some pretty intense plucky bass where the first hit of a run has a hard "snap" .

maybe the comp they were using kicks in after this first hit cause its usually fine until the bass stops and starts again - then the first hit snaps again. it's fairly loud/bright and distracting and sounds like digital clipping so it needs to be minimized.

what's YOUR best way to tame these hard snaps?

I've been just manually automating the volume down as no compressor seems fast enough to grab em.

Curious if any of you have better tips or other ways to address this... I don't want to roll off all the top end cause it does need to cut through and drive the song.

(no i did not record this nor can will it be re-recorded)

[digitaldrummer]

sometimes I'll go in and do a very slight fade on each of the offending notes - just enough to soften the attack so that it sits where I want it (I've done it on an acoustic guitar too where the player got a little too excited...). Hopefully it's not too many if you choose this method, but it can be effective if done carefully.

[Scodiddly]

Hmmm... make a copy of the track, slide it a tiny bit back in time, and use that as the sidechain to a compressor?

[drumsound]

Hmmm... make a copy of the track, slide it a tiny bit back in time, and use that as the sidechain to a compressor?

That's kinda brilliant.

[vvv]

If yer ITB you can actually use a click-remover, which I find most accurate when blowing up the track visually and just applying it right on the peak of the attack spike - it's basically un-noticeable that you did it.

An FFT view makes that a faster process.

A low-pass filter can help some, also, but not totally.

FWIW, I find this an issue when recording with certain effects (envelopes, chorus, but not always), or sometimes just when using a pick or slapping.

Never been much of a issue with plucks for me, but I reckon I don't do that much.

My fingerstyle, I never have that issue.

Also, sometimes the compressor is set to squash a fair amount but starts too slow, and I notice that more with tube compressors, and also tube pre's.

But really, with bass, it's a matter of playing technique and monitoring to be able to hear it when it happens.

I record me with FX and 'pressors going in all of the time, but when recording someone else I like to record a safety track with minimal or no FX onnit.

[joninc]

If yer ITB you can actually use a click-remover, which I find most accurate when blowing up the track visually and just applying it right on the peak of the attack spike - it's basically un-noticeable that you did it.

who makes this?

[Recycled_Brains]

Probably a multi-stage process, but I would start with some sort of saturation plugin to clip the peaks (Fabfilter Saturn works best for me). Compressors never work.

You could also try re-drawing the waveform. I've had occasional success with that.

If you can find other instances of the offending note that aren't so crazy, cut/paste.

[drumsound]

Doesn't Split EQ or something else from Eventide made for things like this? The plugin separates the transients from the sustain and allows you to treat them differently.

[vvv]

If yer ITB you can actually use a click-remover, which I find most accurate when blowing up the track visually and just applying it right on the peak of the attack spike - it's basically un-noticeable that you did it.

who makes this?

I use it in Cool Edit Pro (now Audition) but I've seen it in other DAW's - it's usually linked in "noise reduction" menus.

BTW, "hard snappy plucks" might be my next band name.



Top 'o the page toya's!

[digitaldrummer]

a transient designer might work too. I've never really found one that you can just slap on the track and it works for every problem though. That's why I do the fade thing on the worst offenders.

But, more than once, I have used this free plugin from Flux called Bittersweet - https://www.flux.audio/project/bittersweet-freeware/
I've used it on acoustic guitars (works great for tracks that were recorded with import mics that pickup too much clicky pick noise) - just move it toward "sweet" and it rounds off the sharp transients. I've been able to fix 90% or more of the track with just this. of course it will depend on the track.

btw, I kinda hate their installer...

I have Waves De-click but never found it that useful. I also have Izotope RX6, but it always left too much artifacts (or killed the tone)

[vvv]

Yeah, Waves De-Click is anuvver.

The trick with that, like with Cool Edit, is to "manually" apply it - why a Fournier view can help.

Set auto, as I recall, (I think that was Waves), it missed too many.

[Nick Sevilla]

If it's inside your DAW: just select the offending giant click, and GAIN it down a lot. I do. Takes a few seconds, and you don't have to fiddle for minutes with plugins.

Just bring it down in level until it is no longer a concern.

[Recycled_Brains]

If it's inside your DAW: just select the offending giant click, and GAIN it down a lot. I do. Takes a few seconds, and you don't have to fiddle for minutes with plugins.

Just bring it down in level until it is no longer a concern.

This makes sense too, but I also feel like this isn't just a gain/volume issue. Even if you turn down the transient, it's still there and is more manageable, but it's still not going to sound soft. Just quieter.

[TapeOpLarry]

iZotope RX via standalone and I'll do minute little tweaks with Gain module usually. Reducing gain on the brighter parts and leaving the body intact.

or putting those exact spots on their own track and treating differently with EQ and such.

[Nick Sevilla]

This makes sense too, but I also feel like this isn't just a gain/volume issue. Even if you turn down the transient, it's still there and is more manageable, but it's still not going to sound soft. Just quieter.

I know what you mean. It's called "bass playing technique."