Tracking mistake! ...Suggestions?

[MechaGodzilla]

Hey all,
I've been working with this pop rock group (ala Starflyer 59 and TZAR). We've just finished overdubs, and upon beginning a mix, I've noticed an error I didn't catch while tracking - The bass is (mildly) distorted - Not a harsh stompbox distortion, but certainly lacking the fidelity of what we were going for. Very ugly.

The input chain was both a DI and an RE20 (on an Ampeg Rocket Bass), thru a summit tube pre -> 1178 (4:1)-> 2" 24tk (MCI).

After showing the tracks to a few friends, the general consensus is that the battery in the bass player's active pickup was starting to die, since both the amp and DI have the same, lo-fi distortion.

The problem is, though, that the original bass player has already gone home, out-of-state, so the chances of him retracking his parts are slim.

I'm having trouble getting this to sit in the mix without sounding glaringly bad, and still be present.

...So, any suggestions / thoughts / comments on what to do, ie how to mask the effect and / or smooth out the sound?

Thanks!

peace,
A

[leigh]

Besides getting someone else to retrack the parts, I guess you'd have to look ahead to how the bass is going to sit in the mixes. If all you want is low end, why not try rolling off everything above 800 Hz, or whatever your favorite freq is?

Or if you need more definition than that, mult the track to 2 channels. One one channel, do the rolloff thing. On another, do a low-end rolloff (roughly complimentary to the high-end rolloff of the first channel) and mask the distortion with some flavor of distortion you like better. For example, run the high end of the bass through a Sansamp, or a slammed Distressor or 1176. Start with the second channel's fader all the way down, then slowly bring it up to taste. This could create a cool, buzzy edge to the notes, providing some definition.

Depending on the aethetics of the band, this idea could totally flop.

Leigh

[cgarges]

Right on, Leigh!

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[E-cue]

Mic Mod has saved me in the past for smoothing over distortion. Waves has an anti-distortion plug in comming out that is mind bogglingly cool, but I don't think it's commercially available yet (not de-noise, de-click, etc... but de-distort).

If it isn't consistantly distorting, you could try side chain compressing with an SSL and automating the side chain channel during times when distortion is going ape doo doo. It will mask or bring out more distortion depending of the type you have.

[joel hamilton]

I have used the UA 2-610 for this.

Without the mult, just using the DI going to the UA, then to an 1176.

The little EQ section on the UA helped, as far as getting a little bark out of the bass, but with a nice present lispy pick attack, rather than a farting pickup hit every time.

I also re-amped a farting bass and used a sansamp bass driver in front of the amp. that was nice, I kinda sculpted all the lows out of that, but caught some nice speaker presence that sat well against the DI.

It is amazing how distortion can be made into something perceived as tone if you get clever on its ass....

[MechaGodzilla]

...Excellent!
Thanks for the ideas; I'm feeling a little more hopeful on the issue now. -I'll let you all know how it turns out!

Peace,
A