Guitar Mixing Tips – Complete Guide for Bass and Acoustic Guitars
We bet that nearly every guitarist and bassist started their career with playing acoustic guitars and had to record it at some point. That’s why we’re going to give you some advice on how to do it on your own. And, since there is no good song without a proper bassline, we’re going to cover some bass recording tips, as well.
Luckily, no matter if you’re playing metal or jazz, there are general rules that apply to all genres and we will gladly help you learn some of the mixing basic principles today.
Advantages of Learning to Mix Guitar Well
While it’s not necessary for every player to know how to mix, it has become quite affordable thanks to Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) and all the computer software out there. So here are some advantages if you decide to get deeper into mixing:
It’s a Budget Saving Skill
Renting a decent studio can cost you a lot and, frankly, to be honest, nowadays there are many plugins and amp simulations that might sound as good as the real thing, especially in the studio mix. The only tracks left that need to be recorded in the proper studio are drums and vocals. So, if you learn how to mix well, you can save yourself or your band a lot of money that can be invested in better equipment later.
May Provide Extra Income
It’s not just that you will save some money from not renting a studio, this may become your side job, too. If you become good at it, you may get an invite to mix for someone else, or maybe work as a sound guy for a live show or for editing a podcast. The thing about mixing guitars is that you will eventually learn more about other instruments as well and be ready to take the next step.
You Evolve as a Player
Once you put your time in learning how to mix, you will understand the nature of your instrument’s sound much better. It will also shift your approach to everything music-related. As you keep recording yourself, your playing and tone sculpting, in particular, will improve. It will be much easier to see a bigger picture behind the song arrangement and think less as a musician and more like a producer. Even listening to music will become different and you will be surprised how you can detect even fine details.
General Mixing Tips, Tricks, and Hacks for Success
These are general tips that can apply to both acoustic guitar and bass guitars:
Get Some New Strings
How often do you change your strings? For guitar, it is recommended to change them every three months, while bass strings last much longer (change them once a year), but, regardless of time, consider doing it if you’re about to record an important album or song in the studio.
New strings resonate better, add clarity to sound, and give you more sustain and punch when needed.
It’s All About the Hand Work – Be Ready to Put in the Time
You may have forgotten that most of your tone comes from your hand, especially rhythm parts. So, if you’re looking for a tone with a lot of power, think about how hard you are picking those notes. Aggressive play can allow you to lower your overall gain and get a sound with more presence. So, don’t be shy, kill those strings! It also might be a surprise, but using a thicker pick can improve your rhythm tone definition, too.
Song Character
While you may have an extraordinary guitar sound, it is possible that it doesn’t fit in the mix very well. Every song carries a certain vibe that may not align with the sonic character of your guitar every time. That’s why you should pick a guitar tone based on the song structure, not the other way around. Some require a brighter tone, others will work better with a more mellow tone. And also remember to adapt your playing to the song. You don’t need neoclassical shredding in a pop-rock song.
Less is More – Keep it Simple
You can be a very talented player with many tricks in your sleeve. But that doesn’t mean you need to show off in every song. Sure, show what you’re capable of, but put it in such a way that a listener wants to hear more from you.
Music should be treated like regular talk. There is no better thing than saying the right words at the right time. Remember that most people listen to the song in general rather than your instrument specifically. If you neglect the song, your performance, no matter how good it sounds, won’t make the impression you think it would.
Be Sure You Can Play The Song Well (and Live)
Modern DAW software can create wonders and allow you to take an infinite number of takes and overdubs. While it is a time-saver, you should always record takes to repeat later. Guitar-oriented music is meant to be played live and you won’t be doing yourself any favors with recording something you’re not capable of performing live.
Ask a Producer for Help
If, by chance, you have any friends who are studio producers, ask them for their opinion. They have a lot of recording experience in various setups and are trained to see at least one step ahead. You may agree or disagree with them, but it’s always good to have another set of ears to you a different point of view that might save you a lot of time experimenting.
Acoustic Guitar Mixing Tips
And here are some fundamental tips for recording your acoustic guitar properly:
Microphone Setup is Key
A large frame condenser microphone is an all-around studio recording tool and can be used for vocal recordings, too. The best setup is to place it in front of the soundhole, angle towards the 12th fret and set it one foot away. Anything closer will make your sound boomy. If an acoustic guitar isn’t the main instrument in the mix, use a low-pass filter to cut out unwanted frequencies.
Recording Acoustic Guitars With Electronics
If your guitar has electronics inside, you can plug it directly into a sound card or mixing board. This will give you more upfront tone that may sound very dry for some. You can fix this by adding a little bit of room reverb. And, of course, you can record with both electronics and microphone in two separate channels and blend those signals together later.
Remove Unwanted Frequencies
The magic that makes a song sound professional lies in cutting the unwanted frequencies, not adding more. The same applies to your guitar. Guitar instruments are mostly a mid-range instrument. Unless you’re doing a full unplugged session, they don’t need to go low, that’s the zone for the bass guitar and kick drum. Also, depending on the singer’s vocal range, you may need to draw back frequencies from your guitar track that interfere with their singing. This can help them to be more present in the mix.
Bass Guitar Mixing Tips
Now, let’s cover some specific tips for bass guitars recordings, as well:
Use an Amp and DI Box
Using both amp recording and a DI box allows you to get a different sound character that you can blend later to get the tone you want with a more solid low-end. However, before blending, check the phase issues on those tracks or you may end with a nasal flangey sound that will weaken the overall tone.
Bass Frequencies Done Right
Low mids are fundamental to your sound definition. Depending on the song genre, you may cut it a lot for a faster track such as rock or metal songs or beef it up for a pop or jazz. And as people are listening to music on their smartphones so much these days, you may carefully emphasize the zone around 1kHz so they can actually hear the bass line.
Compression – Get it Right
Bass sounds best when it doesn’t stand out from the rest of the song mix. Due to its dynamic range, a song can benefit a lot if compression is applied to the bass track. It will tame the bass recording so that more quiet notes come up while slapping will be tamed.
Use a Reference Song
We all had role models we looked up to and wanted to sound just like those guys. So, if you know a song that has a sound you would like to have, there’s nothing wrong with loading it in your project to compare, maybe even record the same groove or riff in order to do the A/B testing before recording your song.
Conclusion
In the end, mixing tips are just general rules on how things should be done. But, the truth is that most groundbreaking revolutionary mixing solutions happened either by accident or because someone didn’t strictly follow the rules, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
Relax and try to remember how long it took you to learn to play your instrument. Learning how to mix properly won’t be an overnight process. Practice makes perfection in any task and you will learn a lot more if you start actually doing it right now, rather than just reading about it.
This article was written by the team over at Gear Savvy, an instrument and audio blog that’s dedicated to offering sound advice to everyone, regardless of their experience level.
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