To balance the direct sound and the amplified sound using a single track. In fact, compressing the bass track is so common in some music genres (rock, funk, etc.) that many bass amps are equipped with an internal compressor.Ĭheck out the results with the following dry take, then the same recording compressed with a Fairchild 670 emulation (a quite expensive compressor with a strong character): Why compression? For two main reasons: to control the high dynamic range of the recording (all the more when the bass is slapped) and to ensure that the bass guitar is present throughout the whole song. In many songs, the bass is recorded with a DI (Direct Injection) box, the DI output of the amp or directly into the mixing desk, heavily compressed, maybe EQed if necessary, and that’s it! DI yourselfĪs a consequence, and to avoid having an imprecise groove, bass guitars are generally recorded and mixed with a lot of soberness. Why? Because even with the most accurate player, it produces a huge bass sound but also leads to a loss in precision, which isn’t the best for the rhythmic foundations of the song. Unlike guitars, it’s very rare that a bass guitar is doubled or quadrupled during production. Responsible, together with the drums, of the rhythmic foundations of a song, the bass guitar as an instrument must be perfect in terms of timing.

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