Bass distortion?

Souvlaki Playstation · Post by **Souvlaki Playstation** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 8:23 pm

I'm new to Ableton and so far I've recorded a few synth tracks just fine, but sometimes when I try to play a drum kit or add some bassy keys, all I get is a wall of distorted fuzz. The thing is I seem to get this even when the levels are turned down a good bit, far below any other tracks playing in the session.

In other words, I'll be playing a bass drum beat on my keyboard and have the volume so low I can barely hear it over everything else, but the levels are still peaking into the red every time I strike. What gives? I've also had problems with certain instruments (as well as some instances of live recording) when it comes to volume level. I'll crank the volume level in Ableton all the way to 6 and still barely be able to hear the instrument over other tracks, even if it's going into the red and distorting. Does any of this sound familiar to anyone?

muscleandhate · Post by **muscleandhate** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 8:34 pm

What are you using, i.e. computer spec, hardware and version of Ableton.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 9:12 pm

- and are you using the built-in instruments or third-party software plugins?

Souvlaki Playstation · Post by **Souvlaki Playstation** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 12:15 am

I'm running on XP with Live 5.0.3

As for built in instruments verse plugins I use a little of both, though I find the problem less prevalent in the plugins now that I think about it. The hardware I use is an M-audio firewire solo and an Axiom 49 key.

Edit: Let me clarify that I can get the bassy instruments to play without peaking, the problem is I have to have them so low that they're practically inaudible over everything else.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 12:17 am

Souvlaki Playstation wrote:I'm running on XP with Live 5.0.3
.

Ah! Upgrade to live 5.2.2 then we'll talk.

http://www.ableton.com/update

tylenol · Post by **tylenol** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 1:59 am

Souvlaki Playstation wrote:Edit: Let me clarify that I can get the bassy instruments to play without peaking, the problem is I have to have them so low that they're practically inaudible over everything else.

Maybe this is too obvious, but have you tried lowering everything else (and/or lowering the master fader, though many people frown on this)? If the whole mix seems too quiet at this point just increase the hardware volume.

Also, do you have other sounds in the same frequency range (i.e. is the kick competing with a bass, which usually results in the kick sounding "thinner" than it would without the bass)? Are you mixing on headphones, or small speakers with no sub? These could be contributing factors. The first you would fix by taking this into account in the arrangement of the song, by using an EQ to ramp off low frequencies on e.g. mid-range pads, or possibly by using sidechain compression. The second you would take into account by being aware of the frequency response curve of whatever you're listening on.