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Playing & Recording

I like to record my bass guitar direct in playing with a pick and using my WAVES GTR3 plugin (which is awesome for bass and guitar btw) to fatten up my sound. I play with a pick to get a more even sound. I find that when I play with my thumb, my sound is not as even and it can be more difficult to correct with compression. If you are a good bass player maybe you won't have this issue (I'm not good.)

Compression

I think compression is often overused these days but the bass guitar is one place where it's usually needed. Start off with a compression ratio of 4:1 with an attack of 25 ms and a 500 ms release and then tweak things to your liking.

EQ

There's no set rules on how to EQ your bass but here's a hint to get you going: Try boosting the 400 Hz, 800 Hz, or 1600 Hz frequency. Notice that I said "or." That means figuring out which one sounds best, not boosting all three!

If you are getting a "muddy" or a "boomy" sound then try lowering the 120 to 200 Hz region.

Mixing

In the end you have to mix everything together. Set your panning for each instrument and set your levels. What am I getting at? Well the compression and EQ that sounds best on the bass on it's own may not be what sounds best when everything is playing together. You have to find "space" for each sound in your mix. That may mean further adjusting your compression & EQ.

You may also want to wait to do any compression and EQ until you get to this final point. I've often seen this recommended, but it's something I've never been able to do. I usually like to start twiddling with things right from the get go. I think it depends on what kind of music you are trying to create and what your own creative process is like.