One thing I really like to do on bass is use two compressors, each doing a little bit of work, instead of one compressor doing all of it. That’s kind of my whole philosophy on compression in general, but bass is where it really pays off, because the goal with bass is to get it sitting rock solid and steady underneath the drums.
Why two compressors instead of one
When you ask a single compressor to do a ton of work, it starts to sound choked and unnatural, like you’re strangling the instrument. But if you split that work across two compressors, each one only has to grab a little, and it stays natural while still getting you that steady, controlled low end. On the Wing you’ve got a great set of emulations to do this with, so it’s easy to set up.
So on my bass channel, I rearrange things to EQ first, then run two compressors after that.
Compressor one: the LA2A for the natural glue
The first one I set as the LA2A. What I love on an LA2A is when the bass is basically making the compressor hang out around 2 or 3 dB of gain reduction. I just like that sound. It’s really natural, it’s not overly choked or squashed, it’s just gently leveling things and gluing the low end together.
Compressor two: the Distressor for control
Then I jump to the second one and go a little more aggressive with the Distressor. I run it at a 2:1 ratio, crank the input up so it’s hitting a few dB of reduction, like 3 or 4 dB, set the attack around 6 and the release around 4, and then bring the output back down to level match so I’m not adding a bunch of extra volume.
Between the two of them, the bass just stays put. It’s not jumping up and down in level, it’s hanging right there with the drums and giving you a solid foundation, which is exactly what you want a bass to do in a worship mix.
The takeaway
More compressors each doing a little beats one compressor doing a lot, almost every time. It keeps the sound natural and gives you way more control over how the instrument sits. Try it on your bass first, because that’s where it makes the biggest difference.
If you want my full set of Wing presets for vocals, drums, bass, guitars, and keys already built and ready to load, they’re in my Wing Worship Preset Pack.
