Buster Odeholm’s Allt Bass Tone: Saturation, EQ & Layering

Let’s be real, the bass tones in Allt’s music, sculpted by the one and only Buster Odeholm (Humanity’s Last Breath, Vildhjarta, Born of Osiris), are absolutely monstrous. They’re not just low-end rumble; they’re an integral part of the sonic assault, providing weight, aggression, and clarity all at once. Ever wondered how he conjures such crushing yet defined bass? We got a peek into Buster’s process as he built a killer metal bass tone from scratch, and it’s packed with actionable insights you can use. This isn’t about slapping on a single preset; it’s a thoughtful, multi-stage approach.

If you want to see Buster Odeholm apply these techniques and more as he mixes Allt’s track “Emanate” from the ground up, you absolutely need to check out his full Nail The Mix session. But for now, let’s dive into some core components of his bass tone wizardry.

The Foundation: Signal Prep Before Destruction

Before you even think about cranking the gain, Buster emphasizes shaping the raw DI signal. This initial prep work is crucial for how the subsequent layers of saturation and processing will react.

EQing Into the Beast: Pre-Distortion Shaping

One of the first things Buster does is EQ before the distortion. This isn’t about making the DI sound perfect on its own; it’s about sculpting the frequencies that will feed into the distortion circuit. By cutting or boosting specific frequencies here, you can dramatically alter the character of the distortion – making it tighter, more aggressive in the mids, or less woofy in the lows. Think of it as telling the distortion which parts of the signal to chew on the most. For more on how to wield EQ like a pro, check out our EQ Strategies for Mixing Modern Metal guide.

Consistent Feed: Pre-Distortion Compression

To ensure the distortion reacts consistently to the performance, Buster often applies some compression before the distortion stages. This tames unruly peaks and evens out the dynamics of the bass playing, providing a more stable signal for the saturators to process. A more consistent input level means a more predictable and controlled distorted tone, preventing it from sounding overly squashed or, conversely, losing intensity on softer notes. Get the lowdown on Metal Compression Secrets Beyond Just Making It Loud to master this.

Layering the Grind: Multi-Stage Distortion

Buster doesn’t just rely on one distortion plugin. His approach often involves layering different types and amounts of saturation to build a complex, rich, and aggressive tone.

Main Aggression: Dialing in Heavy Saturation

For the primary distorted tone, Buster dives into “heavy saturation mode.” In the clip, this involved what appeared to be a multi-band distortion approach, possibly using a plugin like Neural DSP’s Parallax, where he mentioned applying it to “both these” – likely referring to different frequency bands or stages within the plugin. This allows for targeted distortion, getting grind in the mids and highs without making the lows flabby, or vice-versa.

Analog Character: Adding Tape Distortion

After the main distortion, Buster introduces another flavor: tape distortion. He specifically mentions a plugin that gives a similar vibe to FabFilter Saturn but without all the multi-band complexity – a straightforward tape emulation. He’s not shy about cranking this stage, then carefully dialing back the low-end controls on the plugin itself, as these can add a “whole bunch of low end” that might not be desirable after the initial saturation. This layer adds that analog-style warmth, harmonics, and a bit of glue.

Voicing the Tone: Cabs and Post-EQ

Once the distortion character is established, it’s time to shape it into a usable bass tone that sits perfectly in a dense metal mix.

The Crucial Cab Sim

A vital step in this process is running the heavily saturated signal through a cabinet IR or cab simulation. As Buster notes, he found a cab that “sounded good” from a previous session. The cab sim acts like a complex filter, shaping the harshness of the raw distortion into something that sounds like a real mic’d amp. Experimenting with different cab IRs is key here, as they drastically alter the final character of the bass.

Final Polish: Post-Distortion EQ

With the distortion and cab sim in place, Buster then applies EQ after all the gain stages. This post-distortion EQ serves a different purpose than the pre-distortion EQ. Here, it’s about refining the overall tonal balance, carving out space for other instruments (like kick drum and guitars), and enhancing the frequencies that help the bass cut through the mix. This is where you fine-tune the bite, the body, and the clarity.

Building the Subterranean Rumble: The Sub Bass Layer

A crushing distorted tone is great, but for that truly floor-shaking low-end, a dedicated sub-bass layer is often essential. Buster builds this meticulously.

Isolating and Controlling the Lows

He typically starts by taking a copy of the DI signal and filtering it heavily to isolate the fundamental low frequencies. Following this, he uses a plugin designed to even out the volume, ensuring the sub remains consistent and powerful without any wild dynamic swings.

Saturating the Sub

Yes, even the sub gets some distortion! This isn’t about making it fuzzy, but rather adding subtle harmonics that help the sub translate better on smaller speakers and add a bit more perceived power. Interestingly, Buster mentions he often reaches for a Pultec-style EQ here (likely for its classic low-end trick), but opted against it in this particular instance, showing that it’s about knowing the rules and when to break them.

Phase is King: Ensuring Low-End Cohesion

Critically, Buster emphasizes checking the phase relationship between the main distorted bass tone and this new sub layer. If these two signals are out of phase, you can get cancellations in the low end, resulting in a weak and hollow sound. Ensuring they are in phase (or adjusting until they are) is paramount for a tight, punchy bass foundation.

Adding Dimension: The Stereo Sub Element

To add a bit more width and space, Buster sometimes experiments with a stereo sub component. He demonstrated copying settings and mentioned a “doubler,” though the exact technique can vary. The key here is subtlety; he still wants the main (likely mono) distorted bass and the primary sub signal to be dominant and focused in the center. This stereo element is just a touch of seasoning.

Bringing It All Together

With all these layers carefully crafted – the pre-shaped DI, multiple distortion stages, cab simulation, post-EQ, and the dedicated sub-bass – the final step is blending.

The Art of the Blend

Buster makes it clear that even with exciting stereo sub elements or multiple layers, the primary distorted bass tone needs to remain dominant. It’s a balancing act, listening carefully to how each component contributes to the overall power and clarity of the bass in the context of a full mix.

The techniques Buster Odeholm uses are a fantastic roadmap for anyone looking to craft truly massive and modern metal bass tones. It’s about understanding how each stage of processing influences the next, from initial EQ shaping right through to the final blend.

Want to see Buster Odeholm put all of this into practice, explaining every decision as he mixes “Emanate” by Allt? Dive into his exclusive Nail The Mix session and get the multitracks to try it yourself! And if you’re ready to truly elevate your heavy mixes beyond presets and unlock your unique sound, Nail The Mix is where the pros share their secrets. For a deeper dive into transforming your mixes, explore our guide on Mixing Modern Metal Beyond Presets.