Forrester Savell’s Karnivool Bass Tone: An Outboard Gear Deep Dive

Karnivool. The name alone conjures images of intricate rhythms, expansive soundscapes, and a bass tone that’s both monstrously heavy and incredibly articulate. Ever wondered how producer Forrester Savell wrangles such a powerful low-end for this iconic Aussie band? We dove into a session with Forrester himself to see how he dials in that signature Karnivool bass, and it’s a masterclass in using choice outboard gear. Forget just slapping on a plugin; this is about feel, careful gain staging, and getting hands-on with some classic hardware. You can check out the full session here. Let’s dive in!

The Foundation: Blending Multiple Bass Layers

Before any fancy processing, Forrester starts with a solid foundation built from multiple bass sources. For this particular Karnivool track, he’s working with three distinct bass channels plus what he calls the “UB bass” from the “nightmare section.”

While a DI signal is present, Forrester emphasizes that for a band like Karnivool, a pure DI just doesn’t cut it. He’s not a huge fan of the raw DI sound for this style of music. Instead, he blends it with mic’d amp tones. Even if the amp sounds are similar, he’ll often use one of the original mic signals captured during drum tracking and combine that with a re-amped version.

These individual bass tracks are then routed to a single stereo bus in Pro Tools. This allows Forrester to process them as one cohesive bass instrument using a hardware insert, ensuring all layers get the same loving treatment.

Sculpting with Outboard EQ – The Best of Both Worlds

With the bass signals combined, it’s time to shape the tone. Forrester’s approach here involves two distinct EQs on his hardware insert chain, each serving a specific purpose.

Broad Strokes with the Pultec EQP-1A

First up in the chain is a classic: the Pultec EQP-1A (or a similar style unit). Forrester uses this for broad, musical enhancements.

• Low-End Boost: He dials in a healthy boost to the bottom end, giving the bass its foundational weight.
• Top-End Sheen: A gentle boost around 5kHz adds presence and helps the bass cut through without becoming harsh.
• The Pultec Trick: He also employs the famous Pultec trick of boosting and attenuating the same high frequency. While it might seem counterintuitive, this creates a unique resonant curve that shapes the top end in a very pleasing way. If you haven’t tried this, even with a plugin emulation, it’s worth experimenting with!

These initial EQ moves are about enhancing the overall character before getting surgical. For more on foundational EQ moves, check out our EQ strategies for mixing modern metal.

Precision and Polish with the GML 8200 EQ

Later in the hardware chain (and sometimes tweaked further along in the mix), Forrester turns to the GML 8200 Parametric EQ for more precise adjustments. While the Pultec adds broad character, the GML is for surgical tone shaping.

• Taming Wooliness: He carefully notches out a bit of the low-mid “wooliness” – those frequencies that can make a bass sound muddy or indistinct.
• Clarity without Thinning: The key here is subtlety. He’s careful not to be too aggressive with these cuts. The goal is to add clarity while preserving the bass’s essential bigness, fatness, and warmth, ensuring it remains a dominant instrument.

Dynamic Control: The Empirical Labs Distressor

Next in the hardware insert chain is the legendary Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor. Forrester’s approach to bass compression is about controlling specific aspects of the sound rather than just slamming the overall level.

• Targeting the Top End: He primarily uses the Distressor to manage the “clack” or “spikiness” of the bass – the attack of the notes, especially when played with a pick.
• High-Pass Detector: A crucial setting here is engaging the high-pass filter on the Distressor’s detector circuit. This tells the compressor to react less to the powerful low frequencies (which could otherwise cause excessive and unwanted pumping) and focus more on the mid and high-frequency content.
• Mid-Frequency Boost (Detector): Sometimes, he’ll even engage the mid-frequency boost on the detector circuit to make the compressor grab onto those clacky midrange frequencies even harder.
• Settings:
  • Ratio: A low ratio, typically around 2:1 or 3:1. The Distressor has a softer knee at lower ratios, meaning compression starts more gradually.
  • Attack: A relatively slow attack, allowing the initial transient through before clamping down.
  • Release: A fast release, so the compression lets go quickly, keeping the sound punchy.
  • Distortion 2 Circuit: He often engages the “Distortion 2” mode. This isn’t about heavy fuzz, but rather adding some subtle harmonic richness and character that complements the bass tone.

This kind of targeted compression is key to a bass that’s both controlled and aggressive. To dive deeper into how compression shapes metal, visit our metal compression secrets guide.

Smart Bussing, Automation, and Final Touches

Pre-Hardware Gain Staging with Trim Automation

One very clever technique Forrester uses is inserting a simple Trim plugin before the hardware insert in Pro Tools.

• Consistent Compressor Input: He automates the output of this Trim plugin. This means he can adjust the level hitting the Pultec and Distressor for different sections of the song. For instance, quieter intro sections might get boosted a bit to hit the compressors harder, achieving a more even and processed sound that matches louder sections. This is a fantastic way to manage dynamics before your expensive outboard gear.

Post-Hardware Bus EQ for Refinement

Even after the Pultec and GML on the hardware insert, Forrester often applies a little more EQ on the bus itself (likely a plugin after the hardware returns to Pro Tools).

• Tackling Nastiness: He might use this to notch out any remaining “nastiness,” like a shrill frequency around 3.3kHz.
• Controlling Wooliness: Further gentle cuts around 150Hz can help reduce any lingering “wooliness” or mud.
• Automation is Key: This bus EQ is often automated, changing its settings for different parts of the song, like when distortion pedals kick in and alter the bass’s harmonic content.

The Unsung Hero: Volume Automation

Forrester makes it clear that even with all this processing, volume automation (riding the fader) is absolutely essential. He would typically do detailed rides on an SSL console, but even in the box, he makes significant fader moves to ensure the bass has impact where needed and tucks in appropriately elsewhere. This detailed level balancing, pushing choruses and refining intricate parts, is crucial.

Pro Tools Workflow Wisdom: Track View Shortcuts

As a quick aside, Forrester shares a handy Pro Tools tip he uses to navigate large sessions efficiently. He sets up Marker/Memory Locations configured for “Track View.” This allows him to instantly show only drum tracks, only guitar tracks, or, in this case, only the bass tracks, saving a ton of scrolling. A simple but effective time-saver!

Bringing Karnivool’s Bass to Life

Dialing in a world-class bass tone like Karnivool’s, under the guidance of a pro like Forrester Savell, involves a multi-layered approach:

• Blending DI and Amp Tones: Creating a rich, full starting point.
• Strategic Outboard EQ: Using a Pultec for broad warmth and sheen, and a GML 8200 for surgical clarity.
• Targeted Outboard Compression: Employing an Empirical Labs Distressor to control pick attack and add character, not just to squash dynamics.
• Smart Gain Staging: Automating a Trim plugin before hardware to ensure consistent processing.
• Further Bus EQ: Using plugin EQ for final cleanup and section-specific adjustments.
• Meticulous Volume Automation: Constantly riding the fader for musical impact.

These techniques are a fantastic glimpse into how a top-tier producer crafts such a foundational element of a heavy mix.

Want to see Forrester Savell apply these principles and mix a full Karnivool song from scratch? You can! With Nail The Mix, you get the original multitracks from incredible bands like Karnivool and watch the original producer mix the song, explaining every step. See exactly how Forrester builds this monstrous bass tone and makes it sit perfectly with drums, guitars, and vocals. Check out the full Karnivool Nail The Mix session to witness the magic firsthand. If you’re ready to move beyond presets and learn how the pros truly unlock their sound when mixing modern metal, this is your chance to learn directly from the best.