Kick & Bass same note or different - thoughts?

[winterelegy]

Before I was writing psy/dance music I was working with different styles and would have the bass and kick overlap, so I got in the habit of making the bass a different note from the kick, usually a perfect fifth but at least something from the same scale. Now that I'm working on psy where the kick and bass pretty much never overlap I'm wondering if there is any reason not to keep them the same note? Like, I've got some tracks now where the kick is C and the bass is G and I'm at the mastering phase and thinking well damn if they were the same than I could just hit that C root freq and work on all the low end at once, evenly (thinking about tools like Infected Mushroom's Pusher). What are you guys' thoughts on it?

[Monumental]

In my opinion if you really like music, then technical aspects like this do not have matter. Yes, kickdrum and bassline on the same note sound nicely, but after hundreds hours of listening this concept are boring. By this reason my tracks do not have fat low end bass, it is a conscious decision and maybe it was are mistake, as result they are not popular, but I can listening theirs in headphones many times, highly recommended, haha :)

[Padmapani]

it sounds a lot cleaner and nicer if they're the same note. if that's not quite possible (for instance because your key and bass notes are so high or low that the kick sounds weird) a fifth is fine too. i wouldn't use any other relationship between the two (except when the bassline is moving around following the chord progression, then it sometimes sounds better when the kick doesn't move as much or stays put).

btw: it's also fine to have them play the same note if they overlap. just cut the low end of the bass when they're playing at the same time (in a psy context this is most likely just the first bass note of a kbbb)

[Imba]

Rarely, hard to control it that way imo

I would go for perfect fifth which is mostly the less used note, so there is enough space to kick push it trough. Yet I do it by ear, fine tuning until I think that's it. Remembering Tristan's tips for kicks... he said kick should stand out as wall of sound for itself but should fit into track too which is tricky but you will understand once you made it 

Here is what he means:

 

 

How I do it following some of his tips: Kick lenght around 1/8 (till the beggining of the offbeat or second note of classic psy bass pattern) which means I need to make good sidechain and phasing with tail of kick and the first bass note. And yes, low cut the bassline with -12dB or -24dB slope, linear phase! 

 

It is all so simple, just need patience and fine tuning.

I like my drums and percs dominant, to be present all time and pushing through all the melodies and sounds which means I tune in less used note or some off the scale. Just imagine all these drums, percs, pads, melodies and fx in same root key...  15 channels, 15 different things fighting for same space in same time? Chaos! Haaaaard to control that. Moving by few hertzs can do a lot!

 

 

[mudpeople]

Sometimes I do the same note, depending on how it sounds, but usually I'll find another harmonic.  I guess I do it differently each time, and by ear, so idk how accurately I tune them relative to the root note.  I prefer to not pay too close attention to the specific harmonic ratios (which at least in Live are never not 12 tone Equal Temperament tuning [without 3rd party aid like a m4l device] so the ratios aren't super accurate to begin with but that's a whole other can of worms) and just find what sounds decent.