When it comes to mixing modern music, great low-end is an expectation. Your listeners want a sound that is clean, tight, punchy — a combination of kick and bass that they can feel.
Accomplishing this requires an understanding of a few important mixing concepts.
The approach to mixing low-end is much different than mixing other instruments, which is often why it feels so foreign.
So, what should you do to maintain the power and presence of the low-end in your mix?
Let’s dive in and explore some of the top low-end mixing tips.
What Is The “Low-End?”
When discussing low-end in this article, we’re talking about frequencies that sit between 20 and 250 Hz on the frequency spectrum. However, most of the low-end energy that you’ll find in your mix will likely sit somewhere between 20 and 150 Hz.
These frequencies often come from low-end instruments, such as kicks, basses, subs, etc. As we move up in the frequency spectrum beyond 250 Hz, we get into what most people refer to as the low mids.
Top 7 Low-End Mixing Tips
Unmasking Your Low-End
One of the biggest issues mixing engineers run into when mixing low-end is frequency masking. Frequency masking is when two instruments fight for space in the same range of the frequency spectrum.
For example, in the low-end, you might find that the kick and the bass are fighting to have their sonic information heard over one another.
There are a few issues that arise here.
For starters, it’ll be more difficult to hear each of these instruments individually. Secondly, when you have a low-end frequency build-up, your mix will sound either muddy and undefined or lose power because of phase cancellation.
Your kick and your bass may share many of the same frequencies around 80 Hz, for example, which can cause unwanted low-end frequency masking.
So, how do we remedy this?
First, you can try tools that utilize spectrum analyzers to see the frequency content of the instruments you’re working with.
One of my favorite is FabFilter Pro-Q3. You can place two instances of FabFilter Pro-Q3 in your mix (one on your kick and one on your bass). Then, turn on the spectrum analyzer and compare the two to see where the common frequency range is.
You can then EQ one or both of the instruments, depending on your goals.
Cleaning Up Low-End With EQ
Once you know where the frequency masking is occurring, you can use EQ to clean up your low-end.
So, let’s say we’re still working with the kick and bass.
You’ll often find sub bass in these instruments in the 40 to 60 Hz range and high or “round” bass in the 70 to 100 Hz range.
The main idea when EQing low-end is to give one of these elements dominance in the sub bass region and the other dominance in the high or round-bass region. When each of these elements has its own frequency real estate pocket, even if you’re only cutting a few dB out of each, it can make a major difference.
The nuanced part of this process is based on your personal preference.
Deciding which of these elements will rule which frequency range will come down to the genre you’re mixing, the artist you’re working with, or the content of the elements themselves.
In hip-hop, pop, R&B, and EDM, we often want the kick to maintain the subby low-end. On the other hand, in rock music, we might want the bass to hold down the fort.
If I was mixing and EDM track with a subby kick, I would try cutting around 50 Hz in my bass track by a few dB (or somewhere close to the fundamental of the kick drum) and around 80 Hz in the kick drum (or somewhere close the fundamental note of the bass).
While listening carefully, slowly adjust the gain until you hear noticeable separation between these two elements. The amount of separation you’re after is totally up to you!
Utilize Standard and Multi-Band Compression
If you’re dealing with a dynamic bass parts with certain notes that are jumping out, this is where compression comes into play.
When dealing with notes that jump out, you can use a compressor with a faster attack and release, and a ratio of around 8:1, to catch any outliers.
However, if you only want to even out the overall sound of the bass, you can use a ratio of 4:1 and a slow attack to allow the transients to poke through naturally. As for the release, you might try timing it to the tempo of the track, allowing the meter or needle on the compressor to return to 0 before the next note hits if you can!
For a more surgical approach, you might consider multi-band compression.
With multi-band compression, you can focus on the offending portion of your low-end. For example, let’s say the region around 100 Hz is what keeps poking out on your bass. Instead of compressing your entire bass signal, squeeze the area around 100 Hz and let your mid-range breathe.
Check out our collection of high-quality sounds and samples
Sidechain Compression
Sidechain compression is an excellent way to deal with masking, especially if you want both of your low-end elements to live happily in the same space.
Sidechain compression is a popular effect in the dance world. We hear it all the time. The a four-on-the-floor kick drum will hit and suck the entire mix down for a split second to create a pumping effect.
However, many people don’t know that it can be done in a subtle way to deal with combative low-end elements. Kick and bass are two of the most popular contenders for this method.
You can start by sending your kick drum to a sidechain input on your bass track compressor. Now, every time the kick drum hits, it will trigger compression on the bass.
For a subtle approach, you can make it so that the bass dips down by a few dB every time the kick hits.
I often like to use a fast attack in this instance, as it removes the bass from the transient of the kick, and a fast release, as it brings the bass back up so it can be heard as the tail-end of the kick.
You can try this same method with multi-band compression or a dynamic EQ plugin, such as Waves F6. Instead of ducking your entire bass signal, as in the above example, these tools will only duck the offending range. Everything beyond the low crossover point or outside the Q will remain intact while your compression happens.
If you’re looking to make more space in your low-end in the most subtle way possible, these methods are more imperceptible.
Be Aware of Your Monitoring Situation
Most of us aren’t working in million-dollar studios with fine-tuned architecture and acoustic treatment.
In fact, most of use are probably working at home without much acoustic treatment on mid-level studio monitors without tons of low-end capability.
For this reason, it’s important to ask yourself,
If you can’t hear the low-end properly, how will you be able to mix it?
The good thing is that you can listen to your mix in several environments to make better calls. For example, you might be able to get more accurate low-end with a nice pair of studio headphones. Or, to truly hear how your low-end will translate in a real-world environment, you might listen in your car.
The important thing here is to listen to your mix in as many environments as you can. As you’re listening, take note of whether or not your low-end is working.
Does it sound muddy and undefined or clear and punchy?
Does it sound just as good in your car as it does in your studio headphones?
Can you hear the kick and bass on your phone speaker?
If your mix doesn’t sound consistent across multiple listening environments, then you know you have a low-end issue.
Head on over to our free downloads page for free presets, samples, scales, and PDF guides.
Use References
One of the best things you can do to maintain perspective throughout the mixing process is stack your mix up against a similar, professional mix.
Doing so can keep you honest about where the low-end is sitting.
It’s so easy to overhype the low-end in a mix because it sounds good in the studio. However, when you take your mix into real-world environments, it starts to sound overblown.
Most studio monitors and headphones aren’t made to hype low-end frequencies, so you can probably assume that an overly-hyped low-end in your studio will be problematic anywhere else.
To make sure you’re in the ballpark, load a reference track into your DAW and compare the low-end with your mix.
Are the kick and bass sitting around the same level?
Do they sound muddy or undefined compared to the professional mix?
Throw a spectrum analyzer on both tracks and see if you have any frequency build-ups or dips compared to your reference track, then determine what you can do to get your track closer to your reference.
There are several handy reference tools on the market these days. On of my favorites is Reference 2 by Mastering the Mix.
This helpful tool volume matches and analyzes both the track in your session and a pre-loaded reference to help you mix with more direction.
FAQ
Should Kick be Louder Than Bass?
The level of your kick and bass will depend on the style of your mix. However, in most cases, we want both of these elements to be equally audible. To get the best levels for both your kick and bass, we recommend reference tracks.
How Do You Mix Kick and 808 Bass?
When mixing kick and 808 bass, I often like to take a five-step approach:
- Choose The Right Sounds: If you don’t have the right sounds to begin with, mixing them together will be much more difficult. Look for a kick and 808 bass that sound good together right off the bat.
- Correct Phase Issues: If the phase relationship of your kick and bass is out of alignment, correct it before moving on. Phase issues are often big culprits in weak low-end.
- Allow One To Dominate the Sub: Choose which one of these elements will dominate the sub region. You’ll often want to choose the element with the most natural sub frequency content.
- EQ: Use an EQ to carve out space for each of these elements. For example, I might take a bit of 80 Hz out of the kick drum to make space for the 808 bass.
- Sidechain Compression: Kicks and 808s sound good when they’re glued together. I often want the kick to act as the transient portion of the sound and the 808 to act as the sustain. To do this, I’ll send the kick signal to a sidechain on the 808 track so that the initial transient dips out each time the kick hits, making the sound more cohesive overall.
Getting a Clean and Punchy Low-End
There is no doubt that getting the perfect low-end is one of the most difficult aspects of mixing. Learning how to manage kick and bass frequencies requires a lot of care. However, with the tips above, there’s no reason why you can’t nail a professional low-end every time!
If you’re looking to further elevate your mixing game, head on over to our course page at FL Tips and check out our wide range of high-level mixing and production courses.
