Make Your 808s Rumble: 3 Pro Techniques

Ready to make your 808s hit harder? We've gathered key techniques from Leslie Brathwaite, Jaycen Joshua and MixedByAli – three mixing legends who know how to make those low ends shake rooms. 🔊

Waves

More weight for 808 and kick

Leslie Brathwaite uses Waves plugins to add more weight and body to 808s and kicks in hip-hop tracks. He starts with the Waves LoAir to enhance the low-end, giving the 808 that essential "oomph" and shaping its thickness. For further tonal shaping, Brathwaite employs the Waves SSL E-Channel EQ to dial in the chest frequencies and refine the low-end. This approach helps the 808 and kick sit well in the mix without overpowering other elements. Additionally, he uses the Waves PuigTec EQ to add more thump to the kick. Brathwaite emphasizes pushing EQ parameters to extremes initially and then dialing back to find the perfect balance, ensuring the changes are perceptible and effective.

Universal Audio

Enhance an 808's low-end with a resonant high-pass filter

MixedbyAli uses the UAD Little Labs Voice Of God, a resonant high-pass filter with a narrow-Q boost around the cut-off frequency, to enhance the low-end and add fullness to 808s and basses.