Mix with the Masters
Sidechaining kick and 808: Clean low end, loud mixes
Jaycen Joshua demonstrates the power of sidechain compression and multi-band compression to achieve a clean and loud low-end mix, particularly when working with bass, kick, and 808 elements. By using the Oeksound Soothe plugin, he effectively controls unwanted frequencies and ensures clarity and separation between these low-end components. Joshua emphasizes the importance of identifying the main kick drum and removing unnecessary layers to avoid clutter. He duplicates the kick track, placing it just below the bass, and uses it to trigger the sidechain compression, allowing the bass to dip subtly when the kick hits. This technique not only prevents frequency masking but also gains additional headroom, making the mix louder without sacrificing quality. He also highlights the versatility of sidechain compression across genres, from subtle applications to more pronounced effects in EDM.
URM Academy
Low-end clarity through kick-bass sidechaining
Will Carson demonstrates his approach to using sidechain compression in the low-end, drawing inspiration from Jason Joshua, to craft a powerful, punchy low-end while maximizing headroom and loudness. By applying the Oeksound Soothe plugin on the bass bus and all low-end elements like 808s, Carson ensures the kick drum cuts through the mix. This technique ducks the bass whenever the kick hits, allowing the sub frequencies of the kick to dominate without overwhelming the mix, thus preventing muddiness. This method is essential for achieving a punchy, clear low-end that feels substantial without actually increasing the low-end content, optimizing headroom and overall loudness in the mix.
URM Academy
Making kicks punchy with sidechain compression
Dan Braunstein demonstrates how to achieve a punchy kick and better separation in a mix using sidechain compression with the FabFilter Pro-C 2 on bass. By sending the kick signal to the compressor's sidechain input, Braunstein ensures that the bass ducks out of the way, allowing the kick to cut through the mix with clarity and impact. He starts with extreme settings and dials them back to achieve 3-6 dB of gain reduction. This technique enhances the mix's overall movement and clarity, making the kick more prominent without overwhelming other elements. Braunstein also uses the FabFilter Pro-Q 3 to EQ the kick and bass, deciding whether the bass should occupy the sub frequencies and the kick the low mids, or vice versa. He ultimately prefers the kick to dominate the low end, giving the bass more harmonic presence. This strategic frequency separation reduces muddiness and enhances the mix's overall balance.
Tape Notes Podcast
Create a focal point with strategic panning
Four Tet demonstrates how simple it is to use strategic panning techniques to make an element stand out and give the mix a focal point. By keeping all other elements panned centrally in mono, the wide, stereo bass becomes the prominent and exciting feature of the track, effectively building tension and adding width. This distinct panning position draws the listener's attention when the bass comes in, making it a standout moment in the mix. This approach highlights the bass as a key element, creating a dynamic contrast that enhances the overall impact of the mix.
Tape Notes Podcast
Layer bass sounds for bigger low end
Four Tet demonstrates how to create a distinctive dubstep-influenced bassline using two layers in Spectrasonics Omnisphere. By combining a wobbly bass preset, "Swaggering Around," with a low sine wave for added sub-bass, he enhances the bass's depth and weight, showcasing the power of layering different sounds.
Tape Notes Podcast
Layering synths for clearer bass
Four Tet enhances bass clarity by layering additional sounds on top of the primary synth line using Spectrasonics Omnisphere. He subtly layers a bell sound over the bass line, which, while not overtly audible, prevents the bass from being buried in the mix. This layering technique adds depth and ensures the bass remains prominent and defined, contributing to a clearer overall sound.
James Hype
Multi-band sidechaining for club-ready kick-bass impact
James Hype shares his essential technique for achieving powerful kick and bass separation in dance music using sidechain compression with Cableguys ShaperBox. He emphasizes the importance of selecting the right kick for each track and demonstrates how to use sidechain compression to eliminate phase issues with the bass that can cause the kick to lose impact. By visually analyzing the waveform, he ensures the sidechain is perfectly timed to the kick's length, maintaining its full volume and presence. Hype further refines the process with multi-band sidechain techniques, allowing the upper bass frequencies to remain audible while ducking the lower signal parts to prevent phasing. This approach ensures both kick and bass retain their power, delivering a club-ready sound that slams every time.
Mix with the Masters
Take away a note to make the chorus pop
Tchad Blake shares a clever trick to make the chorus pop by removing a note from the bassline just before the chorus. This technique creates a moment of emptiness that makes the following section feel more impactful and dynamic. By strategically taking away a note, Blake ensures the chorus stands out, adding excitement and emphasis to the song's structure.
Splice
Programming organic, punchy kick and 808 grooves
Vaughn Oliver demonstrates how to perfect kick dynamics using manual ghost notes and phase alignment techniques in Ableton Live. By adjusting the decay and attack of the kick drum through volume automation and fades, he creates a more natural and organic feel, mimicking the dynamics of a real kick drum. He also employs sidechain compression with the Cableguys ShaperBox plugin to achieve a punchy and tight low-end, ensuring the kick and 808 bass are perfectly in phase.
Mix with the Masters
Extend kick sustain for bigger impact
Jaycen Joshua demonstrates how to enhance the impact and power of a kick drum by extending its sustain. While he doesn't specify the tool used, a transient shaping tool would achieve this result quickly and efficiently. He explains that a longer sustain makes the kick sound bigger to the listener, even if the initial hit remains unchanged. This technique is particularly useful when increasing the attack or volume of the kick would negatively affect the mix. By simply lengthening the kick's duration, you can achieve a more powerful sound without increasing volume, providing a practical solution for achieving a bigger kick in your mix.
Mix with the Masters
Get 808s to cut through with parallel distortion
Jaycen Joshua demonstrates how to make 808s cut through a mix using parallel distortion with the UA Ibanez® TS808 Tube Screamer plugin. In the parallel path, he begins by rolling off unwanted high frequencies using the FabFilter Pro-Q 3, focusing on reducing everything above 129 Hz to clean up the sound. This approach allows him to add his own upper harmonics with the Tube Screamer, resulting in a more musical and pleasing presence without harshness. By emphasizing these upper harmonics, Joshua ensures that the 808s remain audible even on speakers that lack sub-bass response, achieving a balanced and impactful low-end that stands out in the mix.
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.
Tape Notes Podcast
Building tension using a filter on the bass
Bonobo uses a Prophet 5 synthesizer to build tension in a track by gradually opening the filter on the bass. This technique enhances the breadth and energy of the music, particularly when combined with the introduction of a drum break. In the first half of the track, the hypnotic and restrained vibe is maintained by holding back the drum break, allowing listeners to settle into a tranquil, trance-like state. The energy rises significantly when the filter opens and the drum break enters, creating a dynamic shift. Bonobo reflects on the rapid creation of the track, completed in just one or two days, and describes the emotional journey of enjoying the process so much that its completion felt bittersweet. This insight into the creative process highlights the joy and spontaneity that can accompany music production.
Streaky
Get the bass to cut through with parallel saturation
Streaky demonstrates how to make a bass cut through on smaller speakers using parallel compression and saturation with FabFilter Saturn. He sends the bass to a parallel bus, applying an SSL compressor with a 4:1 ratio, slow attack, and fast release to maintain transient clarity while achieving a fat, compressed sound. Next, he uses FabFilter Saturn to add saturation, focusing on the higher frequencies above 140 Hz. This technique enhances the bass's presence by introducing harmonics without altering the low-end character. By blending this processed signal back into the mix, the bass maintains its power on club systems while ensuring clarity and presence on smaller speakers. This approach effectively balances the bass's impact across different playback systems.
Aulart
Create space in the low end with sidechain multi-band compression
Felguk uses two stages of multi-band sidechain compression to create space in the low end and make the kick and the bass work together in a well defined way.
SonicScoop
Use distortion to bring the bass upfront
Sylvia Massy applies distortion to the bass to enhance its presence and prominence. She uses the Sansamp PSA-1 plugin by Avid, a part of her mixing template, to add a "buzzy", "crispy," and "fizzy" quality to the signal. The distortion increases the bass's audibility, helping it to cut through the track better and come more the front of the mix.
Waves
Add energy with distortion and transient shaping
Tony Maserati enhances the bass's energy using distortion and transient shaping. The distortion introduces harmonics and character, enriching the bass tone. The transient shaper further augments this by adding punch and dynamism, making the bass more prominent and impactful in the mix.
Mix with the Masters
Low-end separation with amp simulation and EQ
Tchad Blake demonstrates how to achieve better low-end separation using amp simulation and EQ on bass and kick tracks. He uses the UAD SVT-VR amp simulation to give the bass a mid-range punch, while employing the Sonnox Oxford EQ to roll off the low end, ensuring the kick drum handles the sub frequencies. Blake explains his preference for having the kick drum dominate the low end, while the bass sits slightly above in the frequency spectrum. This approach can vary by genre, but it often results in a clearer, more defined low-end separation. By treating the bass as if it were coming through a guitar amp, Blake adds character and avoids frequency masking.
Sam Evian
Get a tight, defined low-end with compression and EQ
Owens uses the UAD LA-2A compressor to balance the bass guitar's dynamics, engaging the "Emphasis" control to introduce a high-pass filter in the compressor's sidechain circuit. This technique selectively reduces sensitivity to lower frequencies, concentrating compression on the midrange to smooth out the instrument's tonal imbalances. Following compression, Owens applies the FabFilter Pro-Q 3 for more presence and refined low-end clarity. He is rolling off frequencies below 70Hz to ensure the kick drum's low-end remains distinct. Owens emphasizes the strategic importance of deciding on a clear hierarchy in the low-end frequencies between the kick and bass, often preferring to prioritize one over the other to minimize frequency masking. He illustrates this concept with the Beatles' "Taxman," noting how the song achieves a clear low-end by featuring a pronounced bass guitar while keeping the kick drum thin and punchy, demonstrating effective frequency separation and minimal masking when both elements are combined. Lastly, Owens adds a bit of stereo chorus to give the bass a fuller and slightly wider sound.
Waves
Combine EQ and high-pass filter to achieve a tighter low-end
Tony Maserati's approach to mixing bass often involves a combination of a low-cut filter and a low-end boost. The boost adds weight and presence to the bass, while the low-cut filter is applied to remove excessive sub-bass frequencies. This technique results in a fuller, more controlled bass sound, enhancing the low end while maintaining clarity. In this particular instance, he is boosting at 50-60Hz and filtering at around 20Hz.
SonicScoop
Wider, more energetic bass with harmonizing and parallel distortion
Sylvia Massy utilizes the JJP Bass plugin to enhance the bass, focusing on two key features: the 'width' control, which is a harmonizer adding stereo width and bigness to a mono bass signal, and the 'edge' control, which introduces parallel distortion for added character and energy. These techniques collectively expand the bass's presence and texture in the mix, and are especially effective if the mix has enough room in the lower mid and bass region to fill out.
Waves
Compress and EQ to fit a synth bass in the track
Tony Maserati relies on EQ, filtering and compression to fit a synth bass into the mix. His goal is to ensure the synth bass complements, rather than competes with, the main bass and other elements in the mix. He puts EQ before compression, carving out frequencies that clash with the main bass and kick, while enhancing frequencies around 50-60Hz. This low-end boost influences the compression action, creating a sidechain-like effect.
Mix with the Masters
Manipulate phase to make the bass cut through
Nick Launay illustrates how he enhances the presence of a bass recording through phase alignment. He achieves this by applying varying amounts of sample delay between the direct input (DI) and the microphone signal, specifically in the verse and chorus sections. This approach modifies the phase interactions, which in turn affects the EQ characteristics of the combined bass signal. It allows him to precisely tailor the bass's impact, ensuring it has a consistent presence and cuts through effectively in each part of the mix.
SonicScoop
Add excitement with parallel tube distortion
Mick Guzauski enhances a stereo Jupiter-8 synth bass with parallel tube distortion using an Altec 1567a. The distortion adds excitement and character. He employs the Brainworx bx_digital to apply a high-pass filter and uses the Mono Maker feature to ensure frequencies below 90Hz are mono. This is very important, as in his experience, monoing the bass frequencies provides more punch and clarity in the low end of the mix. Additionally, Guzauski lightly compresses the bass with a Universal Audio 1176 to maintain consistent dynamics.