8 Tips for Amazing Low End!

Tips for Mixing Low End:

Monitoring - Can you hear the lows?

You can’t mix what you can’t hear. Should you get a sub woofer? Closed back headphones will give you an extended low end. The Blue Headphones I use have an extended low end, they are not that accurate, however I am used them. While you’re learning your room don’t be afraid to check in other environments. There is nothing wrong with the car test, or the boombox test, or any other multiple ways of double checking what you are hearing! Many amazing Mix professionals check their mixes on multiple systems. Once you’ve got the low end to translate on many different systems you will start to understand how it should sound in your own mix room.

Not All Low End Mix Tips are Created Equal

Mixing a live recorded Bass Guitar is very different from mixing a programmed bass line, also mixing a live Kick Drum is very different from mixing a programmed one.

Use A Frequency Analyser

Using a Frequency Analyser will really help you learn what you’re hearing, especially if you’re working in an untreated room with issues and using headphones that don’t have an accurate low end.

Don’t Boost What You Can’t Hear

If you work mainly on 4, 5 or 6 inch monitors you can create great mixes as long as you understand you won’t be reproducing super lows through those smaller speakers. Don’t boost the frequencies that the speakers can’t reproduce effectively, if you do boost them and they start to become audible then you end up with excessive low end which will become evident in other systems.

Don’t be afraid to high pass!

Create space in the mix for clean Low End for the Kick Drum and Bass. Take care of your high passing on individual channels rather than trying to fix on the stereo master bus.

Evening out Low End on Organic Instruments

Plug ins like Waves RBass not only adds consistent low end it also adds harmonics, which (particularly on programmed sounds) can add extra sonic characteristics to your bass sound. Programmed Bass Synths and Bass Guitars will stand out of the mix more if you add definition by adding presence, high mids and even saturation.

Keep Your Low Lows Mono

High frequencies are very directional, low lows are not. Keeping the Kick Drum and Bass centred. Removing low information from the sides will help them feel firmly in the sides, giving your mix more width.

Solve Your Problems inside of the Mix, not on your Master Bus

This is a big one for me! I like to find the issues inside of the mix and deal with them at their source. Trying to fix low end on your Master Stereo Bus (Mix Bus) should be a last resort, removing above 20hz will severely remove real low end and compromise your mix. So if you feel like you’re reaching for this area then look for the cause inside of the mix, looking at the individual elements that generate the low end.
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Produce Like A Pro is a website which features great tips to help the beginning recordist make incredible sounding home recordings on a budget.

[Producelikeapro]

Do you have any favorite tips & tricks you use when mixing low end?

[niknayme]

One good tip I was given. When mixing, put a low pass filter that only allows 200hz and below on your output channel. Switch off everything but the kick drum and bass. Introduce the other instruments 1 at a time. If that instrument is interfering with bass or kick, put a HPF or EQ on it until it stops. Do the same with all the other instruments. Then remove the low pass filter on the output channel.

[autobotsNdecepticons]

Warren's positive attitude about making reasonable compromises to deal with less than ideal circumstances is so much more helpful than the same old "NEVER USE HEADPHONES THEY LIE!!" type "advice".

[delvenhamric]

I have spent my whole life with champagne taste and a beer budget! So, what I have always done was to learn what I have. I have certain records/CD that I know and love intimately. I will spend time living with my system and my favorite music, until I KNOW my system. This has always worked for me, unfortunately in 30 plus years, I have never gotten anybody else to like anything that I have done. So, I just have fun and enjoy what I do, alone!

[richardsu]

"I can't mix, what i can't hear" is my new excuse to my wife for why i need new shit.
Oh, thank you for that!

[NKTA]

every day is a school day .. you never stop learning ..even if you've been at it for over 20 years you learn something new with each session. Lots of great tips out there ..you'll discover what works for you but one thing is certain... you need to put in the time

[jomamastool]

I seriously appreciate that you are one of the few people I've seen on YouTube that don't completely shun and knock mixing with headphones. It was actually helpful advice. Plain and simple. I love it

[TheDilligan]

As far as mixbus solutions go, last night I was going through a mix and I fixed everything on the mixbus. But I felt guilty about it. So then I used my Linear Phase EQ and Multiband compressor as a guide for what I wanted to fix.

Like I realized I liked my mix better when I cut 2.4khz. So then I went through every single track and figured out what was causing a hump in that area. I found it. I fixed it.

Then by the time I did all this, the mix sounded better without those mixbus plugins. So I removed them. And not only that, but the mix retained more of it's energy when I fixed it in the mix than when I fixed it on the mixbus.

[bartosz_staszkiewicz]

Sir, you have already prepared a special place in heaven. You're the biggest gift for all aspiring mixers.

[Corvid]

18:55 This is why we love Warren! Now THAT'S what I call a suitable bass-face for studio tracking :D

It's so boring when you can see someone putting on their "I'm a serious YouTuber" attitude... But Warren is just himself: when he gets buzzed about something, he's not gonna hold back, he LOVES music... and it truly shows :)

[henrymcintosh]

Your knowledge is a gift to us all. But IMHO, your ability to communicate is your greatest gift. Thank you.

[briandevlin]

This video from 5 months back relates well and is useful; 'Mixing Basics: Bass - Warren Huart: Produce Like A Pro'

[artistegreen]

Thank u for this. Not JUST gear centered. U have addressed behavior here...realistically. its the classic "its not the brush, its the artist" I needed to hear this. Adaptability and work with what u have and most of all respect ur ear. Whatever it takes. It prepares u to whatever gear, whatever genre, whatever envirnment, whatever client. Real talk. Thanks much. This works for me.

[alexprestin]

how is this free. i feel like i am stealing watching this. this is so good.

[Jeremy_Kinsey]

Another great episode!

I love how you remind the audience, that our function isn't supposed to be perfect. You said it well: "Wrongness is fantastic!"
Imperfections are often the character we seek, within reason.
Very informative and genuinely realistic approach!

[iwantappledumplings]

This is something everyone struggles with thank you for covering it

[LunaticTheCat]

This is the best video on mixing the low end I've ever seen. This cleared up so many possible issues a learning producer may encounter when mixing the low end.

Your advice about keeping the low sub region clean to make it fatter is a game changer. The advice on the dynamic range of real instruments vs virtual instruments was also something I found to be incredibly useful.

[naturakwa]

One of the most useful channels I've found on Youtube! Thank you for all the tips and the content (especially the videos with Graham)! It is really inspiring!

[Torsten]

Once again a great and absolutely important video.
What I like to do on Bass is using Waves StudioRack and add a parallel split at around 70Hz. For the section underneath 70Hz I apply a relatively aggressive H-Comp that is sidechained by the Kick with a synced release of (mostly) an 8th note. So every time the kick comes in, the compressor is ducking the low end of the Bass, so the Kick can come through while for the rest of the time the Bass still has it’s low end.

[Videojohnnyboy]

I’ve got to say my friend, what is wonderful about your video’s, isn’t just the encyclopedia of knowledge you have from working within the industry, it’s how you don’t alienate your audience. Thank you for what you said about headphone’s and using them productively. There’s many people who make these video’s who make you feel that it’s impossible without a Neve console, SSL etc.
you’re a good guy.