Tips for Managing Low End in a Modern Rock Mix

A video on managing multiple low end elements in a modern rock mix.

—

Transcript:

In today's video, we're going look at managing low end. I've talked about this before, and I've shown Waves Factory Track Spacer before. It's a plug-in you can get that stands on its own – it does its own thing.

It's not side-chain compression, it's side-chain multi-band volume ducking. It's absolutely incredible. You'll see that in a second.

But first, I want to introduce you to my new chorus, it's called mixing modern rock. I'm going to show you a before and after sample right now, and then we'll talk about low end.

[song]

Today, we're talking about low end. Now, in this particular song – this is a song from Mixing Modern Rock – I've got a kick. I love a lot of sub in my kick, so there's a couple of ways that I do that. We'll talk about that. I've got the bass, and I love a dirty, distorted, driving bass, but I also love a lot of low end, so I've got Low Ender generating some subs for the bass.

We've got a sub-bass drop, like an 808 type thing. We've got a tuned bass drop that I've got also going to what I use – it's called the Gino-Hall. It's my sub-splash. What I do is I use an EQ – excuse the surgical spaghetti mess here, but what I do is I take all of the top end essentially out of a reverb, and I'll send elements to it, and then I'll widen it so that the reverb is only sub, and it kind of extends the sound of the bass, the toms – could be used on any number of things. I use it a lot on 808 drops, toms for certain ring out sections, and anywhere where I want to give a little bit more power to kind of fill some space, so...

Sub-splash is going into the Lexicon 224. Maybe about 4 or 5. Let me actually show you the sub-drop and the sub-splash, since I'm talking about it. And then you can see the widening that I'm doing. A good 40% or so. Here is the sub-splash.

[sub bass splash]

And then here's – as Pro Tools glitches and my voice cracks at the same time – now here's without the sub-splash. You know what, let me name that sub-splash. Okay.

[sub bass]

Okay, and then back with the splash.

[sub]

Alright. Sweet. So, sub-splash. A little rabbit trail. I wanted to show that off, but back to the task at hand, we're talking about managing the low end from these multiple elements. So we've got, one more time, the kick with the sub, the toms that have a decent amount of 70-100, then we have the 808, the sub-splash, and the bass guitar. There's probably something else, but for now, those are the ones we're going to focus on.

So what I've done is I've used Waves Factory Track Spacer, and I've put that on the bass, I've put it on the toms, and I've put it on my main kick track here, and what I'm doing is I'm sending the 808 and the sub-splash into it through a side-chain called “Sub SC” for Side-Chain. Sub SC.

And we can see that. Let's pull it open on the bass. The first instance is actually coming from the kick. I'm sending the kick into the bass, and I'm pushing down 76Hz and below. Every time the kick hits, it's going to push the frequency range from 20Hz to 76Hz down on the bass so that the kick wins the low end battle.
What I want to show you is duplicating Waves Factory Track Spacer and using the sub from the bass drop and the sub-splash, I'm sending into here, and I'm removing similar – the 76Hz and below in the bass guitar, pretty aggressively, and then I've slowed the release down a little bit on the bass so that the sub rings out, and the subs are going to kind of switch rolls a little bit.

So initially what's going to happen is when the bass drop hits, the bass guitar sub frequencies – 76Hz and below – are going to drop, and then as the sub fades out, the bass is going to come back – the sub in the bass is going to come back.

I've also got the kick up here, so you can see that same frequency range – 76Hz or so – at about a 70% ratio, and that – you know what, that could be the default setting, because kicks are quick, right?

[truncated]

[jafmusicmixcom]

Hi-cut reverb for added weight and 'ring' of toms, kicks, 808's. BRILLIANT!

[henryraymond]

I love it. Enhance or drop certain frequency ranges/points at sonic intervals to create space, depth, precision etc. got it. Great!

[DanComerchero]

+1 this comment if you want to see a tutorial on the vocal effects that ring out at 6:33

[MiguelBatalha]

Guitars sound like they have a blanket over them. Loved the idea for the subs!

[TYFLOL]

As I said on the drum sample vid; I don't like the sound of the drums. It's probably because I'm a drummer. I also found the track to sound way too clean, probably just not my style. The tips in this video are really helpful, even though I don't like the music the tips in your videos are always great! Keep it up!

[BRud]

"After" mix is a bit sharp for my taste.

[LouieShowers]

Amazing video.. very great instruction.. On a side note, do yourself a favor and run away from protools and avid.. and check out Studio one 3.

[Mineiro]

I wanna buy the full Mixing Modern Rock tutorial but I need to know: does it come with subtitles like this vídeo here on youtube?

[Hello-plqe]

Wow amazing how much louder it got, sounds much better lol

[mogulmixedit]

@davidglenn how can i get the plug-ins your using?

[kontemplatemusic]

Why so heavy on the Right channel! Is your right ear not working as it supposed to? Also widenning the low end like you do, will simply make even the heaviest needle on any vinyl wack you in a face! I know that not many people still listen rock on vinyls but you should mention it i guess - just in case.