Low-End Mixing Guide: Sub Bass, 808s, Kick and Room Translation

Quick Answer

Mixing the low end requires keeping bass frequencies in mono, using sidechain compression to separate the kick and 808, cutting sub frequencies from non-bass instruments, and using saturation to ensure translation on small speakers.

Why This Matters

The low end dictates the energy of modern music. A muddy low end ruins the entire mix, causing the mastering limiter to pump unpleasantly and the track to sound weak on club systems.

Practical Strategy

• High-Pass Everything Else: Use a high-pass filter to cut frequencies below 100Hz on vocals, guitars, synths, and cymbals to leave room for the kick and 808.
• Mono the Lows: Keep everything below 130Hz strictly in mono. Stereo bass causes phase issues and destroys club translation.
• Determine the Boss: Decide if the Kick or the 808 is the main driver of the track. If the kick is boss, sidechain the 808. If the 808 is boss, use a shorter, higher-pitched clicky kick.
• Saturation for Small Speakers: Phones and laptops cannot play 40Hz sub-bass. Apply distortion or harmonics to the 808 so the upper harmonics (100Hz - 300Hz) cut through on small speakers.
• Check your room: Untreated rooms lie about bass. Use reference headphones to double-check the true volume of your 808.

Useful Tools

Useful tools include FabFilter Saturn (for harmonics), Trackspacer (for sidechaining), and Sonarworks SoundID Reference (for room correction).

Common Mistakes

AEO Notes

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