8 Tips For Better Low End - Warren Huart: Produce Like A Pro

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi Friends, we've been running Produce Like A Pro now for 5 amazing years and the number question we deal with is how do I get my low end to sound great!! These tips are the basics I have learned! Please feel free to add your low end tips below and let us know your experiences! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren!

[@darlenesheffield9835]

The most important mixing discussion! LOW END!! Thanks for sharing your experience and helping create the discussion Warren!

[@Producelikeapro]

@@darlenesheffield9835 thanks ever so much! Yes, it's a huge discussion! Probably the biggest issue most of us face when mixing!

[@commontimeproductions]

Thanks Warren! We just got the gold waves bundle and all our equipment for our startup mobile recording business. We are ready to roll (and rock) in 2020. Thank you so very much for inspiring Sam and I to just get ourselves and our business idea out there. We've already got 2 gigs lined up for the new year!

[@hrhdrbishopchriskember9984]

Over the years I have used 5.1 with Maxcraft 8 DAW, they also have version 9, also have Reaper, but I prefer Mixcraft, this is due to VST'S, have been mixing for the fellowship from some time, both my Wife Reverend Hanneke & I used to belong to Choir Groups, referring to the DAW, use Guitar to create a track, then switch into a blend of Saxophones - Piano, etc... improve the mixes, also use Melodyne to select various frequencies to improve tracks, just to refresh your memory, did share with you as to HARMONICS, doing well. Must go, keep up your good work, shalom - HRH Dr Bishop Chris Kember

[@themike84]

i don't have the greatest room nor the best speakers for low end but i usually check on headphones or the car-ceck

[@GiovanniMascheroni]

1. Be Aware of the Limitations of Your Room (improve your ambient the best you can) 2. Add a Sub (you probably don't need it) 3. It's Not Always About Turning Up The Low Lows (boost the high end to make your bass/kick appear) 4. Create Character With Your Low End Instruments (saturation) 5. Getting Consistent Low End (Mv2) 6. Decide What The Lowest Instrument Is Going To Be (avoid putting the bass and the kick in the same frequency range) 7. Proper Speaker Placement (1: equilateral triangle; 2: far from the wall) 8. High-Pass (just high-pass everything except for the bass and/or kick)

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Giovanni!

[@mlssn]

In addition to the things already mentioned I often use a multiband compressor to keep the low end of a bass more in control than the mid/high mid transients. That often allows the bass to feel dynamic and expressive while the low end just sits nice and still in the mix. Also sidechaining the low band of a multiband compressor to the kick can allow you to reduce the low end of the track, to make more room for, as an example, the kick without getting audible pumping.

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi Magnus, thanks ever so much for your experience and great insight!

[@jack79724]

Sennheiser HD 600's and Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories" taught me everything I know about referencing low end.

[@Producelikeapro]

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing!

[@UncleBenjs]

using them with Sonarworks? it makes such a difference. I'm using Sennheiser HD800 with it, really is amazing

[@jack79724]

@@UncleBenjs not at the moment, I've been buying lots of gear that I probably don't need and that won't actually help me become a better musician/mix engineer haha

[@UncleBenjs]

@@jack79724 Oh mate, Sonarworks is NIGHT AND DAY difference, you will really be able to trust the sound! Such a beautiful thing to hear things accurately in linear flat response. I did the same as you, had a room FULL of equipment and racks of gear, it didn't really help me. Now I have a very simple basic but nice set up, PrismSound Lyra interface, a few nice pieces of rack gear, HD800s with Sonarworks, pair of mixcubes, and one of the new mpcs. My current set up takes up around a 10th of the space as my old, but sounds 100x better, easier to use and get results, less time consuming, and a flat sound I can always trust and know that I am hearing correctly and how things will transport.

[@jack79724]

@@UncleBenjs I'll add it to my list!

[@QuistJam]

This is so good Warren, thank you!!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Quist!!

[@thomasleriksson]

I use a plugin on my masterbus called Bassroom. It gives a graphical indication of where the different low frequncies are and where the should be depending on style or compared to a uploaded reference track. In the plugin the frequencies can be adjusted. Very easy to use and the result is fantastic.

[@grahamtaylor6883]

Thanks for that. I've been trying to remember the name of that plugin. Pity I've just missed the Black Friday sales, but I've downloaded the demo now.

[@tssitcom]

Corner of the living room. That's been my life for 5 years now. Great tips Warren.

[@thebr0wnhornet]

I think it’s also helpful to be able to turn the sub on by itself so you can hear the kick/bass balance and reduce masking. Also can be done with a low pass on the mix at 100Hz

[@Producelikeapro]

Fantastic!! Love that idea! Thanks for sharing!

[@thebr0wnhornet]

Produce Like A Pro thanks! To me, with the sub on solo if it all sounds like mush I know I need to eq better, if bass and kick are still well defined the job is done

[@MixRPD]

Don't get monitors that are way too big for your room. I learned the hard way with HS8's in my tiny room. Much better off with my 5 inch Focals now. Imagine going from an 8 inch speaker to a 5, and getting more low end! Thanks for all you do Warren! I'm working with my first client now, and have learned so much from you and your interviews.

[@Oilid]

Thank you for existing!

[@stefanovitamusic]

22 minutes of golden tips! Thanks Warren!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Stefano!!

[@chophii526]

+1 For Brian Wilson! Fender bass + upright bass using different bass lines. Always enjoy learning about mixing low end from you! Learn something new each time. It’s definitely helped my mixes!

[@peterbrandt7911]

As a "long time viever" I'm still thankful for mentioning the MV2. That changed alot back in the day and it's still valid!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Peter! I love that plug in!

[@darlenesheffield9835]

The most important mixing discussion! LOW END!! Thanks for sharing your experience and helping create the discussion Warren!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Darlene! I'm glad to be able to help!

[@philiplane3533]

As usual, Warren absolutely nails the fundamentals of low end prep in mixing. What took me years to discover through my own mistakes is neatly condensed into a twenty minute video. To expand these tips out into the real world however, takes time and a lot of experimentation. The main thing is to listen! Music production and mixing has matured to the point that it is now an inseparable combination of art and science. Education is everything.

[@milanpolak]

I enjoy all of your videos, Warren but this one is golden! Thanks so much

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much my friend!!

[@tutubeos]

Thank you. This is liquid gold. You could add to the list: ear training of low end frequencies. Just add a high pass and llearn to recognize each step of the spectrum. Not easy, but very useful

[@ToddBeal]

Warren, thank you for believing in the ability of your fellow man. I appreciate your out of the box approach to solving problems without throwing convention to the wind. Your solutions always sound musical. Also, thank you for your enthusiastic, 'you can do it', professional/family friendly presentation. I really appreciate you. Congratulations on five successful years. God bless you.

[@TommyUrbanskiDJ]

Subpac is a priceless tool, for checking that crucial relationship between kick and bass. Paired with sonarworks, (in a treated room!) good references and switching between monitors. I also use Melda Multi Analyser, to check where that pocket for kick is. Finally, as you mentioned parallel saturation! 👌🏻

[@ToddBeal]

Sonarworks for headphones rocks (Sennheiser HD 800 S, along with Waves NX plugin). Finally, my mixes are becoming reliable. I can hear what I'm trying to hear.

[@fuxleo]

sorry for repeating myself... but i have to say it. you are a school(probably one of the best)... and this for free!! thank you so much, warren. only thing i can not learn, and thats what i do most. is learning about accoustic music with lesser instruments... no smashing bass or drums or electro. and mostly, how to record real solo jazz piano(for ex. brad mehldau or all the other geniuses).not just some triads in a rockband.probably cause you dont do that. theres nothing out there to show me how... or do you know someone who teaches that?lovely greez

[@gravityfreaksmusic]

The low end, the snare and the vocals take a lot of time a practice to get right. Your chanel has grown so valuable over the last years. There's hardly any production related subject where there's no content to help us getting better here on your tube. Thanks for that!

[@frederickthorne2496]

So many great tips, Warren, thank you!! - I use a plugin on my master buss called, VUMT Deluxe by Klanghelm, and it has 3 features that really help control low end for me. 1st - It allows you to convert frequencies below a selectable point from stereo to mono - I usually go from 60-80 hz and below, which help eliminate any phase discrepencies that may impede a clean low end tone. 2nd - It has a hi and lo pass filter that cuts all frequencies below 20hz and above 20khz - both hi and low are adjustable. 3rd - It has an active notch filter that defaults at 2400hz, but I usually select 90-100hz and vary the depth to catch any wild boomy transients in that zone of 100hz that so easily gets out of hand.

[@MickGrocholl]

I appreciate this video so much. Thank you Warren.

[@88keyz]

Number 8 was a very good they all were grate tips number 8 stood out a little more with me tho thanks much appreciated for the tips

[@isaaccameron7852]

One thing I've been experimenting with recently is mid-side processing on bass tracks. In a mix I'm doing now I have the upper range sent in parallel through some dirt and spin and hard panned with the main bass in the middle, really adds some more texture to the bass ! I would love a video going over how panning relates to output Warren, and whether having instruments panned to the same place contributes to actual loudness as well as muddiness... Maybe it's simpler than I think but I still have trouble with some of the concepts. Many thanks as always, a great day to you and your team!

[@alejandropilijos]

Thank you very much for all the knowledge you share on the channel. It is a way of educating ourselves without having to do more than listen, which is basically what everything depends on in the decisions we make. I don't want to be exaggerated, but it's as if bob dylan or john lennon made videos explaining how to compose a song. You are one of my favorite producers / engineers and I appreciate the time this was all public, since they were previously state secrets. greetings from Argentina !!

[@weehudyy]

The ' Don't be afraid of the Hi Pass ' tip is genius , as a player that has done a bit of live sound, one of the coolest tips given to me about good bottom end live, was about just assigning the kick and bass to the subs , how much it cleaned things up .

[@AKAtAGG]

This is a fantastic, short, tutorial about low end in mixing. every step is described perfectly. I proper love you.

[@drutgat2]

That was great. Thanks very much Warren.

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much!!

[@twitchgrass3849]

Warren shoots....HE SCORES!!!! Another amazing amount of information crammed into JUST under 23 min. On fire bro. You and Ian Shepherd taught me all I know. I check low end in good headphones, in cheap headphones , earbuds, two different cars and my favorite speakers, my original Yamaha NS-70T’s. Thank you 😊

[@williamclark3683]

What a great topic. I had been using JBL 1183's for my monitors (they're now fried and until I can afford new and better monitors I'm using a 2 way cerwin vegas) and even with my room medium-well treated I still get overwhelming bass when I do the car or other reference. I'm just not hearing the low end in my room, or so I thought!!! I'm adding more traps and a skyline diffuser (all DIY). In the meantime, while learning the room that I have, I constantly use two things...the ADPTR for referencing, and also the Abbey Road Studio 3 with my Audio-Technica M50's...which combined are doing two things..1...saving my mixes, and 2 teaching my ears the room I have. I try to high pass alot....and define the low end that is going to be showcased. Always great stuff Warren, Thanks again

[@Julian66666666666666]

One thing I learned some time ago was to hi pass the whole mix up to 40 or 30hz to clean up some of the sub energy that's not needed and determine the lenght of the kick drum. Made my mixes a looooot better

[@RC32Smiths01]

Informative and valuable information as always! Great work!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much my friend!!

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@Producelikeapro Ahhh you are absolutely welcome man!

[@Producelikeapro]

@@RC32Smiths01 You Rock!!

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@Producelikeapro Likewise to you man!

[@AcousticWorshipGS]

Thanks for the amazing tips Warren!! 😍😁 I usually separate Bass instruments into 2 tracks, Cut in the middle of around 80-120hz, split in the middle, separated and then compressed, with the lower frequencies compressed harder

[@alexandruvijolan5913]

Best thing in my opinion, and what I use is the Subpac. I reference other tracks to get feel what’s like on Subpac, and adjust my track to taste. Best of all you don’t need any room treatment to use it.

[@nickrobinson2276]

Such great advice! I feel that once the low end of a mix is in check, the rest just falls into place.

[@DeeKeyLP]

Coming back with fresh ears always help. Also, isolating freqency bands in mid and side mode on reference tracks to hear what's where

[@WasabiNoise]

I have a small room but I'm checking different positions with Room EQ Wizard and the Sonarworks mic. It's really nice to have a visual representation of what's going on in the room. It's sometimes surprising that you think you are making things better and you are making them worse (ie moving panels around, monitors on stand vs on table...). I tested different positions and I can't take the best one because of the lack of space but I know what's the difference. I really recommend getting a calibrated mic for checking these things. Again, thanks for sharing these tips! appreciate it.

[@hippisarecool]

Eating McDonald’s twice a day gave me a huge low end

[@OrgChromer]

I like to put on headphones and throw a steep lowpass on my master channel. If I'm hearing anything other than bass, kick and floor toms below about 100Hz, I need to hunt it down and kill it. Mute the drums and bass and figure out where it is coming from...

[@edkrausmixengineer]

What a fantastic and simple idea. Even if you do hear a little bit of other instruments, like a piano left-hand, you wouldn't have to necessarily deal with it, but at least you would be more keenly aware of it as you continue finishing the mix. Bravo!

[@Producelikeapro]

That's extremely cool Adrian! Agreed that would work really well in a denser mix! Great stuff!

[@darrenross9168]

Hi Warren, very helpful advice, thank you, all the best.

[@craigsanderson4330]

Mixing more in mono helps me.

[@Producelikeapro]

Craig Sanderson fantastic advice! Yes, mono will reveal low issues and really help you decide where to high pass your low end on instruments!!

[@thebr0wnhornet]

I sometimes do mid side eq with a high pass on the sides to keep the sub lows mono

[@stevekirkby6570]

Very interesting and informative: got to agree with cut the clutter. Some instruments give nothing low down (inc vocals) and are just taking energy. If it doesn't add, remove. Also, a good one is just to remove anything that a system can't reproduce. There are physical limitations on all speaker systems. So cut the crap, basically. Also, as mentioned, masking is an issue - so figure that out and avoid. Thanks for a great vid and post, as ever.

[@moltasstopyra9406]

I use the SRS WOW effect in Windows media player to check sub. If I have too much it reveals it very clearly.

[@ivanjackman]

Great advice!

[@SFLRECORDSCOMPANY]

Hi Warren, thank you for your advices. Low end is often a big problem for me . i will try and be back to you. I own a home studio in the south of France. musically Hervé

[@sleepless51]

It's always inspirational to listen to you Warren! Very informative!

[@Producelikeapro]

Ad. D. Thanks ever so much my friend!

[@danielcole2503]

I've found referencing in my car usually reveals low end issues, generally what sounds fat and tight in my studio set up sounds wolly and all engulfing in my car. Depressing! Thanks for all the great vids and advice.

[@Melvin7727]

Daniel Cole Same here

[@3ATTR1X]

That's usually a room issue as you are mixing to your room. "be aware of the limitations of your room" 2:09 we have all had that issue, get your room sorted and you can mix on any speakers. I went to a master studio where the guy had little 6" monitors he had built himself and said he spends more time listening through those than the other monitors, but his room was well designed trapped defused, wall behind the monitors was a built brick curved wall that was undulated it was a drum room vocal room. He obviously new his little speakers well.

[@lucasgarcezxyz]

The amount of content you put out is honestly incredible. Thank you and your team for the hard work, love the channel!

[@Producelikeapro]

That's very kind of you Lucas!!

[@edwincrain986]

I'm glad you addressed this. It's always hard for me to get tight low end.

[@mindofsinclair]

Super helpful!I mix in my master bedroom, the acoustics up here are pretty rough not gonna lie, but I'm starting a Spotify playlist with some songs that have really inspired me in the past to help reference it. I use the 5 inch JBL's with the JBL sub. Both run through the Presonus 24C Audio interface. I'm pretty happy with all of them. Funny story, I performed an open mic one night with a song I mixed WITHOUT ever really referencing other tracks and the low end WAS TERRIBLE! No side compression, all just straight mud and distorted. But, sometimes you gotta put yourself out there and make rookie mistakes if you wanna produce like a pro! Keep moving forward everyone!

[@TimotheCatlin]

What’s really helping me is using a Subpac for a low end reference. Warren, if you haven’t tried one, you really should check them out.

[@vimaxtube]

Excellent, as always. Thank you ever so much, Warren.

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Max!

[@stereofloat]

I´ve also found that selecting the right key for your track can affect your lowend. The kick/bassdrum has almost always a consistent frequency, but not the bass (maybe sometimes). So in most cases you have to consider how low does your bass go (the lowest note) on a certain key and adjust the key of the song properly in order to have a consistent relationship with the kick f.e.

[@augieal]

YES~! Ive been experimenting with something related to this reply. I have been adjusting the Q in my hi-pass in relation to the key of the song. For example, if I want to slope the kick's subs, instead if just picking 60Hz, if the song is in C, maybe I slope at 65.5Hz and bump the resonance there, or if the song is in E, the 5th is B which is 62Hz. I applied this experiment to my hi passed on all other instruments as well. In some cases, avoiding the key of the song so I didn't get build up in the lower mids around a particular frequency. And a note on the hi-passes: I was completely knocking out the lows on all other non-bass tracks at 48dB/octave and realized that something wasn't right. I read somewhere that a steep slope like that could introduce some artifacts in the digital environment. I also realized the instruments didn't sound natural. I went back to a 12 or 6dB/8va and although I was still getting some bleed of everything in the 100Hz and below range, it sounded more natural overall. I used a second 12dB around 60Hz on on my stems which really tightened things up.

[@marpsr]

The only place I have a sub is in my car, it certainly is a great way to check my mixes. What sounds fine without a sub can completely change when you listen with the sub. I burn my mixes to CD and play them on various devices I have, car, boom box, hi-fi, TV speakers, iPhone etc.

[@keysbythenumbers]

Yep, I "under use" subs all the time. It save me from the beginner habit of over cooking the low end. Additionally, taking the time to understand low freq behavior when it comes to interpreting the perception of loudness. Every mix and reference is a learning experience.

[@aperfectfix2095]

I think live sound is way more complicated than studio engineering and that a lot of lessons can be learned. As mentioned in the viddy, I first learned about low end by running live sound. I was at a club and I was trying to dial in the subs with the mains. I wanted the floor and walls to shake, the glasses on the racks etc. So I shut down the mains and cranked the subs. It got loud! But there was no definition. The bass from the subs was vibrating everything, but it was not that impressive. So I turned the mains back on and started to dial them in. As soon as the mains got to the right level, and that high end of the bass guitar and kick was apparent, WOW! Every time the kick hit it was like getting punched in the chest! What I learned was that the high end of the kick and bass gave me the cue that the bass was hitting. We need that cue to have our minds process what is going on. So when it seems like the bass should be there but I'm not finding it focused I may add some high mids to get that audible cue, and then it's like "oh, now it has my attention!"

[@masteringmatters3537]

I get alot of mixes with to much low in it. its hard to make a great master out of it. sometimes i need to cut off to much low to get on the right level. but than the sound is not what it used to be. thanks for this video i can share this with my client who are mixing to much low in it!

[@servelloneloscuro]

I mix in a small room with some KRK 5 (75 to 80 db SPL) and I finished my mix with my HS8 YAMAHA! I use sidechain compression on my kick and bass to control the low end. Also to know if I'm getting a good low end I listen to my mix at a very quiet level between 75 to 80 db SPL. USE RBASS, VIRTUAL TAPE MACHINE AND TRACKS-5 EQ432 ON YOUR BASS it works amazing for me.

[@aexlabs]

btw, and as I've been taught, by my mentors, the snap Warren is speaking of regarding reproducing / recording kick drums comes from the pad hitting the drum skin, we record several mics to capture just that, and use isolation plugs to separate it from the other tracks solely to attenuate... it is absolutely critical to reproduce actual experience of hear a live kit,,, kudos Warren

[@briankingart]

Wizardry! Thank you. HIGH PASS, got it. I'm using JBL 305 Mk IIs and I needed that tip! Thanks Warren.

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Brian!!

[@mannylocomeng]

Waves MV2 wow how in the world I was missing this plugin. Thank you....

[@ToddBeal]

MV2 is one of my goto plugins for mixing voiceovers. Used judiciously, it provides consistent levels for the lower 'feel good' frequencies.

[@Producelikeapro]

It is a HUGE go to for me!! Wonderful!

[@Producelikeapro]

@@ToddBeal yes, agreed!!

[@bill4510]

@@Producelikeapro Why do you prefer MV2 over Maxxvolume?

[@afmth-sn6mt]

I do not overdo it, if it sounds good raw, I do a little bit of processing, and that's it!

[@Producelikeapro]

Wonderful thanks for sharing!!

[@funnyminky]

Love your videos - I have learned so much by simply listening...

[@chrismataran8302]

Hi Warren, everything has been told. As far as I'm concerned, High Pass is a rule of thumb for years! Clean up the mud! I also found out that listening to the mix at low volume is sometimes helpful to check the lows. I believe it's "simple" physic, something related to air, energy and wavelength. Happy mixing!

[@edkrausmixengineer]

Warren, I really found this helpful. I always try to keep in mind that more bass usually does not mean boosting the lowest frequencies but adding "character" to the instrument in question to give it more individuality/separation. It reminds me of a comment you made in passing about John Bonham's drums always seem heavy with a big bottom end, but if you go back and listen. the sub-frequencies are not there at all. We are just being mind-f'ed into hearing it that way. Thanks again!

[@mlphiker]

I noticed in my square shaped home studio, I can’t hear any bass whatsoever (or at least a very little amount). However, when I lean back and place myself almost in the middle of the room, my bass reappears. I have bass traps and I’m working in possibly the worst type of space to mix and master, however I found this trick to help me not add too much bass to overcompensate my room.

[@doubleg1094]

am from hip hop background, i love subharmonic synthesisers like dbx 510, and bass exciters like spl tube vitalizer... earthquake in subwoofers

[@alexfont]

Tune kick and bass (root/fith) also helps to tighten up your lows...

[@mirr1984]

I make electronic music and tend to layer a mono sinewave under the harmonic bass. I then shave off the harmonic bass to around 60-80hz. The slope of the highpass goes more by ear and how clear I want the sub to be. Layering a sinewave sub also allows me to control the volume which adds an extra balancing element. Though, I work on pretty bad speakers so my referencing could be really off. On a final note, if the low end of the harmonic bass is already mono and tight then I won't add the sinewave sub. It's better for stuff like detuned sawbass, or phased oscillators that might lose some power in the low end. Also, sometimes it can be better to use a square or sawtooth waveform to match the characteristics harmonic bass. A sinewave can sound odd if the harmonic bass is already very dirty.

[@DJFxallMixX]

Thank you it hits home I have been stuck in a living room corner. I am getting ready to build my production desk and finally have monitors on the way kali IN-8s. I will be at least against a flat wall now. I do make and produce electronic music but definitely find your tips helpful. Especially cause allot of my hardware has all these production tools built in so I can eq and use compression along with hpf/lpf before it even hits the daw. Allot can be made sound better before it hits the record. Same with my drum machines roland has put so many helpful tools in the box that most do not realize or understand.

[@jaymaloney9246]

I use A7X's with no sub and when I bring my mixes out to the car, the bass is BOOMING. I also have sizable bumps in my room at 150Hz, 200Hz, 230Hz. Apparently, those are typical is a room that is nearly square. I have 2 bass traps in the corners behind the monitors. Still learning. Thanks for the video. Very informative.

[@bluwavdave]

Another great video Warren! Thank you so much for the great tips and reminders in evaluating bottom end! One of these days I'll get it right! LOL

[@williamslater1799]

I tend to close my eyes and put my right hands on the woofer and adjust till it feels right to me. It's a trick I have adopted due to my hearing issues.

[@chrisw5742]

So you lost your hearing but gained an extra right hand?? :-P

[@williamslater1799]

@@chrisw5742 absolutely! haha

[@tommacmillan8831]

this is a great video and much of the chat about EQ can be applied to other frequencies. it's all very reminiscent of the 'why do your recordings sound like ass?' thread on the reaper forum by Yep. perhaps Yep and warren are the same person??!

[@ajmaietta]

Room is pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty key and I can see why it is listed first. The placement of my monitors, and room treatment made a very big difference in hearing the bass in a way that the speakers were actually reproducing. I used a room calculation/placement tool (I can't remember which one I used but there are several online) and moved my desk/speakers/chair to be at certain places within the dimensions of my room based on the calculations. Prior to properly placing my speakers, I'd have to start walking out of the room and over by the door in the corner is where all the low end would be (and still builds up I'm sure). But after properly placing my speakers and butt in the chair, I am not overdoing bass guitar/kick drum/etc anymore, and I'm getting much, much better and also overall louder mixes out of it. RealTraps MiniTraps in reflection points helped a whole lot too after that, but I got lucky and inherited a bunch of them. Proper room use and treatment are key for figuring out your low end because you can't honestly deal with the mix if you're not getting the honest output from the speakers to your ears. It's one of the toughest things a home recorder can get done to a high quality unless you have the luxury of a purpose-set room and buy or build the treatment. (definitely build!) And to get good low end into the mix in the first place: on bass guitar, using a DI track (sometimes, if need be) in addition to multiple mics on the cabinet are really the way to go in my experience. I never got the "that's what it should sound like" sound out of anything until I started using a SM57 and MD421 on the grille, with a large diaphragm condenser (or ribbon) several feet away facing the amp. Once you work out mic placement/phase issues and the mics start working together...oh man. I've also been in real studios where a SM57 or whichever mic is enhanced with a bass drum mic on the speaker, and prior go buying the MD421 I'd use a Shure PG52. And for drums, there were two things. First was using a second bass drum mic whether it be a sub kick mic or a large diaphragm condenser or what have you (I use a sub kick mic to taste, never really more than the fader 1/3 of the way up the line). And then for the whole kit in general, a full and punchy low end started to track into the DAW more consistently when I put MiniTraps and homemade four-foot-tall 24"x24"x34" fabric coated rockwool bass traps in two of the corners of the recording room. I'm going to build more bass traps and add another 4' triangle to each existing one because I can only put them in two of the four corners of that room, they made such a difference!

[@ScottFuckinRitchie]

My mixes were always too quiet because my low end was too dense. After hi-passing most instruments, my mixes are much better and much louder! Great video Warren!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Scott! Agreed! Well said!

[@NacekO]

For rock and metal I personally split the bass tracks. For the DI track I hipass around 30/35 Hz and low pass around 200 Hz and then compress the living s#$% out of it (mostly serial compression) but not too much so I still have note definition and then I slap a limiter on just for good measure :D The amp track I usually highpass at around 200 Hz and lowpass at 6k (depends on the bass) and presto I have myself a great bass sound with consistent low end :D Learned that one from you Warren so thanks for that :D I compress the kick heavily aswell. Ever since I started doing that my mixes started sounding way better. I still fall into the too much low end trap but only because I turned up the bass guitar level too much. I just love a good bass sound what can I say :D Cheers from Slovenia.

[@Producelikeapro]

That's practically exactly what I do for every genre! I want the low lows to be VERY even indeed! Thanks ever so much for sharing!!

[@EricGPLAP]

Quick easy to follow tips and great insight!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Eric!

[@alexeypolevoybass]

One of the best tricks about bass is highpassing the bass in side channel. A lot of EQs and filters, including open source and free ones, allow that, so it's dirt cheap, but extremely helpful, especially when mixing stuff with low tuned guitars.

[@Martin-kn6vc]

Yep. Been there! I know the pain of having a mix with too much low end and being uncontrolled due to how boomy it was. I find these days I'm under-mixing my low end because I'm "afraid" of over boosting it and being flubby. I definitely use reference tracks of the same style that I'm mixing, and I sit back from my monitors to allow the low end develop and not having the immediate high end from being sat in my usual mix position.

[@Lumosity83]

To get a good balance with the kick and bass guitar, put a VU meter on the master channel of your DAW and put the level of the kick at the desired volume. Then gain the VU meter so that the kick will reach -3db. Now put up the level of the bass so when the kick and bass play together the VU meter hits 0db.

[@AnyDrug]

I expected at least 3 of these 8 tips to be "High Pass..!" ^^ As always an enjoyable lesson

[@mwintersteinsmith]

‼️Awesome video‼️😎 Thank you Warren. If I’m really honest, understanding the low end has helped me tremendously ✅ This video reminds me again of it’s importance when mixing 👌🎵

[@xerogh1821]

Great topic Warren! I couldn’t agree more with “knowing the limitations of your room”. I have a relatively good size room for my home studio but it is hampered by an alcove where the door is located. This alcove puts a 39-inch-wide x 29-inch-deep notch on one side of the room (approx. 1-meter wide x 0.74-meter deep). I tried every possible setup to get an even response (using RoomEQ Wizard), but no matter what I did the lack of symmetry threw off my stereo image. Example: my left Monitor will have a peak at 70hz and the right will have a null at 80hz. After realizing I couldn’t beat Mr. Newton’s laws of physics I settled with a monitor/listening position placement that I felt was as good as I can get it. It’s not optimal, but going through all the different setups gave me knowledge of where my problems are. I just keep that in mind while recording/mixing and adapt, then double check with headphones or listening to mixes in my car. No residential room will ever be prefect, but understanding its limitations will help out immensely!

[@patkelly3966]

" Corner of the living room " Yep, that's me :-)

[@MartinLuxen]

Hi Warren! Thank you! Indeed, mixing the low end is the hardest thing in mixing I think and experience... So these tips help a lot. My favorite reference track is Billie Jean by Michael Jackson... I've used it since I was a kit and installing audio in cars... The low and high and are awesome!

[@mechasartre3694]

Hmmm some great tips, inspiring me to go back and mix my second to last project that I was real proud of but had a bit of a monstrous and out of control low end, many thanks!

[@SteveSnelling]

i've been getting so much out of your posts! Thanks for sharing so much experience. Plus, you are like the Gordon-Ramsey's-friendly-cousin of engineering. Mix Rescue!

[@Producelikeapro]

Steve Snelling aw shucks thanks ever so much!! I’m so glad to be able to help! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@kadiummusic]

Recording, mixing and sometimes mastering at home is like walking a tightrope. My tips from finding out what works for me is first get used to how good recordings sound in your main room, play references every day, just before you work and occasionally while your'e working especially if you feel you're ears are getting tired. Second, try and play references in your adjacent room with the studio door open and see if there's a place where reference mixes sound great. In my adjacent kitchen there is a specific spot where the bottom end is incredible, just like have a sub speaker, and after many years listening here I know what a great bottom end should sound like, if it's booming here my mix isn't right. Third, tune your car system so it plays refence tracks at the optimum and then compare your mixes with this setting, again play the references first. Fourth, get the best set of headphones you can afford and use these as another sounding board, once again listening to reference tracks first. If your mixes sound great after all this, especially your bottom end, then you're not going to be too far away for a great mix.

[@matthewtoomer2181]

In my psytrance mixes I blend sub bass with my kicks and have a bass line 60+ with a click kick which is just my kick with the lows remove and the highs boosted and fairly heavy compression and saturation and a notch boast on the 3-5 octave of the root. My sub is barley doing anything just add thickness and weight to the low end and I also cut at 30 sometimes a steep cut but sometimes a shallow to keep some of 20-25 hz in there. Bass is very important for psytrance as its the main focus to get you driving and entranced. I also mostly do the same with my high bass that I do with my click kick. And if I want more energy an a gallopy feel in the bass I time shift the high bass and sometimes high kick forward 0.5 - 2ms. It really makes its snappy and moves them out the way of the low so they both have a tiny window to pop solo rather then be blended

[@matthewtoomer2181]

Oh and I hit my first 1k plays on one of my youtube videos wooooo. It's a psytrance remix of jingle bells hahaha

[@ksparbanie]

Everyone is quite familiar with the industry standard use of a Shure SM57 on snare drum as well as guitar amps (sometimes blended with the Royer R-121.) However, sE Electronics has a highly-regarded dynamic at the same price point as the 57, the V7. I'd like to see a video testing the sE V7 on snare and guitar amps in a shoot-out with the Shure.

[@studiodimanche]

Sonarworks reference 4 was a really good investment for me. If you can swing it, it’s a very handy tool!

[@kaiulrich6185]

I am lucky since I am mostly a live sound engineer so I get the chance in a quite moment to check my mixes on large scale PA systems...no better way to jugde your low end

[@JoaoSantos-vc5vv]

thank you, thank you, thank you, i learn a lot with you...keep the good job. Joao Santos...Portugal

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Joao!!

[@88keyz]

Right side chaining is my go when dealing with low end issues

[@NickHintonMusic]

This is the best video of yours i've watched so far. Thank you, so so helpful to get my head around that kick and bass combination. I recently tried duplicating a bass track and fed the dupe through some nasty amp sim preset, but rolled off a lot of the lows. So together, I managed to get that lovely growl and that low bass (on the original track) without having to do it all on one channel. The kick drum sound is my nemesis, but I am determined to conquer it eventually! ;) Many thanks Warren for your insightful videos! Cheers!

[@ruthgunstone6162]

Warren - Great video, as always. One question (maybe for your FAQ Friday!): Regarding your reference tracks - do you always listen to reference track directly from CD? or from a computer file. CDs/WAVs can sound different to MP3s AACs etc. (especially to trained ears!). Cheers from a very cold Sheffield, UK!

[@groovedodger]

Thanks Warren great tips. What about side chaining Bass and Kick compressors if more defined Kick wanted?.

[@sansocie]

Great show! Thank you.

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi Robert Glenn San Socie you’re very welcome my friend!!