100% BASS

Get that heavy, earth quaking bass you’ve always dreamt of with our ultimate low-end power guide

For festival-goers, DJs and soundsystem addicts, the word ‘bass' conjures up visceral images of euphoric dancefloors, seismic vibrations and screwed-up faces. Yet the exact same word strikes fear into the hearts of most producers and mix engineers, since the low frequencies are both the most important and the toughest elements of a production to get right.

It’s not hard to see why bottom-end balance is so tricky to nail. Fans demand an absurd amount of bass in their music these days, and tracks must sound absolutely perfect when played through every type of soundsystem – from the tinniest kitchen radio to the biggest stacks. Furthermore, every track within every subgenre has a different type of bassline, and a particular set of requirements that must be adhered to. And to make life even harder, low frequencies are the most difficult to monitor and assess, due to the sheer power and size of low-frequency waveforms, and the physical limitations of both monitor speakers and the average home studio room.

So what’s a producer to do? This issue, we’re showing you exactly how to deal with low end in all its forms. With the tutorials (and accompanying videos) across the next 12 pages, we’ll give you the knowledge you need to source and sculpt your bass for maximum possible power!