LOW-END MIXING TACTICS

From composition to processing, find out how to balance bottom end like never before with our heavyweight masterclass

Despite the fact that wimpy audio playback systems such as smartphones, tablets, Bluetooth speakers and earbuds are the primary means of music consumption these days, there’s still a lot of love for bass-heavy electronic genres such as grime, DnB, reggae, UK bassline and hip-hop, which all demand a razor-sharp balance of bass parts geared towards maximum sound system impact.

And even if you’re not a club music obsessive, there are still a ton of reasons why getting low frequencies to work well in a mixdown is vital. No matter what music you work on, pretty much every decent mix in existence is built upon a solid, consistent and powerful low end, as getting this foundation right provides a platform to build the rest of the mix on top. With the groove of most music coming from the syncopation between the drums and bass, having a well defined bass balance will give any track a stronger rhythm and identity.

So, we’ve established that the low end of a mix is pretty damn important. However, getting a solid, professional bottom end isn’t easy, which is why we’ve put together this collection of advanced bass mixing tips and tricks to help you get that rich, full low end you always promised yourself. As well as some great tips for arranging bass-heavy instruments to increase clarity, we’ve got a slew of tutorials and tips covering sound design and clever low-end processing tricks such as sidechain EQ, phase flipping, multiband compression, panning and delay.

To help you make the most of these awesome techniques, the usual tutorial files, videos and audio examples are included, so you can follow along with us in your own studio. So, if you’re eager to get every last ounce of weight out of your low end mixdowns, read on as we delve into the world of advanced bass mixing!