Mixing Bass Guitar in 7 Simple Steps

1/10/2021 Mixing Bass Guitar in 7 Simple Steps
BLOG RESOURCES COURSES REVIEWS FREE MASTERCLASS
MIXING BASS GUITAR IN 7 SIMPLE

STEPS
No matter how the part’s written, mixing bass guitar is one of the most
important elements of your song. It’s also one of the hardest to get
right.
Want to make your tracks sound professional? Read this guide below to
learn everything you’ll need to mix a killer bass.
CONTENTS [SHOW]
Want your mixes to sound pro?

Before we continue… I’m guessing you’re here because you want to
make music that sounds professional.
If so, then you’re going to love this new free masterclass.
Inside, you’ll learn the only 7 steps you need to go through if you want
your mixes to sound professional.
FREE MASTERCLASS
7 Steps to So, if you want a shortcut to pro-quality mixes, watch this free
masterclass now:
Pro Mixes
Make music that you're PROUD to
FREE MASTERCLASS: 7 Steps to Pro Mixes at Home. Learn how to
share — and take the next step
make radio-ready music in no time with this free masterclass. Click
toward a career in music
for access.
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS
https://www.musicianonamission.com/mixing-bass/ 1/30
But if you just want to learn about Bass Guitar speci cally, keep
reading.
Step 1: Check Your Arrangement
The First 2 Steps to Better Low End | musicianonamission.com - Mix School #11
I know, this has nothing to do with mixing. But hear me out.
Before you start the mixing process, you need to look at your
arrangement. Are there other parts masking the bass notes?
Arrangement refers to all of the notes of a song, and the instruments

that play them. Sometimes, changing those notes is necessary to get a
more powerful low end.
FREE MASTERCLASS
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS
Check out this EQ chart. Instruments in the part of the frequency

spectrum where the bass sits (60Hz-200Hz) are easily covered up. The
more instruments that have notes in that range, the worse the bass will
sit in the mix.
Look at the parts in the song.
What parts are too low?
What parts could be cut?
Are there parts that could be taken up an octave?
Maybe it’s the left hand in a piano part.
Or several low guitar parts.
FREE MASTERCLASS Or even a synth or two.
7 Steps to Before you even record your bass, make sure it has room to breathe!
Pro Mixes Of course, this does not apply to the kick drum. That’s the bass’s older
brother. They fight and get on each other’s nerves, but ultimately,
they’re family.
ACCESS THE FREE We’ll cover how to get the kick drum and bass guitar to play nicely later
MASTERCLASS in this guide.
Step 2: Focus on The Recording

90% of your sound is going to come from this step. So make it count.
Get the Tone Right Before Mixing
In order to get a good mix, you have to have good bass tone.
Be intentional. Consider the rest of the song. What tone would fit best
with the other instruments?
FREE MASTERCLASS
7 Steps to
Before you ever reach for an EQ, try to create that tone using your amp
(or amp sim).
Pro Mixes Want a boomy bass? Crank the lows, or cut the highs.
share — and take the next step Want something with a little more slap? Cut the lows, or boost your
toward a career in music highs.
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS Want a bright tone, one that won’t hold down the low end but will cut
through the mix? Cut your lows and boost your mids.
So make sure you know how to record bass guitar well. If you start with
a good foundation, mixing bass guitar will be 10x easier.
Amp Sims and Recording Direct
If you’re using an amp sim, don’t think you’re off the hook.
You’ve got a little more work to do!
The world of amp sims is a little more complicated than the realm of the
FREE MASTERCLASS bass amplifier. It’s a new game with new rules.
7 Steps to But with a little effort, you can make your DI bass guitar sound just as
Pro Mixes good (if not better) than one recorded through a real amp.
Make music that you're PROUD to So – before you even start, make sure you have the right gear.
toward a career in music Make sure you have a proper DI box. Or, alternatively, an audio
interface with a direct-in option.
ACCESS THE FREE
MASTERCLASS
These help the signal from your instrument to pass through more
accurately. It’ll really help the sound of your bass.
Then, make sure you have a decent amp simulation software.
I personally recommend BIAS FX or BIAS AMP.
(I go through a LOT of options (both free and premium) in this

article. Take a look if you need help weeding through your choices.)
When recording through a DI box, make sure your gain staging is good.
How loud your bass notes are will affect the tone of the amp sim.
I go through how to properly set your instrument levels in this blog

post. Read it a few times, ‘cause it’s good advice for all of your
recordings!
Once you’ve recorded your DI bass, you want to make sure that you put
on a low-pass lter. The high frequencies can distort in DI recordings,
and your track can sound unnaturally digital.
Set your low-pass filter at around 10kHz to cut those nasty frequencies
out.
FREE MASTERCLASS
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes
After that, you can set the tone of your bass exactly as you would on a
ACCESS THE FREE bass amp! Pick the amp cabinet that fits your needs for the song, then
MASTERCLASS
turn the knobs until you find the tone you want.
Remember, when it comes to tone – be intentional.
Know what you are looking for before you start. Search for it with a
purpose, don’t just randomly turn knobs.
(Note: With DI bass, you don’t necessarily NEED an amp sim. Those are
more necessary with DI electric guitars than basses. Sometimes the
bass needs a little more “umpf”, but other times the dry tone works just
ne.)
If you want to get your amp sims sounding right every time, I made a
free cheat sheet to help with mixing bass guitar.
Check it out below:
FREE BONUS: Get the bass right every time with this free bass mixing cheat sheet.
Step 3: Balance Your Bass in the Mix

Want to know the biggest secret to mixing bass guitar?
It’s so simple, but so overlooked.
FREE MASTERCLASS The big secret:
7 Steps to Get really, really good at balancing the volume of your tracks.
Pro Mixes
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS
It’s not flashy, but 80% of a solid mix comes from proper balancing.
The same is true for a solid low end!
The First 2 Steps to Better Low End | musicianonamission.com - Mix School #11
FREE MASTERCLASS
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes
share — and take the next step Before you move onto EQ and compression, you have to balance your
toward a career in music bass with the rest of the instruments.
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS It’s really simple.
Does it sound too boomy? Turn the track down.
Too thin? Turn it up.
Be aware – you’ll need to use automation to make sure the bass sits well
in each part of the song.
If it’s sitting well in the chorus, but its too loud in the verses, don’t turn
the whole track down! Just adjust the level of that verse.
Doing this will keep your mix dynamic and energetic, rather than
uneven and lifeless.
You will add more processing in the next steps to make your bass more
consistent. But proper balancing is important in creating the
foundation. Without balance, no amount of compression or EQ is going
to make it sound professional.
Gain Automation
One technique to make your bass sound more consistent is to automate
the track gain.
Let’s say that your verse is played fairly quiet, and your chorus is
performed extra loud.
You obviously want to keep the dynamic contrast of that part if that’s
what the song calls for. That, however, poses a problem.
FREE MASTERCLASS All your processing (e.g. compression or distortion) on the track will go
crazy in the chorus, and will hardly work at all in the verses.
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes
For example, in the choruses, you might be getting 5dB of compression.

ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS
But in the verse, you’re not getting any gain reduction at all!
FREE MASTERCLASS
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS
The solution? Gain automation.
Gain automation is the process where you are turning the GAIN of the
track up in certain sections, rather than the VOLUME.
GAIN is the level going into your effects. VOLUME is the level coming
out.
This will make your bass sound consistent throughout the song, even in
the quieter parts!
Check out how to use gain automation in different DAWs.
Step 4: Use Reference Tracks
FREE MASTERCLASS
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes
The next step to mixing bass guitar is to use a reference track. This is
crucial to a professional low end.
What is a reference track? It’s a professionally mixed song that you use
ACCESS THE FREE as a point of reference while you’re mixing.
MASTERCLASS
Basically, you listen to a song in the same vein as your current mix, and
ask yourself these kinds of questions…
“Are my guitars too loud?”
“Is my vocal too dull?”
“Are my keys panned too wide?”
When you use your answers to tweak your mix, you have one of the
best ways to make your mix translate well on all different kinds of
speakers. It’s a godsend.
For your low end, it’s especially important. Having a well-balanced low
end can make or break your mix.
Without it, your mix will fall apart in other speakers.
There is a special technique to getting the balance of the low end to sit
just right.
The Low End Mixing Trick That Could Save Your Mixes | musicianonamission.co…
musicianonamission.co…
FREE MASTERCLASS
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes
share — and take the next step First, make sure your reference track is the same volume as your current
toward a career in music mix. Otherwise, your balance will be off no matter what!
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS Load up a VU meter (I prefer the Klanghelm VUMT, though any would
work) and play your track, taking note of how loud it is. Then play the
reference track and check its volume too.
Because the VU meter is slower and more accurate to what the human
ear is actually hearing, you’ll get a better idea for where the two tracks
are in relation to each other.
If the reference track is louder than your track, just turn it down to the
same level.
IMPORTANT: Make sure the reference track isn’t being processed by any
effects on your master buss! Otherwise it won’t be accurate. To avoid
this, create a stereo aux track that will function as your mix’s stereo
output and send all of your tracks there. Put any plugins you want for
the mix buss on that track. Then, send your faux-stereo-out and the
reference tracks to the actual stereo output. Simple as that!
(Alternatively, use a plugin like Magic AB in your last plugin slot on the
master fader.)
Once the reference and your track are the same level, place an EQ on
the stereo output and put a low-pass filter at 200Hz.
FREE MASTERCLASS
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes Now, all you’re listening to is the low end of both tracks!
Take a few seconds and listen to both.
ACCESS THE FREE Does yours sound too loud?

MASTERCLASS
Too soft?
Too muddy?
Too thin?
Tweak your bass and kick drum until the low end sounds like the low
end of your reference track. Now your mix will transfer to different
speakers much better!
Congrats. You’re one step closer to a professional low end.
Step 5: Make it Consistent With

Compression
FREE MASTERCLASS
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes
One of the most important things in a professional low end is
consistency. You want to make sure that your bass doesn’t have random
ACCESS THE FREE notes that stick out from the others.
MASTERCLASS
To tame those dynamics, turn to a compressor.
Try using a slow release time. Bass guitar tends to have longer sustain in
each note, so you want the compressor to catch it all.
If you get your release time just right, your bass will sound nice and fat.
Too short though, and the bass could start distorting or “pumping”. This
is because the compressor relaxes and disengages before the note is
finished.
You want to time the release time to the tempo of the song. Ideally the
gain reduction meter doesn’t return to zero until right before the next
FREE MASTERCLASS note.
7 Steps to Start with a release time of 150ms, and move it faster or slower from
Pro Mixes there. That should be a good starting point.
Make music that you're PROUD to Alternatively, If your compressor has an auto-release function, use it. It
share — and take the next step will often work better than manually setting the release time.
Start compressing with a slow attack time as well. Try around 20-40ms.
ACCESS THE FREE
MASTERCLASS
If the transients of your bass notes are inconsistent, you can make the
attack time faster. If some notes are clicky and others are quiet, a faster
attack time might be necessary.
In modern production, bass instruments are compressed more than

other instruments in the mix. Don’t be afraid to get 4-10dBs of gain
reduction.
If that’s sounding a little too obvious, try using a technique called serial
compression.
The Bass Compression Trick for Tight, Solid Low End | musicianonamission.com…
musicianonamission.com…
Get your compressor to get about 3dB of gain reduction, then copy and
paste that plugin beneath it.
You’ll get the same amount of compression, but each compressor won’t
FREE MASTERCLASS be working nearly as hard.
7 Steps to It’ll sound much more natural!
Pro Mixes Also: Remember to use makeup gain with your compression! Otherwise,
Make music that you're PROUD to you’re just making the bass quieter.
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS Step 6: Balance the Low End with EQ
The Pocket EQ Technique

Remember that tense family rivalry the kick and bass have? This is
where we resolve their differences.
What we want to do is to create a pocket for each low end instrument

to sit in. It’s simpler than you think.
The Bass Guitar Mixing Trick for Clean Low End (Pocket EQ) | musicianonamissi…
musicianonamissi…
Using the Pocket EQ technique will cement the relationship between

the kick drum and the bass guitar. It’ll make sure your tracks aren’t too
muddy or too thin and lifeless in the low end. It’s a key part of mixing
the bass guitar.
1) Find the Pocket.

FREE MASTERCLASS
The first thing you need to consider is this:
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes Which instrument is going to hold down the low end? The kick, or the
bass?
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS
The reason the kick drum and bass guitar fight so much is that they
occupy the same area. So we need to give them seperate spaces to live
in.
If they each have their own space – or one has the priority overall –
that’s going to make your low end sound much clearer, more defined,
and far less muddy.
Whether the bass guitar has the priority or not is going to vary
depending on the genre.
If it’s something like hip-hop or electronic music, then the kick is

probably going to have priority over the bass. The kick drum will take up
FREE MASTERCLASS a lot more of the low end, and the bass guitar will sit a little higher in the
mix.
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes
Maybe the kick is taking care of all the sub-bass frequencies – and then
the bass is sitting higher in the mix, maybe between 100 and 200 hertz.
Make music that you're PROUD to In this case, the kick will have priority in the sub bass.
toward a career in music In rock, punk, and a lot of hardcore and metal music, it’s the other way
around. The bass takes care of the sub EQ frequencies. The bass
ACCESS THE FREE provides the constant low end, and then the kick has more punch and
MASTERCLASS
attack in the upper midrange.
If you imagine a metal kick drum, it’s got a really high pitched ‘kk-kk-kk’
sound. It’s not about the big boominess that you might expect from hip-
hop.
If you’re not sure which should have priority, listen to some genre-
specific references. Observe what’s going on in the low end of each
track, and adjust accordingly.
One more thing you can do to try and find the pocket for the bass is to
simply look at what you’re working with.
FREE MASTERCLASS If you’re mixing a bass guitar and a kick drum with a lot of low end
7 Steps to energy, the kick drum would likely be the best candidate to be present
lower in the spectrum. So you would decide for your kick drum to take
Pro Mixes up the space below 100 Hz, and the bass guitar would take up the space
between 100 and 200 Hz.
share — and take the next step So depending on the tone of your instruments, the song may have
already dictated where each part is going to sit.
ACCESS THE FREE
MASTERCLASS NOTE: We just released another great video on EQing bass:
How to EQ Bass to Sit Perfectly in the Mix
2) High-Pass Filter
This seems counterproductive, but you may want to use a high-pass
lter on the bass.
Stay with me here.
When you’re mixing the bass and kick together, you need to consider
that we don’t actually want that frequency content that’s being taken
up by the kick drum. We want the kick drum to have its own space to
live.
So putting a high-pass filter between 50 and 100 Hz would actually help

the bass and kick to play better together! This will tighten up the low
end.
FREE MASTERCLASS
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS
It also “rounds out” the bass. It gives it more energy in the lows and low
mids, and gets rid of the boominess in the sub bass that is fighting with
the kick.
If the bass guitar is providing the sub bass instead of the kick drum, a
high-pass filter may still be beneficial. Some low end “boom” can be
detrimental no matter what. But if a high-pass filter is necessary, make
sure not to take it higher than 30 Hz.
3) Exaggerate the Pocket

FREE MASTERCLASS
Next, find where the bass is going to sit (say, 170 Hz), and boost it there.
7 Steps to You want to make sure it has enough presence in that area, so that it
Pro Mixes
can really own the bass pocket.
Make music that you're PROUD to A massive boost will likely not be necessary. 2 to 4 dB with a wide
share — and take the next step bandwidth should be plenty.
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS
Warning: this step may not be necessary! If the tone of the bass is
already heavy in the area that you are choosing, boosting it could cause
the bass to be too overpowering in the mix. Use your ears to decide
whether or not to boost.
4) Remove the Stuff You Don’t Need

We’ve already tightened up the low end with that high-pass filter, but
now we can remove some of the top end that we don’t need. It’s just
filling out space in the mix.
FREE MASTERCLASS
Use a low-pass filter between 6-10 kHz to cut the highs that you don’t
7 Steps to need.
Pro Mixes What this means is we are essentially creating a band-pass filter for the
Make music that you're PROUD to bass to live in.
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS
5) Make Space for the Bass Guitar

Once we’ve really got the tone going on the bass guitar, we can now
address other areas of the mix, like the kick drum or guitars.
Maybe there’s a keyboard part with the left hand in the lower range of
the piano that’s interfering with the bass. Even vocals could be
conflicting with the bass guitar if the vocalist has a low enough range.
So use EQ to create more space in the mix for that pocket. Carve out
FREE MASTERCLASS some of the lows in these instruments. Create that pocket for the bass
to sit in.
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes
And that’s it! You’ve successfully created a pocket for your bass and kick
to live in.
share — and take the next step Now they’ll play nicely together. No more fighting.
Just one big happy family.
ACCESS THE FREE
MASTERCLASS
Step 7: Thicken the Bass with Saturation

Finally, you may want to make your bass a little thicker, or poke out a
little more in smaller speakers. Here’s where saturation comes into play.
Saturation is a fancy word for analog distortion. It does a great job of

subtly “filling out” the sound of an instrument.
[A warning: I am very passionate about being able to use stock plugins

to produce professional mixes. However, saturation is an exception. Most
DAWs don’t have a great plugin to achieve this sound. There are a few
plugins I would recommend. Klanghelm IVGI is a FREE saturation
plugin that I think sounds great. It’s stellar to use while learning to use
saturation in your mixes. When you’ve learned the techniques and are
ready to upgrade to a better sound, I would recommend the FabFilter
Saturn.]
For bass, you may want to add saturation to the track to sound more
full. This would be great if, after all of the work you’ve done so far, the
bass still feels too thin.
If this is the case, try lightly saturating the lows. Take the tone knob of
your plugin and turn it down to that area of the frequency spectrum.
Make sure to use your output knob to properly gain stage this effect!
FREE MASTERCLASS
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS
You can also use saturation to make the bass sound better in smaller
speakers.
One of the biggest problems with the low end is that it gets lost in
headphones, phone speakers, and other smaller stereo systems. They’re
too small to be able to produce lower frequencies, so the bass just gets
lost.
By using saturation to add subtle distortion to the top end of the bass,
FREE MASTERCLASS
you can help it to pop out more in those small speakers.
7 Steps to Try saturating the bass in the low mids and above. Because those are
Pro Mixes the frequencies that are available in those small speakers, the extra
“push” of the saturation will help with translation.
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS
This way the bass will cut through the mix without having to boost with
EQ.
Remember: saturation is more meant to be felt than heard. A little goes

a long way!
Mixing Bass Guitar: Conclusion

And that’s it! Follow these steps, practice these principles, and you
FREE MASTERCLASS
should be able to produce a professional-sounding bass for your song in
7 Steps to no time.
Pro Mixes Let’s review:

share — and take the next step Step 1) Tweak the arrangement so that other parts aren’t taking up
toward a career in music space in the low end.
ACCESS THE FREE Step 2) Get your tone right before recording.
MASTERCLASS
Step 3) Balance the bass volume with the rest of your song. Use gain
automation for extra consistency.
Step 4) Use reference tracks to make sure your low end sounds like the
pros.
Step 5) Heavily compress the bass with a slow attack and a timed
release or auto-release. Use serial compression if necessary.
Step 6) Use EQ to create a pocket for the bass and kick to live in.
Step 7) Use saturation if necessary to “fill the bass out” or make it pop in
smaller speakers.
7 Steps to Pro Mixes at Home

What if I told you that you can make radio-ready music at home, even if
you’re new to mixing?
Here’s the thing…
You can do everything just right and still end up with music that sounds
amateur if you’re missing a crucial step.
Mixing can seem overwhelming, time-consuming and downright

frustrating… if you don’t have a process to follow.
But what if I told you that you don’t have to be an expert (with years of
experience) to make professional music at home?
FREE MASTERCLASS
Well…
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes
That’s the truth.
Make music that you're PROUD to Inside this new free masterclass, you’ll learn the secret to making
share — and take the next step radio-ready music at home.
With this new approach, you’ll know exactly where to spend your time
ACCESS THE FREE and energy. You’ll no longer feel confused and overwhelmed by the
MASTERCLASS
recording and mixing process.
So, if you want to learn the *exact* steps that will take your mixes to a
professional standard in under a year…
Watch this free masterclass now:
FREE MASTERCLASS: 7 Steps to Pro Mixes at Home. Learn how to

make radio-ready music in no time with this free masterclass. Click
for access.
It’s only playing for a limited time – we’re always updating the site and
this could get removed soon. So go and check it out now.
Rob Mayzes
Audio professional, musician and founder of Musician on a Mission.
RELATED ARTICLES
FREE MASTERCLASS
7 Steps to Vocal Compression: Learn

How to Mix Like the Pros
How to Use EQ: 10 Amazing
Tips for a Professional Mix
How to Use a Compressor:
The Easy to Follow Guide
Pro Mixes
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS How To EQ Vocals: 5 Steps to Sidechain Compression: 5 Mixing Acoustic Guitar: How
Professional Vocals Tricks for a Better Mix to Get Professional Tones
Mixing Guitar: Full-Bodied How to Make Vocals Sit in the 8 Parallel Compression Hacks:
Tone in 7 Easy Steps Mix (Best Tips) Kick Your Mixes Up a Notch
LEAVE A REPLY
Show Comment Form 
3 COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE
Phuz says:
April 12, 2019 at 10:01:38 pm
You’re passionate about stock plug ins. There are plug in companies that specialise
in plugins. They make really good plug ins. Waves, Sonnox, Ozone loads of
companies making bloody brilliant plugins. The Waves Renaissance plugins are
really functional and nicely layed out for beginners and pros. I fail to see how
promoting stock plugins for people learning is a good idea. There is nothing like
the dual cut and boost for a kick drum than what the puig plug ins offer. My kick
has about 8 effects on it and I always get a great sound. There is no way stock
plugins would achieve the sound I get. Waves Rbass waves maxxbass puig eq
ozone vintage comp waves api 2500 comp ssl channel gain tiniest little bit of rverb
waves trans x. There is no way I could get that sound from stock plugins. I can’t
take this article seriously with a comment like that. I’m sorry but I think pushing
the use of stock plugins is bull shit. Yeah some are OK but it is not good advice to
give.
Reply
FREE MASTERCLASS
Ortega says:
7 Steps to March 14, 2019 at 12:39:09 pm
This is so much Blabla. You obviously have little real life experience, but you Spam
Pro Mixes the internet with this micky mouse knowledge. You are a youtuber, not a
producer.
Reply
ACCESS THE FREE Runfast says:

MASTERCLASS January 15, 2019 at 06:08:07 pm
Thanks man, you have no idea how much i have learned from you.
Reply
FREE MASTERCLASS
Learn how to make radio-ready music at home…

without wasting hundreds of hours on YouTube.
Watch this free masterclass and get a complete framework — or “blueprint” —
for professional mixes.
WATCH NOW FOR FREE
Home About Blog Careers Contact Privacy Policy YouTube
FREE MASTERCLASS
7 Steps to
Pro Mixes
ACCESS THE FREE

MASTERCLASS

Mixing Bass Guitar in 7 Simple Steps

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Mixing Bass Guitar in 7 Simple Steps

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1/10/2021 Mixing Bass Guitar in 7 Simple Steps

BLOG RESOURCES COURSES REVIEWS FREE MASTERCLASS

MIXING BASS GUITAR IN 7 SIMPLE

Want your mixes to sound pro?

If so, then you’re going to love this new free masterclass.

ACCESS THE FREE

Step 1: Check Your Arrangement

I know, this has nothing to do with mixing. But hear me out.

Arrangement refers to all of the notes of a song, and the instruments

ACCESS THE FREE

Check out this EQ chart. Instruments in the part of the frequency

Look at the parts in the song.

What parts are too low?

What parts could be cut?

Are there parts that could be taken up an octave?

Maybe it’s the left hand in a piano part.

Or several low guitar parts.

FREE MASTERCLASS Or even a synth or two.

Step 2: Focus on The Recording

Get the Tone Right Before Mixing

ACCESS THE FREE

Amp Sims and Recording Direct

You’ve got a little more work to do!

Then, make sure you have a decent amp simulation software.

I personally recommend BIAS FX or BIAS AMP.

(I go through a LOT of options (both free and premium) in this

I go through how to properly set your instrument levels in this blog

Remember, when it comes to tone – be intentional.

Check it out below:

Step 3: Balance Your Bass in the Mix

It’s so simple, but so overlooked.

FREE MASTERCLASS The big secret:

ACCESS THE FREE

The same is true for a solid low end!

ACCESS THE FREE

Does it sound too boomy? Turn the track down.

Too thin? Turn it up.

Make music that you're PROUD to

ACCESS THE FREE

ACCESS THE FREE

The solution? Gain automation.

Check out how to use gain automation in different DAWs.

Step 4: Use Reference Tracks

“Are my guitars too loud?”

“Is my vocal too dull?”

“Are my keys panned too wide?”

Without it, your mix will fall apart in other speakers.

ACCESS THE FREE

ACCESS THE FREE Does yours sound too loud?

Congrats. You’re one step closer to a professional low end.

Step 5: Make it Consistent With

To tame those dynamics, turn to a compressor.

Pro Mixes there. That should be a good starting point.

In modern production, bass instruments are compressed more than

7 Steps to It’ll sound much more natural!

ACCESS THE FREE

The Pocket EQ Technique

What we want to do is to create a pocket for each low end instrument

Using the Pocket EQ technique will cement the relationship between

1) Find the Pocket.

ACCESS THE FREE

If it’s something like hip-hop or electronic music, then the kick is

Stay with me here.

So putting a high-pass filter between 50 and 100 Hz would actually help