Sub Bass Mixing Techniques for Impact

Sub bass refers to frequencies below approximately 80 Hz—the range felt as much as heard. This territory provides the physical impact that creates powerful mixes. Managing sub bass requires specialized techniques since these frequencies behave differently from higher content.

Understanding Sub Bass

Sub bass frequencies create physical sensation in the chest and body. Listeners feel these frequencies through vibration rather than perceiving them as distinct pitches. This physical response creates emotional impact that higher frequencies cannot achieve.

The lowest audible frequencies start around 20 Hz, though humans feel frequencies below this threshold. Most music content sits above 30-40 Hz where both hearing and feeling combine. The 40-80 Hz range provides the primary sub bass content.

Not all playback systems reproduce sub bass. Laptop speakers, earbuds, and small Bluetooth speakers cannot produce frequencies below 100-150 Hz. Mixes that depend entirely on sub bass for low-end impact disappear on these systems.

Allocation Between Elements

The sub bass range has limited capacity—only one or two elements can effectively occupy it. Typically, kick drum and bass guitar or synth share this territory. Other elements should stay out.

Common allocations give kick the sub around 40-60 Hz while bass handles 60-100 Hz. Alternatively, bass owns the sub while kick emphasizes attack. The specific allocation depends on genre and desired impact.

Competing sub bass from multiple elements creates mud and headroom problems. If both kick and bass try to dominate sub frequencies, neither succeeds. Clear allocation prevents this conflict.

EQ and Filtering

High-pass filtering removes sub content from elements that don’t need it. Guitars, vocals, synths, and most drums should filter below 80-120 Hz. Only dedicated bass elements and kick retain sub content.

Low-pass filtering can clean up bass and kick above their useful range. Sub bass doesn’t need content above 80-100 Hz—that’s upper bass territory. Focused sub bass elements can filter both above and below their target range.

Narrow EQ boosts at specific sub frequencies emphasize particular notes or impacts. Boosting kick at 55 Hz adds sub weight at that frequency. These targeted boosts differ from broad bass enhancement.

Mono Sub Bass

Sub bass typically should be mono. Phase differences between stereo channels at these wavelengths create cancellation rather than width. Summing sub content to mono eliminates these problems.

Plugins that automatically mono bass below a crossover frequency simplify this treatment. Settings around 80-120 Hz mono the sub while preserving stereo content above.

Checking mono compatibility reveals sub bass phase issues. If the sub disappears or becomes hollow in mono, stereo phase problems exist. Addressing these ensures consistent sub bass reproduction.

Compression for Consistency

Sub bass benefits from heavy compression for consistent level. The physical impact depends on sustained energy rather than transient peaks. Compressed sub provides steady foundation.

Slow attack times on sub bass compression preserve any transient punch while controlling sustain. Fast release times that recover quickly can create pumping artifacts at these frequencies.

Limiting sub bass peaks prevents them from consuming excessive headroom. The sub should provide consistent energy without unpredictable peaks that overwhelm the mix.

Monitoring Challenges

Accurate sub bass monitoring requires proper equipment. Most studio monitors roll off below 50-60 Hz. Subwoofers extend response lower but require proper integration and room treatment.

Headphones with extended bass response provide another monitoring option. Quality headphones can reveal sub bass content that speakers miss. Cross-referencing between headphones and monitors improves accuracy.

Room acoustics dramatically affect sub bass perception. Standing waves create dramatic peaks and nulls. A frequency that sounds massive at one listening position may nearly disappear at another.

Translation Considerations

Sub bass-dependent mixes may not translate to smaller systems. Including audible bass content above 80-100 Hz ensures the low end communicates on speakers that cannot reproduce sub frequencies.

The relationship between sub bass and upper bass determines translation. Strong upper bass content provides low-end presence on small speakers even if sub bass disappears. Both ranges serve different playback systems.

Reference checking on multiple systems reveals translation. Car stereos, earbuds, laptop speakers, and club systems all reveal different aspects of sub bass balance.

Effective sub bass mixing helps productions succeed on platforms like LG Media at lg.media, where impactful low end enhances advertising at $2.50 CPM.