How High Do You Pass?

[thomni]

Hey KVR

I know it's important to clean up the low-end of the mix, but I'm concerned I may be taking away too much from kicks.

It doesn't affect too much on weak earbuds, but highpassing a kick up to 30Hz, or even a whole mix up to 30 or more-- is that reasonable for widespread playback?

What do you find to be the low-point for most systems and mixes?

[morelia]

I don't HP the mix, just the individual parts varying amounts.

[PurpleSunray]

> What do you find to be the low-point for most systems and mixes?
Depends on base-note. i.e. i won't cut at fixed 40Hz if I'm on a C, as I already know that there will be some sub-harmonic around 30Hz which I probably don't want to lose completely with the low-cut.

[The_Hidden_Goose]

I'm like morelia...hp on individual tracks where necessary. The frequency I set depends on the material. Usually the "suck it and see" approach. Fiddle until it sounds right, individually. Then sometimes fiddle some more if the mix is too heavy in the super-lows overall.

[Turello]

automatically

40\42 on 4 string rock bass
82\84 on guitars
50\52 rock\pop kick
variable on vocals, snare, toms piano etc etc
on hihat brutal

on rock master 40hz hp and 16khz lp before bus compressor to avoid strange dynamic jokes

[codec_spurt]

Hey KVR

I know it's important to clean up the low-end of the mix, but I'm concerned I may be taking away too much from kicks.

It doesn't affect too much on weak earbuds, but highpassing a kick up to 30Hz, or even a whole mix up to 30 or more-- is that reasonable for widespread playback?

What do you find to be the low-point for most systems and mixes?

Most club systems don't register anything below 50Hz, so it is silly having anything there if you do music for clubs (so I have been told).

However, a bit of 50Hz don't hurt when someone is playing your stuff on laptop computer speakers that don't register below 80Hz (go figure).


On serious stuff. I cut the fux out of it at 35Hz, coz no one or no thing hears that low.

I know the math, I know the physics, I know the audio theory. What no one has told me however, is how I can hear down that low if my hearing/speaker system does not register it. It does.

I still cut it though, because, oh man, you should hear it, just boost boost boost those 50 Hertzes baby, it's beautiful. Who cares about shitty laptop speakers.

My attitude is open to being changed though if anyone has something sensible to say on the subject.

Don't worry, be boomy!

[codec_spurt]

I don't HP the mix, just the individual parts varying amounts.

I respect that.

But at the same time, if you did HP the whole mix at 30Hz, who's that gonna hurt?



Oh, and Low pass it at 18K.

Then again, even though my hearing only goes up to 15K. Yup, I'm a deaf old bastard.

I can still hear that.

I can hear it up to 19K in fact, which I shouldn't be able to. But someone got their measurements wrong somewhere.

What is important, I feel, is being able to tell when someone has crushed the living shit out of a mix. Only people with hearing damage won't be able to tell. Thankfully my ears are still Golden in that department.

LP at 30Hz. HP at 19KHz. No one but your dog will argue with that. And the sound system will thank you.

[The_Hidden_Goose]

I sometimes notice an audible difference when cutting below what my speakers can put out and hearing can hear.

Not sure if that's down to wave interference or what I don't know. But it can sometimes sound better with those "inaudible" frequencies left in for me.

Plus, you can feel it when you sometimes can't hear it. In the gut.

I try to trust my lobes, but there's an eq on every track automatically set at 30hz hp cutoff (turned off, but there ready).

[codec_spurt]

I'm like morelia...hp on individual tracks where necessary. The frequency I set depends on the material. Usually the "suck it and see" approach. Fiddle until it sounds right, individually. Then sometimes fiddle some more if the mix is too heavy in the super-lows overall.

Yes, you do this as a matter of fact.

You HP everything. And you LP it too. Don't need to be much. In fact, the audio 'energy' at the high end is obviously much lower and not taking up the bandwidth so to speak, but it is rude not too.

In fact, if you are going to bother with eq at all. Which you should because it is how you get a great mix. You should cut everything that you can not hear at the high point. In other words: Low Pass the dog shit out of it.. If you can't hear it, no one else will. Unless you have hearing damage. You can test if you have hearing damage by listening to a Skrillex mix. If you think it is ok, then time to see the doc!

Most of us can tell, and so can you too.

Learn to trust your hearing. This is the most important and fundamental point to becoming a better mixer/engineer.

Without the trust in your hearing, you are nothing.

I am bandwidth limited due to old age. But for you young guns? Use it! Learn to trust it! It will diminish. But as long as it is not damaged, it will serve you well.

The ears are only the antenna. The brain is the thing that does the processing.


Train your brain!

[codec_spurt]

I sometimes notice an audible difference when cutting below what my speakers can put out and hearing can hear.

Not sure if that's down to wave interference or what I don't know. But it can sometimes sound better with those "inaudible" frequencies left in for me.

Plus, you can feel it when you sometimes can't hear it. In the gut.

I try to trust my lobes, but there's an eq on every track automatically set at 30hz hp cutoff (turned off, but there ready).

No one will ever answer that question for you.

You feel what you feel. Even if you are not a buyer of Monster cable.

To quote Kris Weston, an exceptional engineer, and someone not given to giving out nuggets of 'I am the audio Buddha' - "It is what it is".

Keep this in mind. It is what it is. Sage advice. No need for more.

Learn your speakers. Learn your headphones. Learn your brain. Learn how other people perceive your music. Learn how you react to their perceptions. Wash. Rinse. Repeat...

And f**k 'em all if they can't take a joke!

[codec_spurt]

I sometimes notice an audible difference when cutting below what my speakers can put out and hearing can hear.

My Tannoys only go down to 60Hz supposedly. Sure they do.

Then again, most people don't have sub systems pumping 50Hz.

Use it. Trust it. It is enough.

[4damind]

There are no rules, it depends of the sounds. The HP is high enough if it will not change the overall sound too much. This can be 200 Hz but can also be 100 Hz.
Only for groups and if the tracks are not cut independently a fixed value of 100 to 120 Hz works most of the time.

Btw. I don't cut a complete mix. Some guys using low values of 20-30Hz, which is not wrong. But often the later processing (MP3) will already have a bandpass so it depends. Most speakers can also not reproduce such low frequencies (often they go not deeper than 30Hz) so it would use something in this range.

[DJ Warmonger]

Depends on the key of song. I use HP only below the fundamental frequency.

[Tricky-Loops]

For a complete mix I tend to highpass around 20 hz or max. 30 hz. Otherwise I use a highpass filter only where necessary.

[Turello]

@Tricky: you can Hipass Master until 40hz why under you can't ear and also over 16.000hz... I imagine You with 2 mega Subwoofer but I'm sure You deceive your ears..! As Rapper Do!!! ah ah ah