How do YOU Monitor and Mix Sub Bass?

[mmGhost]

Hello,
Like a lot of hacks out there, I have a pretty sub-optimal monitoring situation where I make music. I tend to operate in the D&B genre mostly and find that getting my sub bass levels correct is next to impossible. I've bounced tracks and listened to them in the car only to find that the mix is completely dominated by the bass. Here is what I've tried to fix this problem:

• Mixing with my eyes: Try to get the sub bass peaking at 2 to 3 dB lower than the drum bus peaks and hope for the best.
• ​Mixing with headphones: Use cans to monitor the levels relative to the mix (but obviously mix sounds totally different).
• ​Apply a low-pass filter (like 100 Hz corner frequency) and monitor sub bass mix with the kick to see how they play together.

I could use some advise about how to get the sub bass correct. I find that when I "mix with my eyes" it tends to come out a little weak, and when I use my ears it's overpowering. I feel like I'm guessing a lot of the time.

Thanks!
​
​

[d-s-m]

I check my sub bass on the sub woofer in my car (make sure the car stereo eq is set to 'flat')

If its too loud or too quiet, then I'll go back in my daw and make adjustments then re-bounce and check again

Just keep doing that, then after some time you will learn where to best place the sub bass

[thecontrolcentre]

I ended up getting a sub for my setup (Genelec 1090A) when I was producing Drum n Bass in the late nineties. Up until then I had access to a PA system in a club. I was amazed how much lower the bass could go at that time. I would hate to mix any kind of dance music without the sub.

[_al_]

[*]​Mixing with headphones: Use cans to monitor the levels relative to the mix (but obviously mix sounds totally different).
[*]​Apply a low-pass filter (like 100 Hz corner frequency) and monitor sub bass mix with the kick to see how they play together.
​

lp filter is great idea, i do it all the time.
lp your mix alongside a reference track and compare at different lp freqs

headphones also really useful cause you cant trust a normal room.

try loading a synth with a sinewave and play every note on the keyboard, bottom to top (loudish) and in most rooms, you will hear some notes are a lot louder than others (the bass notes will shock you, probably). thats why we treat rooms, and thats why headphones are essential, if you dont have sound treatment

[steve2KVR]

...consider something from SonarWorks on the playback system.../s~

[Sparky77]

There are lots of affordable sub monitors available.
Just be sure to keep it only slightly audible and it will help you with rumbles and un-wanted low frequencies.

Too loud and your mixes will be thin.

[mmGhost]

lp filter is great idea, i do it all the time.
lp your mix alongside a reference track and compare at different lp freqs

headphones also really useful cause you cant trust a normal room.

try loading a synth with a sinewave and play every note on the keyboard, bottom to top (loudish) and in most rooms, you will hear some notes are a lot louder than others (the bass notes will shock you, probably). thats why we treat rooms, and thats why headphones are essential, if you dont have sound treatment

nice 1 man, I used to lp a reference track all the time and totally forgot about that trick (been away from making tunes for a bit) so thanks for bringing that back for me! It's a great technique.

Funny b/c I did the sine wave trick a few months ago and couldn't believe my ears when certain notes completely disappeared in my monitoring position, but were really loud toward the back of the room. Standing waves and all that.

Cheers, thanks or the replies.

Does a sub really help with bad room acoustics? Won't the room swallow the sub too?

[thecontrolcentre]

Does a sub really help with bad room acoustics?

No it doesn't. I don't see where anyone suggested it does.

[AtlasCalling]

I've had the same issues for a while, now that I moved out of my old studio and the situation where I live is such that I can't play anything over speakers without attracting angry neighbours like moth to a flame.. bastards can't appreciate my art.

Anyways, when I'm stuck mixing only with my phones, I tend to ignore all which I think I know about the sound I want, especially in the low region, and instead rely on references to get decent results. This helps to not make the sub destroy the whole mix, and keeps most things balanced. However, without a decent set of monitors, you can only go so far, and I wouldn't be done with any track without a decent studio-ish mixing first.

[The Chase]

Trial and error and developing your critical ear is really the best bet. There is no real easy solution here, you have to put the work in and a critical takes years and year to develop. When you get in your car and the bass is too much, tweak your mix in that direction, and listen to it in your car again. When you test your mix in all the different listening environments and they sound similar to all your favorite tracks, you're there.