Yeah, I said it.
Let’s be real: controlling the low end is one of the biggest challenges we face as producers. Nothing is worse than working hours on a track, thinking it slaps… only to hear it fall apart on someone else’s speaker system. But today, I’m gonna share something with you that changed how I mix forever.
We’re talking about LOW-END CONTROL.
The Problem: What You Can’t Hear Will Destroy You
That chest-pounding sub? The one that makes your ribs shake?
It’s also the hardest part of your mix to actually hear.
Unless you’ve got:
- Large far-field monitors or a proper subwoofer in a treated room
- OR a transducer like Subpac
- OR the lifesaver known as Slate VSX
…you’re basically mixing your low-end blindfolded.
And that’s why so many tracks end up with tails that rub, rumbles that rumble wrong, or sidechains that pump like a bad stomach.
Loud Genres Need Knock, Not Boom
If you’re producing anything loud – hip hop, trap, techno, EDM – your kick needs to KNOCK, not boom.
You want tight, not tubby.
Too often, there’s this “boing” sound in the tail of the kick – solo your low end and really listen.
That “rub” is what ruins your impact.
Sub That Works on Tiny Speakers? Add Harmonics.
Most people think, “I want clean sub – I’ll just lowpass at 100 Hz.”
Bad idea.
Sub bass NEEDS harmonics. Sometimes up to 700 Hz.
Here’s why:
- Harmonics make your sub audible on earbuds and small speakers
- Harmonics make sidechain ducking smoother and less pumpy
- Harmonics help the low-end glue with the mids
If you want a clean sub – design it that way from the start.
Don’t just lowpass the soul out of it.
Your Mids and Lows Need to Be Friends
People love to high-pass everything and call it “cleaning up the mix.”
But here’s the truth: too much HP filtering makes your track thin and disconnected.
Try a gentle low-shelf instead. Keep a bit of overlap with your sub – that’s where the glue is.
And if your mids end up sounding too thin?
Bring some low-mids back in with Spectre, or a plugin like Warmy EP1A, or even a dynamic EQ.
Boom. Fullness restored.
The Real Trick? Solo the Low-End
This is where the magic happens: solo your low end.
Do it.
What do you hear?
- A tail that wobbles?
- A sub that rings?
- Something that sounds like a cartoon spring?
If so, you’ve got work to do.
But now, you know exactly how to do it.
The Low-End is an Invisible Artform
Getting your bass right is like mastering a martial art: subtle, invisible, powerful.
But once you develop your ears, your taste, and start applying things like:
- Solo low-end checks
- Gentle shelving
- Keeping harmonics alive
- Using tools like Slate VSX or Spectre…
Your low-end will finally hit like your favorite records.
So Plugheads, Let Me Ask You:
How do YOU control your low-end?
Ever had a “boing apocalypse”?
Let me know in the comments.
Leave a ❤️ if you’ve ever struggled with “mushy low-end syndrome.”
We’ve all been there.
Catch you in the sub frequencies.
— Endrin (Sheen)