How To Get The Perfect Amount Of Bass When Mastering Audio

I can zoom in a little closer by adding some more frequency bands in REFERENCE. This might give readings with a greater variation as different kick samples and bass sounds will have varying levels of prominence across the low-end. You don’t have to get the level lines in REFERENCE sitting perfectly in the middle in each band, but if there is a bump or dip greater than +/- 3dB then you might want to use an EQ to make some adjustments.

Perfect bass dynamic range during mastering

Another feature of REFERENCE is showing you how the dynamic range of the frequency band compares to your selected reference. The purple punch dots will move away from the white level line if that frequency band is more dynamic than your reference. They will move towards the white level line if that frequency band is less dynamic than your reference. The stronger the glow appears, the greater the dynamic difference. I can also view the ‘dynamic range’ reading if I enable ‘readouts’ in settings.

Different arrangements can give different results here. For example, if you have a loud and elongated 808 bass dominating your mix (like in hip-hop genres) then trying to achieve the same low-end dynamic range as a pop track with a very punchy kick will be a useless approach. However, if you find a reference track with a similar arrangement and instrumentation in the low end then you might find it useful to see how you low-end compression compares.

If REFERENCE tells me that my original track is more compressed (purple punch dots moving towards the line) I might use some subtle expansion to bring out some punch in my low end. For this, I’ll use our plugin ANIMATE (click to download a free trial). ANIMATE is superior to most multi-band plugins as our filter uses a high-quality all-pass algorithm that dramatically reduces phase distortion. This is the ideal solution for use during mastering.

1. Set up the filter in EXPAND to work with the low frequencies you want to bring out in the master.
2. Adjust the threshold so the signal surpasses it to trigger the effect.
3. Raise the amount until you feel the low end is punching the way you want it to. Keep an eye on the punch dots in REFERENCE to see how the punch is changing.
4. Adjust the ratio, attack and release to work well with your audio.
5. Click the level-match pointer to match the audio to the level it was before it passed through ANIMATE’s effects.

If REFERENCE tells me that my original track is punchier (purple punch dots moving away from the line) I might use FabFilters multi-band compressor in dynamic phase mode to glue the low-end together a little more.

1. Create a frequency band to focus on the low-end you want to control.
2. Set the threshold to trigger the compression.
3. Set the ratio to adjust the amount of compression.
4. You might need to raise the gain of the band to compensate for the gain reduction introduced by compression.

Finishing With a Story

This technique doesn’t only work me. Countless Mastering The Mix customers have reached out saying how REFERENCE has dramatically improved their music. One customer, in particular, told me a story I won’t forget. To protect his identity we’ll call him John…

True Story: John owns a breathtakingly beautiful studio and has some serious credits. In 2017 he got sick and was bed-bound for two months. As any freelancer understands, when you don’t work, money stops flowing in. When you’re unable to keep up with bills and support your family, it’s stressful! He knew going to the studio would be too much, but he had his laptop and decided to try and work from home on projects when he could. The two months passed and he didn’t have to reject a single project. More notably, he didn’t receive even one complaint from any of his regular customers… John contacted me and thanked me saying “he couldn’t have done it without REFERENCE!”. He was able to maintain his incredibly high standard of work when he needed to most. This is the power of REFERENCE.

Click here for 15 DAY FREE TRIAL of REFERENCE

A few of my favorite reference tracks Pop

1. 24K Magic – Bruno Mars: Incredible songwriting and production. Mixed by the legendary Serban Ghenea. Great sounding record.
2. Starving – Hailee Steinfeld & Zedd: Zedd is a super musical producer and has an ear for the perfect pristine sound. Super high energy in this track.
3. Penthouse Floor – John Legend: Great low end, powerful and organic. The high frequencies aren’t hyped but it still sounds clear.
4. Magic – Coldplay: Great balance between elements.

Hip Hop

1. KOD – J Cole: Great dynamics, loudness, and balance.
2. The Hills – The Weeknd: Darker vibes. Awesome low end and character.
3. One Dance – Drake: Great kick sound punching through the mix, solid bass and vocals on top.

House

1. Jumanji (Shift K3y Remix): This track has one of the best low-end balance in any track I’ve heard. It hit’s hard in the club and sounds as pure as tracks come.
2. Ocean Drive (Shaun Frank Remix) – Duke Dumont: Spectacular punch and low- end balance in this track. Proud to say the producer is a Mastering The Mix customer.
3. My Pet Coelacanth – Deadmau5: Super organic sounding and attention paid to how every element sits in the mix. Great for comparing separation and loudness range.

Others

1. I Need A Forest Fire – James Blake: Incredible dynamics (both short term and long term) and tonal balance.
2. Go – Chemical Brothers: Very charismatic tonal balance, great transients.
3. Love Me Again – John Newman: High energy floor filler vibes with a great balance between the instruments.
4. Inception (Time) – Hans Zimmer: Perfect for referencing dramatic stringarrangements.