Bass Mixing – Low End Masterclass

Mixing the low end of your tracks can be (as you have likely noticed) one of the hardest things to get right. So much so that it can seem like a dark art.

This comprehensive tutorial is all about you gaining the confidence you need (in your environment, and in your mixing skills) so you can make the correct decisions to get the perfect low end mix in every track you make.

Audio examples are included so you can follow along.

This course is for anyone who wants to get better low end mixes. You can follow along in ANY DAW. No specific prior knowledge is necessary, but a basic understanding of processes like compression, and side chain compression will help.

Here is a more detailed description of what you will get out of this course.

Module 1 – How To Setup Your Environment For Low End Mixing

In this first module you will learn why getting your environment to a certain level of acoustic balance is so important. You have to be able to have confidence in your environment, so here you will learn what you can do to make your environment better in very simple steps.

This is all covered in simple to understand and basic steps that can be followed by anyone. We also cover room referencing software, that can help you correct acoustic problems in your enviroment and with your studio monitors.

Module 2 – How To Get A Great Low End Mix

Before we get into the real technical side of mixing the low end, we’ll go through what goals we are trying to achieve, what is actually possible (and what is not). We will discuss how to spot issues with the low end, (as they are notoriously difficult to spot), by learning what to listen for and what the tell tale signs of a poorly mixed low end sound like.

Reference tracks are also incredibly powerful tools when mixing the low end, so we will cover the correct way to use them, and how not to fall into the traps of incorrectly using reference tracks.

Module 3 – Processing The Kick & Bass In Isolation

The low end is only as good as the parts that make it. In this module you will learn how to pick the right elements in the first place, and then how to further process those elements so they are tight, punchy, and clean.

We will of course be mainly focusing on the kick and the bassline, and how to tighten them up, how to dynamically process them with compression, envelope shapers, EQ, and more.

We will cover both acoustically recorded kicks and bass, as well as sampled kicks and synthesised basslines.

Module 4 – Dynamic Processing

Dynamic processing is the number 1 tool for mixing the low end of your tracks (although we will also cover other processes in this module). We will look at all the relevant types of dynamic processors from simple side chained compression, volume duckers, through to dynamic EQ. As we go through these you can follow along with the audio provided, and learn to re-create the same results, making it much easier to do this in your own projects. We will be covering when and where you should use each process and the pros and cons of them all so you always know when and where you should be using them.

Module 5 – 808 Bass Mixing

808’s in modern terms are a mix of kick and bass sounds. In this module you will learn everything you need in order to be able to create hard hitting, or simply clean punchy 808 kick and bass combinations.

You will learn about the importance of phase and how to make sure your kick and bass are in phase (and the limitations of this). You will also learn other essential processes needed to be able to get your kick and bass working together as one cohesive sound, by utilising EQ and other dynamic processes.

Module 6 – Mixing Examples

In the last module we will go through 6 completely different tracks, which you can download and follow along with. These tracks are all selected to provide different low end mixing challenges, and Jon will take you through each one so you can learn what approach is best.

The genres we will cover are Reggae, House, DnB, Rock & Roll, Hip Hop, and Easy Listening. It is recommended that you watch (and follow along if you wish to) with all of them, as the varying mixing techniques used are applicable to all genres and can be used in many different situations.

Who this course is for:

• Anyone who has struggled to consistently get tight, clean and punchy low end mixes