# How do you clear out the low end to make your drums massive?



## NoamL (Sep 5, 2018)

Hi folks!

I'd love to be able to share this track in progress in order to ask your advice, but I'm under NDA, so pictures will have to do.

A feedback that I've been getting consistently is *"Could we have even more low end in the percussion?"* This is a trailer track with *massive whacking gran casa + mid/snare hits* in the finale (think the recent _Avengers: Infinity War_ trailer among others).

This is how the percussion looks in my spectrum analyzer.







here's what it is competing with.

At the top of the track are vln/viola spiccatos and a violin countermelody. They stay exclusively above 500 Hz:






Below them are some cello spiccatos for harmony:






Massed horns a12 are leading the track with their melody, which goes from the A below middle C up to treble C:






Trombones and low brass play block harmonies:






There is also an extra octave of sub bass during the second half of the finale, provided by Trailer Brass "The Horde": 






There is also a synth bass:






There are also some other synth elements, mostly bell-like and pluck instruments that are adding to the ostinatos. They don't have much volume:






Finally there is cello and contrabass playing in octaves, doubling the brass bassline:






Looking at it analytically like this, it seems that the only elements with presence below 150 Hz are

Trombones and low brass
Epic trailer "Sub Brass"
Synth Bass
Cello and contrabass 
the low end of my percussion (gran casa, gong drum etc)
Maybe I should just get rid of the synth bass? Is there also a way to "carve out" room for the percussion inside the brass and strings? I'm wary of doing obviously audible things like pumping them down with sidechain compression.

All of your advice is much appreciated! Thanks everyone.


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## SillyMidOn (Sep 5, 2018)

Hm, I would only have two instruments occupy the low end: sub bass (if needed, as in a sub synth line doubling the bass line/lowest part), and a dedicated sub hit that follows the percussion, but only on the main accents, as low sub hits tend to sustain longer, so no crazy 8th/16th note patterns. Everything else cut somewhere below 50Hz, even the percussion, as a Gran Casa is not going to have the same low end "umphh" that a dedicated sub hit patch will. 

You could use one of the low end perc instuments, copy it, cut out anything above 50Hz and wack on a specific sub-booster, such as LoAir (either on the channel strip, or on an Aux, if you want to dial it in, with LoAir, I tend to use an AUX), I sometimes do that instead. Trailer folk neeeeeed weight in the low end, and it can get cluttered down there very quickly and you end up using up all of your head-room before you know it.

Hope that helps.


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## Beat Kaufmann (Sep 5, 2018)

*How do you clear out the low end to make your drums massive?*

Hi Noaml
I do not know your workflow. If you make your mix with audio files (which in addition to the extra effort would also have many advantages), then there is the way through an audio spectrum editor. This would allow you to erase everything that is not music - without the bad phase shifts that EQs produce. That would be a really clean thing.
Further: The analyzer display, as you use it, is usually very inaccurate below 50 Hz. A spectrum editor would be better for the analysis as well.

Best Beat


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## NoamL (Sep 5, 2018)

Thank you, that helps!



SillyMidOn said:


> a Gran Casa is not going to have the same low end "umphh" that a dedicated sub hit patch will.



Yes, that's what I've been running into... I'm using Cerberus, Iceni, Albion and Heavyocity Ensembles and nothing seems to go lower than 80 Hz or so! What do you generally use for sub hits? is it something that has to be designed in a synth and can't be sampled?


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## aaronventure (Sep 5, 2018)

What I think they're looking for (what's usually the case with my clients) is just for the low end of the percussion to cut through more. If you just boost it like it is, it's probably gonna clip and sound way over the top. So you have to maximize your entire low end, without actually causing trouble down the chain when percussion starts hitting on top of it all.

Try sidechain compression.

Basically you set a compressor on whatever you want to duck and set it into a sidechain mode, so that it reacts to sidechained signal instead of its input signal, while still processing the input signal. But here's the catch: if you plunk the percussion out directly as the sidechain signal, you're going to get a reaction to the overall volume, which will undoubtedly mess up the overall compressor response. What you want instead is to use a click, hihat or even a short noise burst. Really, really short, enough to trigger the compressor (the overall volume of it is what matters). You can then copy your low percussion MIDI over to your newly created sidechain trigger (mute it on the mixer, of course). It will be sending signals at the same time as your percussion is playing, while being short enough to allow you to shape the compressor response yourself via its attack and release controls. I prefer using white noise from a synth as the signal, since just extending the MIDI notes will allow be to add a "Hold" value to the response as well. 

Whether you'll use a single-band or multi-band compression is totally up to you. I feel like single-band might feel unnatural for orchestral music, and just compressing the low end might do the same. So I'd suggest the middle ground: have the low band compressing fully, the mid - low mid band at a reduced value, and leave the high end as it is. 

You'll have to fiddle around to find and carve out the perfect hole that's not too jarring, but is big enough to allow the low end of your percussion to cut through, while also not being too deep and removing too much of the low end from your basses, synth basses etc. 

You'll then have a cleaner low end punch for your percussion while maintaining roughly the same low end levels.


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## SillyMidOn (Sep 5, 2018)

NoamL said:


> Thank you, that helps!
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, that's what I've been running into... I'm using Cerberus, Iceni, Albion and Heavyocity Ensembles and nothing seems to go lower than 80 Hz or so! What do you generally use for sub hits? is it something that has to be designed in a synth and can't be sampled?


The Easter Island Hits 1 from Spitfire Albion1 (I use the original version) have some great low-end on them, and then add either the Logic SubBsss plug-in and fiddle with the knobs until you find something that works for you (I have my own preset), or LoAir by Waves, but as mentioned I find it sometimes easier to use an Aux with LoAir, as it can get very intense quickly, and focus the sound too much on the low end.

Heavyocity Gravity has some great Low Hits and some of the ones that come with Atlantica and Evolution Atlantica are ok, too, but Easter Island are my go-tos. You probably only really need to accent the first beat of each bar or every other bar, that's usually enough to give it that weight trailer folk are looking for.

I don't usually give out such detailed info, but I've always really enjoyed your posts and insights on vi-c, Sir Noam , and we both seem to be Henry Jackman (esp Winter Soldier) fans.


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## NoamL (Sep 5, 2018)

Awesome, thank you! I'll try both the multiband sidechain compression and some Easter Island hits.


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## Loïc D (Sep 5, 2018)

I'd suggest as above :
- Leave low-end from the obvious hi-energy hits (sub & low hits). Clear the other tracks from low-end (starting below 100-150 Hz with 12db/18db oct hi-pass filter). Hard cut under 30Hz to get more dynamic range.
- Use side-chain to lower the conflicting elements to leave space for sub hits. Find the sweet-spot on threshold to leave some room but not pump too much.

In addition I'd recommend working your low end on 2 frequency ranges :
- 30-80 : for sub hits. Used scarcely.
- 80-150 : for low / low-mid (tuned percs, bass, lo brass, double bass, etc.).
Hence a multiband compressor might be handy.

My 2cts as usual 
Good luck !


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## SillyMidOn (Sep 5, 2018)

NoamL said:


> Awesome, thank you! I'll try both the multiband sidechain compression and some Easter Island hits.


Definitely also use a dedicated SubBass plug-in as outlined above. Just make sure not to destroy your speakers


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## fixxer49 (Sep 5, 2018)

NoamL said:


> Thank you, that helps!
> 
> Yes, that's what I've been running into... I'm using Cerberus, Iceni, Albion and Heavyocity Ensembles and nothing seems to go lower than 80 Hz or so! What do you generally use for sub hits? is it something that has to be designed in a synth and can't be sampled?


Sometimes what feels like low end is not truly (technically) “low end”, per se - you can fool the ear w psychoacoustic effects that won’t create frequency bandwidth nightmares for you.

Specifically: Have you tried the Waves MaxxBass plugin? Oxford inflator can be nifty too.

Also, instead of (or, in addition to) Easter Islands hits from A1, I would actually suggest *End of Days perc from Albion 2.* I think they were probably recorded quieter, and thus have more low end signal, as counterintuitive as that may sound.

_[disclaimer: i haven't done a trailer in a while...]_


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## R. Soul (Sep 5, 2018)

VI-Control needs more threads like this one


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## babylonwaves (Sep 5, 2018)

https://www.boomlibrary.com/sound-effects/enforcer/

this works pretty well if you want to add synthetic low end. their trailer FX focused libraries are a great starting point to add exactly that would. IMO better than what I know and use from the usual suspects discussed in this thread.

https://www.boomlibrary.com/sound-effects/cinematic-trailers/

I haven't received free products from them


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## karelpsota (Sep 5, 2018)

If you're looking for that Avenger Trailer Sound: psycho-acoustics effects are the key.

Use *low instruments *that have lots of harmonics. Low/Monster Brass are great for that. They feel really low, while not taking much room in the low end. Distorted bass synth are also good.


*Excite drums *with harmonic distorsion (post reverb). Really helps low drums cut in a mix.
By now, your mix should already sound "heavy" on laptop speakers.

Then, you can leave the sub region for the *huge FX hits* every 1-4 bars. Kind of like the LFE channel in theaters.


Lastly, you can always add a *sub sine* to double the bass line, but make sure you side-chain it to the hits.


Here's a quick track I wrote that demonstrates those ideas. Mastering is a bit squashed for my client, but hopefully you get the idea


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## NoamL (Sep 5, 2018)

Thanks so much Karel. I think I was just relying too much on orchestral perc and "realistic" writing instead of delving deep into hybrid techniques. That Ghostbusters track is killer!


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## karelpsota (Sep 5, 2018)

NoamL said:


> Thanks so much Karel. I think I was just relying too much on orchestral perc and "realistic" writing instead of delving deep into hybrid techniques. That Ghostbusters track is killer!



Thanks for the kind words!

If you have any mix references with good drums in the more realistic category, I would love to hear them. Also curious to how one would mix these.


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## S.M Hassani (Sep 5, 2018)

Good suggestions by everyone. Allow me to add these:

1- Control/Expand low end: *bx_Opto* from plugin alliance

Try the side chain in low pass mode. Set "Speed" to a fast response, solo and compress as needed. Once you contain them, push the makeup gain to taste. Great way to conform the subs in libraries like Action Strikes, Damage, or Easter Island hits. (Yes Loegria has some real big drums stashed in there) The optical circuit emulation sculpts the subs in a very natural way.

2- Synthesize Low end: *bx_SubSynth* from plugin alliance

This is a much deeper subharmonic extender than the offerings from Waves. You can learn all about it here:

https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/bx_subsynth.html

The videos from Point Blank and Michael White are the ones to learn from.

3- Control transients and expand dynamic range: *KClip3* by Kazrog

This is my favorite Clipper all around. Use it to control transients and manage the dynamic range of your track. NOTE: Try the demo version before buying. Some users have an issue with the multi-band mode in certain DAWs. Otherwise the wide band mode still works perfectly.

If you master these three, you'll be well equipped for trailer Sub/Bass mixing, and a host of other things.

Best of luck,

S.M


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## SillyMidOn (Sep 5, 2018)

karelpsota said:


> Lastly, you can always add a *sub sine* to double the bass line, but make sure you side-chain it to the hits.
> [/MEDIA]


All good suggestions in your post, and logically it would make sense to side-chain the synth sub to the sub hits, the only problem that arises with that is that trailer editors rarely use the full mix, tracks or even all the stems, so if he is using the synth sub stem, and not the sub hits stem, and assuming he's going to cut the stems up (which, let's face it, happens most of the time) he's got a sub synth stem that is ducking in odd places, if you see what I mean,


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## gsilbers (Sep 5, 2018)

maybe keep it easy. use a sub hit kick drum from a EDM library and place it under the gran casa.


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## storyteller (Sep 5, 2018)

NoamL said:


> Awesome, thank you! I'll try both the multiband sidechain compression and some Easter Island hits.


Also, try Waves Maxx Bass and RBass. They each do different things to help out the low end, but I find them to both be indispensable.


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## Gerhard Westphalen (Sep 5, 2018)

A lot of the time "low end" doesn't really mean low end. By that I mean that it's normally much higher frequencies that they're really looking for more. 

A couple of ideas which come to mind - 

EQ out what you don't need so you're left with just the core sound. You can boost it a lot more that way since you won't have nasty unwanted stuff getting in the way.

Multiband compression can really help similar to an EQ.

The Waves plugins mentioned can help bring out the "low end" which people are asking for. 

When I really want more low end I'll use the Lowender but that's a dangerous beast. As much as I love everything in my room shaking...


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## FourFour (Sep 5, 2018)

It's all about having the right amount of low end, at the right frequencies, at the right time. Sounds slightly philosophical but yea. Try sidechaining and cutting little EQ notches in your bass elements to let the percs punch through.


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## Sami (Sep 5, 2018)

Add some noise to the middle, done.


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## CT (Sep 5, 2018)

If I could offer a possibly useless suggestion based on the composition rather than mixing... get rid of the trombones/low brass block harmonies, or at least dial them back quite a bit.

Or even better, rethink those parts and all the other bass stuff so that there are gaps left when these big whacks come in. Clear out space for them naturally, not artificially.


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## pderbidge (Sep 5, 2018)

Gerhard Westphalen said:


> A lot of the time "low end" doesn't really mean low end. By that I mean that it's normally much higher frequencies that they're really looking for more.
> ...



I agree. When someone says more "low end" You need to define Low end since there can be varying definitions of what that is. Do you mean the low 808 kind of boom sound or the hard hitting sound of an "impact" 
If it's impact you are looking for pay attention to the "click" at around 2k (maybe even 1k to 3k). If the sample has the click built into the sound then boost that 1 to 2k area a bit to give the impact some definition. If not, you can layer with a snare eq'd to only perform in that higher region or any other click sound that you think blends well with the sub. If you just want that low rumbling boom sound then Waves Renaissance Bass or Lo Air or other harmonics adding type of plugin can help.

If you are worried about the pumping effect of sidechaining (which really is depending on your compressor settings) there is a great tool by Waves Factory here https://www.wavesfactory.com/trackspacer/ It does the sidechain thing with EQ instead of compression. I consider this one of those tools that every mix engineer should have in their toolbox.

Of course, it's one thing to talk about what works but another thing to experiment and find the right solution


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## jmauz (Sep 5, 2018)

A high-fiber diet and lots of coffee helps clear out my low end...


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## dgburns (Sep 5, 2018)

mono the bass


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## hawpri (Sep 5, 2018)

+1 to the Trackspacer plugin (by Wavesfactory) suggestion.


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## Alex Niedt (Sep 5, 2018)

fixxer49 said:


> Sometimes what feels like low end is not truly (technically) “low end”, per se - you can fool the ear w psychoacoustic effects that won’t create frequency bandwidth nightmares for you.
> 
> Specifically: Have you tried the Waves MaxxBass plugin?


This. 

I can think of maybe a couple times ever when a client actually wanted more sub when asking for low end. They almost always mean "apparent" low end, which can sit quite a bit higher...the harmonics that allow bass lines to be heard/felt on laptop speakers and such, devices that don't actually reproduce much low end (if any at all).


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## JJP (Sep 5, 2018)

karelpsota said:


> Lastly, you can always add a *sub sine* to double the bass line



This is a trick that has been used for decades on contrabasses in film score recordings.


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## NoamL (Sep 6, 2018)

This forum is a gold mine of helpfulness sometimes  thanks to everyone!


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## jcrosby (Sep 6, 2018)

Multiband sidechaining, or dynamic sidechain EQ are the most common way to make percussion cut through without losing those cozy low mids... It really varies from track to track, but try starting by having one of the two push frequencies below 100 hz out of the way. (60 Hz might be the sweet spot, maybe 80, it really varies from track to track... The point is to get familiar with the technique, but use your ears to determine where you can make space without sacrificing the body of everything else...)

If you want to get really techy, a few milliseconds of imperceptible delay on everything but the percussion can do wonders.

When paired with sidechaining you can achieve even more clarity than just through ducking alone... (This often sounds counterintuitive if not familiar with the technique. The reality is that there is already a ton of baked in delay between elements scattered around a large space.)

Adding 3, 4, even 8 ms of delay is imperceptible in most instances, and it makes space in a way that sidechaining can't, through basic physics; I.e., nothing makes more space than the absence of something else


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## Loïc D (Sep 6, 2018)

jcrosby said:


> If you want to get really techy, a few milliseconds of imperceptible delay on everything but the percussion can do wonders.



Hey, never thought about it. Gonna try. Thanks.



NoamL said:


> This forum is a gold mine of helpfulness sometimes


You're welcome and you're definitely part of it !


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## Wally Garten (Sep 6, 2018)

pderbidge said:


> there is a great tool by Waves Factory here https://www.wavesfactory.com/trackspacer/ It does the sidechain thing with EQ instead of compression. I consider this one of those tools that every mix engineer should have in their toolbox.



Oh my God, all this time I've been trying to do this by hand. This plugin looks like gold. Thanks for the tip!


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## WindcryMusic (Sep 6, 2018)

I just tried out the TrackSpacer demo for this purpose, and maybe I am missing something, but it doesn't seem like the release setting does what I would expect? Even with it set to the fastest possible release of 1 ms, the cut effect lingers for several seconds after the sidechained audio has died away, as if TrackSpacer has some sort of built-in averaging over a much longer period of time. Is this just the way it works, or am I missing something?

If this is the way TrackSpacer is meant to work, I think I'll opt to continue using Neutron 2's Dynamic EQ for this job. I like the fact that N2 can be a bit more surgical, both in terms of selecting the frequencies it affects, as well as the frequencies of the sidechain input that it uses to determine the dynamic EQ level. More importantly, although N2 doesn't provide any control over attack and release times on the dynamic EQ, the release time thereof is as fast as I would hope for, leading to a much less obvious EQing of the track signal that bounces back to flat just as quickly as the sidechain input drops away. True, it doesn't automatically attenuate frequencies like TrackSpacer, but I like being able to be more selective, and the Masking meter makes it easy to find the frequencies of concern.


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## will_m (Sep 6, 2018)

I've found when a library/client asks for more low end in the percussion they mean more weight, which I've found isn't really in the low end, more the low mid.

I've also started using less orchestral percussion and more synth/hybrid style percussion because its often much more focused and cuts through the mix better. The 'short punch' type of hits are great for this layered under something more acoustic.

Also sometimes when you layer lots of percussion libraries together the low end gets out of control, I normally filter some out and add some multiband compression, set it to keep anything below 80ish really contained.

And finally I've found simply muting other tracks until you can hear the drums breaking through works. I'm always surprised by what I don't actually need in a mix.


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## Alex Niedt (Sep 6, 2018)

WindcryMusic said:


> I just tried out the TrackSpacer demo for this purpose, and maybe I am missing something, but it doesn't seem like the release setting does what I would expect? Even with it set to the fastest possible release of 1 ms, the cut effect lingers for several seconds after the sidechained audio has died away, as if TrackSpacer has some sort of built-in averaging over a much longer period of time. Is this just the way it works, or am I missing something?


Sounds like you have the "amount" knob set way too high. They should have that knob default at 0. Having it default at 100 is like having a compressor default with the threshold pulled all the way down.


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## pderbidge (Sep 6, 2018)

WindcryMusic said:


> I just tried out the TrackSpacer demo for this purpose, and maybe I am missing something, but it doesn't seem like the release setting does what I would expect? Even with it set to the fastest possible release of 1 ms, the cut effect lingers for several seconds after the sidechained audio has died away, as if TrackSpacer has some sort of built-in averaging over a much longer period of time. Is this just the way it works, or am I missing something?
> If this is the way TrackSpacer is meant to work, I think I'll opt to continue using Neutron





Alex Niedt said:


> Sounds like you have the "amount" knob set way too high. They should have that knob default at 0. Having it default at 100 is like having a compressor default with the threshold pulled all the way down.


Alex might be right here. I don't have it in front of me right now and don't have all the controls memorized but what I do know is that it has worked very well when I need it. It's like any other tool though. Sometimes it works great on one thing and other times you grab a different tool, like N2. I'm glad I have it for when Trackspacer seems to be the tool that works the best for a particular situation. I've yet to find a "one tool does it all" plugin.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 6, 2018)

karelpsota said:


> *Excite drums *with harmonic distorsion (post reverb). Really helps low drums cut in a mix.
> By now, your mix should already sound "heavy" on laptop speakers



That's where I was going to start, pretty much.

It's counterintuitive, but often the way to make BD and other boomers cut through is to find and boost a clear high freq range - even as high as 10K, believe it or not. That gives it a snap.

Along those lines, you might also try running it through an amp simulator, possibly in parallel, to add some distortion.

The other part is the hit-in-chest, which is [EDIT: which *starts*] somewhere around 80Hz [EDIT: and goes up about an 8ve]. That comes from 1) finding and/or clearing (with EQ) a low frequency to boost the percussion, and 2) relatively fast-attack/slow-release compression to give it a sharper envelope. The slow release is really important, because sustained sounds seem louder. Don't be afraid to slam the compressor with abandon.

And then someone mentioned parallel compression. That's very effective, although it's not really necessary when every hit in the instrument is loud, because the point is to preserve some of the dynamics while also giving you a hard, compressed sound.

Gerhard's ideas above are other tricks in the bag, although I've only used multiband compression on entire mixes - i.e. you don't want the low rumbling sounds to trigger a compressor on the entire mix.

...or conversely maybe you want the compressor to pump with the bass drum. That can also work.

Finally, sometimes what sounds like missing boom percussion is actually that the whole mix wants to be punchier. That's usually compression and limiting.

Hope that helps.


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## AllanH (Sep 7, 2018)

I would suggest setting up a dynamic EQ for the brass and DB attempting to reduce a bit in the conflicting frequencies. Neutron2 is especially good at this, imo.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 7, 2018)

One other thing - if *everything* is too wet (i.e. has too much reverb), that will make a mix sound wimpy.

It's another of those "if everything is [xxxx], nothing is [xxxx]" features.


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## benmrx (Sep 7, 2018)

Try adding more harmonic content to your low end elements using tape/distortion type plugins.


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## axb312 (Sep 8, 2018)

Like some have suggested earlier, I would think of this as something similar to making a kick more prominent:
1. Use the low end drum as an input to side-chain compress other low end elements. If you have a multiband compressor or Dynamic Equalizer, you could choose to side-chain compress the low end of these instruments only, versus full band.

2. Give the low end elements some top end to cut through the mix.

3. Take out really low frequencies (say 30 Hz or so) with a HP filter, on all bass(y) instruments. Adjust the slope to taste.


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## MarcusD (Sep 8, 2018)

So many awesome tips! Some of these have already been mentioned...


Side Chain Multi-band Compressor.
Some subtle harmonic distortion in the lows (Spectra by WavesFactory is worth a shout).
Use an EQ to roll off the low end and make it MONO (if it's a stereo source) using an M/S EQ like FabFilter ProQ.
Boost some of the Highs to make them cut.
Use a compressor with a side-chain filter to compress the high end and bring it out more.
Waves Aural Exciter can work magic on percussion used sparingly.
Good old sine-wave / gate trigger trick.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 8, 2018)

You know, this is MIDI. I left out the most obvious answer: layer the drums with others.

Actually, I left out an even more obvious one: raise the level.


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## pderbidge (Sep 8, 2018)

axb312 said:


> Like some have suggested earlier, I would think of this as something similar to making a kick more prominent:
> 1. Use the low end drum as an input to side-chain compress other low end elements. If you have a multiband compressor or Dynamic Equalizer, you could choose to side-chain compress the low end of these instruments only, versus full band.
> 
> 2. Give the low end elements some top end to cut through the mix.
> ...


No. 3 is a great tip. It should've been me who suggested it
I've setup medium to large sound systems for various events in the past 20 years and despite those large monstrous sized speakers you might be surprised that many of them can't reproduce below 40hz. The trick to get them pumping is a hard highpass around 40hz and sometimes even as high as 50hz. It really helps the speaker have more power and impact on those low frequencies that it "can" reproduce. The same effect can be done in a mix. Unless your doing hip hop and trap or super bassy 808 music then highpassing at 30hz or above will help allot.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 8, 2018)

Everything much below about 80Hz is all rumble. You roll off extra stuff that's just eating VU, but it's not the kick in the chest range I think this thread is about.


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## Daniel Petras (Sep 8, 2018)

aaronventure said:


> ut here's the catch: if you plunk the percussion out directly as the sidechain signal, you're going to get a reaction to the overall volume, which will undoubtedly mess up the overall compressor response.


Could you clarify this? Are you saying that something like a short burst of sound is a lot cleaner and consistent to send into the side-chain vs a trailer hit? For example, the actually transient of the hit only happens for a short period of time and so you can adjust your noise or whatever accordingly?


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## aaronventure (Sep 8, 2018)

Daniel Petras said:


> Could you clarify this? Are you saying that something like a short burst of sound is a lot cleaner and consistent to send into the side-chain vs a trailer hit? For example, the actually transient of the hit only happens for a short period of time and so you can adjust your noise or whatever accordingly?



Some plugins will allow you to set how exactly they react to the sidechain signal (peak, RMS), but mostly they react to peak. Bass eats headroom with ease. So if you send the entire kick as the sidechain signal, its whole level will trigger the compressor, rendering your attack and release values useless for carving out the low end under the kick. If you instead use a signal that just 'pings' whenever your kick plays, you can get much more control over that space as you can now use attack and release controls since the area that they're operating in is undoubtedly shorter than the entire kick (because the ping is just that - a very short burst of.. whatever). 

I personally like using white noise from a synth, as extending its duration is just a matter of extending the MIDI note in case I want to add a 'hold' factor to it as well—release determines how long until the compression effect fades out once the signal is back below the threshold, so if you only have a short ping, the moment it's over, the release comes into effect. If you need it to be longer, you just extend the ping, and during that period the compression is in full effect because the signal continuously stays the same above the threshold you set. So you decide when do you want the release of the compressor to kick in with your MIDI note length. 

Also, don't forget to minimize the release and attack controls inside the actual synth, since you want (or do you?) the noise to play fro the exact momement the MIDI note starts to the exact moment it ends (give or take a few ms to prevent the clicks, depending on the synth).


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