8 Levels of Kick and Bass Mixing

Start by putting the kick at -6 dB and turn off the bass to mix the kick with other elements

Bass should be around 3 to 6 dB below your kick level

Use a loudness meter to check levels - group both kick and bass, solo the kick to see its loudness curve, then copy that reading to the bass group

In electronic dance music, the 3 to 6 dB difference tends to work well at these typical levels

Use compression with sidechain, listening from the kick to duck the sub bass

Enable look ahead button so that when the kick hits, space is already cleared for the sub bass

The kick cuts into the front while the sub bass ducks and pumps naturally

This ducking and pumping effect is very classic in electronic dance music

Add slight distortion to the sub bass using overdrive to increase harmonic richness

• Make the bass slightly richer on the high end • Increase harmonic content so people can hear it on any listening device

Use parallel processing to blend the distorted signal without overwhelming the mix

Add delay and reverb returns to the bass itself to create ambience and blend it naturally with the track

Adjust velocity levels so the bass blends more naturally with the kick instead of staying rigid

Use groove library to slightly offset notes off the grid, creating a natural feel rather than rigid timing

Pick a groove that suits your track and apply positioning of notes to relax the beat

This technique makes the bass come slightly early or late sometimes, giving it a natural, less robotic character

Make kick and bass feel separated from each other in the frequency spectrum

• Create a smooth EQ curve on the kick to reduce boominess • Apply the negative version of that curve to the bass • This creates complementary frequency shaping

You don't need 100% of the curve - listen together and adjust based on taste to create a puzzle piece fit

Remember that EQ boosts and cuts change loudness levels, so you may need to return to level adjustments at the end

Other elements in your track like guitars can mask your bass frequencies around 1 kHz

Use tools like Presonus Preeq or Ableton's envelope follower with EQ to duck problematic frequencies when the bass hits

• Add an envelope follower to track the bass • Add an EQ to the interfering element • Map the envelope follower to the EQ gain • Fine-tune the intensity and speed

When the bass hits, competing elements are automatically reduced, letting the bass come through clearly

Group compress the kick and bass together to smooth and glue everything together

Increase attack time so you don't mess with the kick's initial transient

• Use a smooth release for subtle gluing • Faster release can clip the kick's transient if too aggressive • Balance the effect based on how much gluing you want

Add a slight channel EQ with small boosts and cuts to further attenuate and refine the sub bass tone

Sudden changes in sub bass below 100 Hz can put pressure on eardrums and create listener fatigue

Use multiband compression around 100-200 Hz to compress the dynamic range of the sub bass

Boost and compress at the same time so the signal moves smoother while keeping the dynamic range controlled

This is a technique that most master engineers use to make the track sound smoother and more polished