Is this why producers FAIL mixing kick and bass? (+ FREE KICK SAMPLES)

Every room has a room mode and frequency response that distorts what you hear. A living room can cause up to 20dB difference in perceived volume across different frequencies.

Some frequencies reverberate longer than others, making the low end muddy. This creates uneven sustain across the frequency spectrum that doesn't match actual mix reality.

Headphones like the DT 1990 have frequency response problems below 100Hz, causing beginners to over-boost subs because they hear less low-end than actually exists.

• Treat your room to flatten the frequency response curve • Use the same headphones consistently to build experience with their sound • Reference against good tracks with familiar headphones to compensate for equipment limitations

Mixing a single bass layer with sub frequencies built in creates problems with compression and EQ that destroy the original sound character. Treating them separately makes mixing infinitely easier.

Anything below 60Hz is typically accepted as sub bass in techno and house music. Duplicate your bass and use a high-pass filter on the original to separate layers.

• Balance the kick and sub bass together first • Once confident with low end, bring in the high-end bass layer • You can exaggerate the high-end for more punch or keep it subtle depending on track needs

Separation keeps the beauty of the original sound while avoiding mixing problems with the low frequencies.

Sub bass sounds best on notes E, F, and G around 40-54Hz. These frequencies are in the human hearing sweet spot and translate more naturally across different systems.

• E hits around 41-42Hz - ideal sub bass frequency • B hits around 31Hz - too close to human hearing limit, sounds weak • B2 hits around 62Hz - sounds more like bass than sub bass, too bright

Most people cannot hear below 25Hz, and 80% cannot hear below 25Hz. Staying in the E-F-G range ensures your sub bass is actually audible.

Easily cut frequencies below 20Hz as they contain unnecessary information that only uses up headroom. Modern producers often high-pass at 25Hz for cleaner mixes.

Keep random parameters off so sub bass always hits at the same point with consistent phase. This creates a tight, professional sound.

• Keep sub bass mostly mono below 60Hz for translation • Above 60Hz up to 200Hz you can add stereo width • Exaggerating stereo width in subs causes volume inconsistency problems

Use compressor with higher ratio for more accurate volume control. This fixes volume differences between hits while maintaining tightness.

For upper bass layers, slight volume variations create analog and dynamic feel without translation problems like sub bass would have.

The initial fast pitch modulation part of the kick has no perceivable pitch. The tail section behaves like a sub bass and is where tuning is audible.

• Put EQ before tuner plugin and cut highs to isolate the tail section • Use tuner plugin to identify current pitch of the tail • Adjust until tail is tuned to desired note

Transposing the entire kick changes the attack timing and character. Sample packs with pre-tuned versions preserve the attack while offering different tail tunings.

Separate kick into frequency bands using high-pass and low-pass filters to tune only the tail section independently, keeping the attack intact and avoiding artifacts.

Do dynamic mixing in the beginning, static mixing at the end. Dynamic mixing uses volume changes and sidechain to manage frequency conflicts.

• Kick and sub bass hit at the same frequency causing overlap • Use sidechain compression on sub bass triggered by kick • Sub bass ducks when kick hits, opens back up when kick ends

Make sidechain dramatic for sub bass so it noticeably ducks. For upper bass layers keep sidechain subtle to maintain groove while keeping kick audible.

• Keeps kick audible without volume wars • Gives space even when frequencies overlap • Glues the track together creating cohesive mix

Kick samples come with longer tails than usual. Use sampler faders or length controls to shorten the tail if it occupies too much space in the mix.

Glue compressor naturally ducks low and sub frequencies more than highs. This is useful for beginners who tend to over-boost subs.

• Use slower attack for tighter grab of kick • Use slower release so compression extends smoothly • Adjust based on track tempo and feel

Use channel strips with low-shelf boost combined with glue compressor to restore analog vibe lost from compression while keeping subs controlled.

Save EQ boosts and cuts for the end when mixing all elements together. Static EQ always affects the sound so it changes tone and character permanently.

• Play the track together and listen for frequencies that need presence • Boost frequencies that need to pop out • Cut frequencies that are cluttering the mix

If you can't hear the kick's attack, use a high-shelf or presence boost around 5-7kHz to bring the transient forward. Only do this if the kick lacks natural attack.

Don't overthink and don't overdo static mixing. A well-mixed low end from dynamic processing usually needs minimal static EQ.

• 280 kick samples total with 10 free samples available for download • Extra click samples to add punch without additional EQ • 40 different kick variations pre-tuned to different keys

Each kick is available in A, D, E, F, and G with the same attack but different tail tunings. This eliminates the need to spend time tuning kicks manually.

Designed for melodic techno, progressive house, and electronica - smooth genres where clean, silky kicks are essential. Sounds very smooth and professional.

• Free samples for beginners and those with budget constraints • Full pack available for extended library and channel support • Links provided in video description and Mercurial Tones website