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I'm currently working on a tune and I can't get the bass to a decent volume in comparison to the other elements of the tune. If I simply turn up the volume of the sub it becomes less clean so I tried using compression on it (I know you shouldn't compress subs), and that works to a certain extent but again at a certain point gets slightly distorted, I'm trying get a nice clean smooth sub at a high volume.


Cheers to anyone who replies to this.

When you say the sub becomes distorted, is it going into the red?

If so, then your sub is clipping... to get rid of this add a simple limiter to make sure that your bass doesn't go over 0db..

Also, out of interest... what are you producing on? Because if it's headphones I can guarantee that your productions are going to be bass heavy, all the time. You need some monitors friendo!

P.S. whoever said to you not to compress subs... LOL

nah, I already checked it isn't going into the red and yeah I'm on headphones.

never mind all that faffing with compressors and limiters, just turn everything else down!


(also perhaps it's there but you just can't hear it on your setup?)

setspeed wrote:never mind all that faffing with compressors and limiters, just turn everything else down!

^^^ THIS ^^^

Nothing Else.

That is all...

sorted it anyways now.

Eops wrote:

bandshell wrote:I'm currently working on a tune and I can't get the bass to a decent volume in comparison to the other elements of the tune. If I simply turn up the volume of the sub it becomes less clean so I tried using compression on it (I know you shouldn't compress subs), and that works to a certain extent but again at a certain point gets slightly distorted, I'm trying get a nice clean smooth sub at a high volume.


Cheers to anyone who replies to this.

I was fighting this problem just the other day - I got it solved in the end with a bit crusher (low passed) - ITs gave me a grittier sound which is easier to pick up away from a 50k rig

This was the tune - if you wanna hear the effect
http://soundcloud.com/eops/blackwaxsolu ... jeops-v1-5
You really couldnt hear the sub before now its obvious (and still woofs like a mighty wind)

Hope that helps - always up for helping a My Bloody Valentine fan!

BIGG UPPS!! awesome tip..

compress the sub, then low pass the distorted harmonics.

Eops wrote: For the record the track I was working on was 100% uncompressed following the word of macc to the letter

Woah woah woah - I never said don't compress I know what you mean, but.... and @ 'word of macc' haha, jeez


What Rendr said is a viable option, and one of my favourites. We had exactly this discussion a little while back as I recall..?

I never, ever put a compressor on my subs, makes it sound nasty and not in a good way - thats using generated sines from Audacity too.. so its not the VST I am using.

When I see my subs quieter in the mix playing certain notes.then I just make another sub a few notes higher or lower and low cut it where it needs to be.. so its not just the one sub trying to stretch through massive frequency ranges..

http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~suits/notefreqs.html

This might help.......Helps me to know what note to generate the sine so I get the exact peak of sub what is needed.. Its the long way around it but deffo the most solid way ive found.


And if you don't want thousands of different subs in audio form.....Just record the subline with all the audio and record that back through, so you just got the one audio - with perfectly sitting subs - then again I very rarely make bouncy sub lines - usually just 1/2 - 2 bar straight notes with a few pauses for tension so this method works for me..

No clue if uk knows what simpsons is.