.THEORY · T03

/mixing

Low-end reference · global mixing rules for the album.

Low End — Levels, EQ & Mixing Reference

Target Levels

Element	Peak Range	RMS Range	Notes
Kick (individual)	-8 to -6 dB	-12 to -10 dB	Loudest single hit in the mix
Kick group	-6 to -4 dB	-10 to -8 dB	After layering & summing
Bass group	-8 to -6 dB	-12 to -9 dB	Sits just under the kick
LOWS group (sum)	-6 to -3 dB	-10 to -7 dB	Combined kick + bass before master

Key rule: Kick peaks ~2-3 dB louder than bass peaks. Kick punches through the bass, not over it.

Frequency Ownership

20-60 Hz   →  KICK sub layer owns this
60-120 Hz  →  SHARED — bass fundamental + kick body (carve with EQ)
120-250 Hz →  BASS owns this (warmth, note definition)
250+ Hz    →  BASS harmonics + overtones

Use EQ to carve: if kick fundamental is at 50Hz, notch the bass at 50Hz by 2-3 dB. Vice versa.

Kick EQ (Pro-Q 4)

Band 1: High-pass 24dB/oct @ 30Hz         — remove sub-rumble
Band 2: Bell cut -3 to -5dB @ 300-400Hz   — remove boxiness (sweep to find)
Band 3: Bell boost +2-3dB @ 3-5kHz        — beater click/attack (optional)
Band 4: Low-pass 12dB/oct @ 10-12kHz      — remove unnecessary highs

Sweep trick: Narrow bell, +10dB boost, Q=5, sweep 200-500Hz. Where it sounds worst = cut there.

Kick Group Chain (correct order)

1. Pro-Q 4          — surgical EQ (carve first)
2. Compressor       — Glue Compressor or Pro-C (2-4 dB GR, 10-30ms attack)
3. Saturn 2         — gentle saturation for glue + harmonics
4. Utility          — mono below 120Hz

Common mistakes:

EQ after saturation (saturates frequencies you're about to cut)
Mastering plugins on groups (bx_masterdesk, Ozone — these go on master only)
Reverb on kicks without HP'ing the return at 200-300Hz

Kick Layering

2 layers is fine if each has a distinct frequency job:

Layer 1 (body/thump): 50-150 Hz — HP at 30Hz, LP at ~8kHz
Layer 2 (click/attack): 2-8 kHz — HP at ~200Hz (remove its low end)

Add a 3rd ONLY if missing: sub weight (sine/808 at 30-60Hz) or transient snap.

Test: Solo each kick. One = THUMP, other = TICK. If they sound similar, swap one.

Kick Tuning

Tune kick fundamental to the track's root note or fifth. Sweet spot: 40-80 Hz.

Note → Freq:
C1=32.7  D1=36.7  E1=41.2  F1=43.7  G1=49.0  A1=55.0  B1=61.7
C2=65.4  D2=73.4  E2=82.4  F2=87.3  G2=98.0  A2=110.0

How: Clip Transpose (semitones + cents) or Simpler Transpose/Detune knobs.

Bass Chain

1. EQ (HP at 25-30Hz)       — remove sub-rumble
2. Compressor (4:1)          — even dynamics
3. Saturation                — add harmonics (translates on small speakers)
4. Multiband comp            — tighten sub region only (20-80Hz)
5. Sidechain from kick       — duck 2-4 dB on kick hits

Sidechain Settings

Ratio: 4:1 to 10:1
Attack: 0.01 ms (instant)
Release: 50-150 ms (adjust to groove)
Threshold: enough for 2-4 dB reduction

Alt: LFOTool or Kickstart for shaped curves.

Drum Mixing — Levels, Groups & Plugin Chains

Drum Group Hierarchy (loud → quiet)

Group	Peak Range	Role
KICK (in LOWS)	-6 to -4 dB	Foundation, anchor
PULSE (snares)	-8 to -6 dB	Backbeat, energy
PERC (congas, bongos)	-12 to -8 dB	Accents, flavor
HATS (open/closed)	-12 to -9 dB	Rhythm, movement
SPICE (shakers, texture)	-14 to -10 dB	Groove feel, air
DRUMS bus (sum)	-8 to -5 dB	All drums combined before Main

Gain Staging Rule

No individual channel above 0 dB. Pull channels down to -8 to -6 dB range, then use group faders to balance.

If DRUMS bus is very low (e.g., -19 dB) but individuals are hot → gain staging is backwards. Fix by pulling individuals down and bringing the group up.

Plugin Chains Per Group

SPICE (shakers/texture)

1. Pro-Q 4        — HP at 300-500Hz (no low end needed)
2. Compressor     — 2:1, slow attack (15-30ms), keep transients
3. Stereo widener — push shakers wide (sides, not center)

HATS

1. Pro-Q 4        — HP at 200-400Hz, tame harsh 6-8kHz if needed
2. Compressor     — 2:1, fast attack, consistent level
3. Transient       — slight attack reduction if too clicky

PERC (congas, bongos, hits)

1. Pro-Q 4        — HP at 100-200Hz (keep some body for congas)
2. Compressor     — 3:1, medium attack (10-20ms), preserve the hit
3. Saturation     — subtle warmth (organic sounds stay warm)

PULSE (snares) — Individual Channels

Most channels: just gain stage to -10 to -6 dB. No plugins needed.
Only add Pro-Q 4 if a specific sample has a problem (resonance, rumble, harshness).

Why minimal: Snare loops/fills are pre-mixed. Compressing each one individually then compressing again on the group = over-processed mush. Let the group do the work.

Internal balance:

Main snare loop (plays most of track): -6 to -8 dB (loudest)
Fills (transitions only): -10 to -12 dB (accents)
Texture layers (Astral, etc.): -12 to -14 dB (vibe, not punch)

PULSE (snares) — Group Bus

1. Pro-Q 4        — HP at 80-100Hz
                    cut mud at 300-500Hz (-2 to -4 dB, sweep to find)
                    boost crack at 3-5kHz (+2-3 dB)
                    boost air at 10-12kHz (+1-2 dB shelf)
2. Compressor     — 4:1, attack 5-15ms (let transient snap through), auto release, 3-4 dB GR
3. Transient       — boost attack for snap, reduce sustain if tails are messy
4. Saturation     — subtle density, drive low, mix 30-50% if parallel

DRUMS Bus (parent of all groups)

1. Pro-Q 4          — surgical fixes only
2. Glue Compressor  — 2:1, 10ms attack, auto release, 1-3 dB GR
3. Saturation       — very subtle cohesion
4. Utility          — mono compatibility check

Compression Strategy

Sub-groups (SPICE, HATS, PERC, PULSE):

Ratio: 2:1 to 4:1
Attack: 10-30ms (let transients through)
Release: Auto or 100-200ms
GR: 2-3 dB max
Purpose: even out dynamics WITHIN each group

DRUMS bus:

Ratio: 2:1 to 4:1
Attack: 10-30ms
Release: Auto or 0.1s
GR: 1-3 dB MAX — very gentle
Purpose: GLUE — make all drums feel like one kit

Rule: Compress more on sub-groups, less on DRUMS bus.

Where Drums Sit in the Full Mix

KICK          ████████████████████████░░  loudest (-6 to -4 dB)
SNARE/PULSE   ██████████████████████░░░░  (-8 to -6 dB)
BASS          ██████████████████████░░░░  (-8 to -6 dB)
VOCALS/LEAD   ████████████████████░░░░░░  (-10 to -6 dB)
PERC          ████████████████░░░░░░░░░░  (-12 to -8 dB)
HATS          ██████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░  (-12 to -9 dB)
SPICE/SHAKERS ████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  (-14 to -10 dB)
PADS/AMBIENCE ██████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  (-18 to -12 dB)

032026-03-09

Session 001 — Low End & Kick Mixing

Date: 2026-03-09 DAW: Ableton Live

Current Session Routing (from screenshot)

LOWS group (ch 92)  →  Main  |  -12.3 dB
├── KICK group (ch 93)  →  LOWS  |  -8.3 dB
│   ├── 94 Kick Loop Dark   →  KICK  |  -8.7 dB
│   └── 95 PML_DPS_Kick     →  KICK  |  -9.1 dB
├── BASS group (ch 96)  →  LOWS  |  -8.2 dB
│   ├── 97 JUNO BASS        →  BASS  |  -10.4 dB
│   ├── 98 JUNO BASS        →  BASS  |  -23.6 dB
│   ├── 99 artura pump it   →  BASS  |  -21.6 dB
│   └── 100 Bass Loop 3     →  BASS  |  0 dB

Sends: A Reverb, B Delay Main bus: 0 dB, gain 0.2

Target Levels — Low End

Element	Peak Range	RMS Range	Notes
Kick (individual)	-8 to -6 dB	-12 to -10 dB	Loudest single hit in the mix
Kick group	-6 to -4 dB	-10 to -8 dB	After layering & summing
Bass group	-8 to -6 dB	-12 to -9 dB	Sits just under the kick
LOWS group (sum)	-6 to -3 dB	-10 to -7 dB	Combined kick + bass before master

Key rule: Kick peaks should be ~2-3 dB louder than bass peaks. The kick punches through the bass, not over it.

Kick Layering Strategy

The 3-Layer Approach

SUB layer (30-80 Hz) — pure sine/triangle wave, short decay. This is the chest thump.
BODY layer (80-200 Hz) — sampled acoustic kick or 808 body. Warmth and weight.
CLICK/TRANSIENT layer (2-5 kHz) — short, sharp click for attack definition.

Kick Plugin Chain (per layer)

1. EQ (surgical)     — high-pass the click layer at 300Hz, low-pass the sub at 120Hz
2. Transient shaper  — boost attack on click layer, sustain on sub layer
3. Compressor        — fast attack (1-5ms) on body, slow attack (10-30ms) on sub to preserve thump
4. Saturator/Clipper — soft clip the kick bus for glue + loudness without dynamics loss

Recommended Plugins

EQ: Pro-Q 3, Channel EQ (stock Ableton)
Compressor: Ableton Glue Compressor, Pro-C 2
Saturator: Ableton Saturator (Soft Clip mode), Decapitator, Saturn 2
Transient: Ableton Drum Buss, Transgressor 2, Smack Attack
Clipper: StandardCLIP, GClip (free), Ableton Limiter in clip mode

On the KICK Group Bus

1. Drum Buss         — drive + transient control + low-end boom
2. Glue Compressor   — 2-4 dB gain reduction, 30ms attack, auto release
3. Soft Clipper       — catch peaks, add density
4. Utility            — mono below 120Hz (or use EQ with mid/side)

Bass — Strong Low End Strategy

Bass Plugin Chain

1. EQ (high-pass at 25-30Hz)  — remove sub-rumble below useful range
2. Compressor                  — even out dynamics (4:1, medium attack)
3. Saturation                  — add harmonics so bass translates on small speakers
4. Multiband compression       — tighten ONLY the sub region (20-80Hz)
5. Sidechain from kick         — duck bass 2-4 dB on kick hits

Sidechain Settings (critical for kick/bass separation)

Compressor on BASS group:
  Sidechain input: KICK group (or a ghost kick)
  Ratio: 4:1 to 10:1
  Attack: 0.01 ms (instant)
  Release: 50-150 ms (adjust to groove)
  Threshold: enough for 2-4 dB reduction

Alternative: Use LFOTool or Kickstart for shaped sidechain curves.

Bass Frequency Ownership

20-60 Hz   →  KICK sub layer owns this
60-120 Hz  →  SHARED — bass fundamental + kick body
120-250 Hz →  BASS owns this (warmth, note definition)
250+ Hz    →  BASS harmonics + overtones

Use EQ to carve: if kick fundamental is at 50Hz, notch the bass at 50Hz by 2-3 dB. If bass fundamental is at 80Hz, give it space there.

Current KICK Group Plugin Chain (as of screenshot 2)

ACTUAL:   Saturn 2 → Pro-Q 4 → bx_masterdesk → Hybrid Reverb

Issues Identified

EQ should come BEFORE saturation — carve first, then distort
bx_masterdesk is a mastering plugin — remove from kick group, it fights the mix bus
Hybrid Reverb on kicks — muddies low end; if keeping, high-pass the return at 200-300Hz

Corrected Chain

FIXED:    Pro-Q 4 → Compressor (Glue/Pro-C) → Saturn 2 → Utility (mono <120Hz)

Pro-Q 4 Settings for KICK Group

Band 1: High-pass 24dB/oct @ 30Hz         — remove sub-rumble
Band 2: Bell cut -3 to -5dB @ 300-400Hz   — remove boxiness (sweep to find exact freq)
Band 3: Bell boost +2-3dB @ 3-5kHz        — beater click/attack (optional)
Band 4: Low-pass 12dB/oct @ 10-12kHz      — remove unnecessary highs

Sweep trick: Narrow bell, +10dB boost, Q=5, sweep 200-500Hz. Where it sounds worst = cut there.

Kick Layering — 2 vs 3 Layers

2 layers is fine if each layer has a distinct frequency job:

Layer 1 (body/thump): covers 50-150 Hz
Layer 2 (click/attack): covers 2-8 kHz transient snap

Add a 3rd layer ONLY if you're missing:

Sub weight (add a sine/808 sub at 30-60 Hz)
Or transient cut-through (add a short click sample)

Current layers:

Ch 94 Kick Loop Dark (-6.0 dB) — likely the BODY layer
Ch 95 PML_DPS_Kick (-9.1 dB) — likely the CLICK/TRANSIENT layer

Test: Solo each kick. If they sound similar → you're doubling, not layering. One = THUMP, other = TICK.

Per-layer EQ:

Body layer: HP at 30Hz, LP at ~8kHz
Click layer: HP at ~200Hz (remove its low end entirely)

Kick Tuning

Concept: Every kick has a fundamental pitch. Tune it to the track's key so kick + bass lock together.

How to find it: Look at the lowest/tallest peak in Pro-Q 4 spectrum (50-80 Hz range). Pro-Q shows note names on hover.

How to retune: Clip Transpose (semitones + cents) or load into Simpler and use Transpose/Detune knobs.

Target: Root note or fifth of the track's key. Sweet spot: 40-80 Hz (E1–E2).

Note → Freq reference:
C1=32.7  D1=36.7  E1=41.2  F1=43.7  G1=49.0  A1=55.0  B1=61.7
C2=65.4  D2=73.4  E2=82.4  F2=87.3  G2=98.0  A2=110.0

Track key for "02 RELEASE": Bb minor (A#/Bb Minor) Kick anchor: C#2 (69.3 Hz) — relative major root (Db), bright-within-dark, harmonic tension that reaches without resting.

Track Concept — "02 RELEASE"

BPM: 130 | Key: Bb minor | Instrument: Serum Rapture (arp)

Chord Progression: Fsus4 → Cdim/F# → G#7

Fsus4 (V sus4) = unresolved tension/yearning
Cdim/F# (ii° dark inversion) = pain, dissonance
G#7 (bVII7) = the gateway, lift, transcendence — classic trance function

Emotional Arc: Tension/pain → letting go → transcendence/flying

Structure:

TENSION — sparse, Fsus4 drone, heavy dry kick, sub-only bass, dark reverb
THE BREAK — Cdim/F# peaks pain, strip back, arp filters in distant (HP'd)
RELEASE — G#7 explodes, full arp + kick + bass, filter opens, delay/reverb opens up

Production keys:

Automate LP filter on arp: 500Hz → open over 8-16 bars into release
Harder sidechain pump in section 3 (rhythmic breathing = release)
Reverb: short/dry in tension → long in release (space = freedom)
Serum: add detuned octave-up oscillator (+5 cents) for shimmer/transcendence

Notes

Bass Loop 3 (ch 100) is at 0 dB — might be clipping or needs gain staging
Two JUNO BASS layers — one very quiet (-23.6 dB) — could be a sub layer
artura pump it at -21.6 dB — subtle texture/movement layer
Good routing structure: individual → group → LOWS → Main
Kick levels updated: both now around -6.0 / -9.1 dB (improved from earlier)