Low Frequencies on Small Speakers

[thedigitaldigger]

Hi there,

I am quiet experienced in mixing but recently I was wondering about a few productions where I can seem to hear the low frequencies even on my small speakers.
I wasn wondering if that has got anything to do with overtones? So I would use RBass oder MaxxBass but I guess its something else...

This Fever Ray Song is a good example I think:

Fever Ray 'Keep The Streets Empty For Me' - YouTube

Anyone knows the trick?


Thank youu

[Skept3k]

Just because your monitors are small and you can't hear those low frequency's doesn't change the fact that there still in the mix. All those plugins will do is boost the bass frequency's.

So maybe it will help you hear bass on your speakers, but for everyone else it will probably be overwhelming bass. That's why it's so important to have monitors that give you a accurate frequency response. Then you'll know exactly what your mix should sound like on almost any system.

[Meow]

My brother says its due to something called the "missing fundamental" but I wasn't really listening when he explained it LOL

Actually now that I said it I'm not even sure that's what he called it. Whoops!

[Rimwolf]

If your ears detect say 100Hz, 150Hz, 200Hz, 250Hz and your brain thinks they're related then it assumes there's a 50Hz thing going on and those are its overtones. (This is not the most scientific description but that's the essence.)

[daez]

creating harmonics in the upper frequency's helps low end perception in small speakers without adding low end. Saturation plugs can help get some subtle distortion and harmonics that will give the bass more mid range info with out overwhelming the low end. That's how I usually adress say an 808 that is obvious in my mains and absent in my computer speakers. The plug's I like for this is the new waves h-eq and ubk-1...

[Skept3k]

Originally Posted by daez

creating harmonics in the upper frequency's helps low end perception in small speakers without adding low end. Saturation plugs can help get some subtle distortion and harmonics that will give the bass more mid range info with out overwhelming the low end. That's how I usually adress say an 808 that is obvious in my mains and absent in my computer speakers. The plug's I like for this is the new waves h-eq and ubk-1...

Ahhh that makes sense. I assumed those plugins were just for boosting the lows. When it's called MaxxBass, hopefully you can see how I came to that assumption .

So essentially all there doing is boosting the "perceived" volume of lower frequency's by 1-2db for smaller speakers without actually affecting other speakers??.. Idk maybe I'm still confused

[thedigitaldigger]

Originally Posted by daez

creating harmonics in the upper frequency's helps low end perception in small speakers without adding low end. Saturation plugs can help get some subtle distortion and harmonics that will give the bass more mid range info with out overwhelming the low end. That's how I usually adress say an 808 that is obvious in my mains and absent in my computer speakers. The plug's I like for this is the new waves h-eq and ubk-1...

Cool, thats what I thought. Didn't tried the h-eq and ubk yet but I will. Thank you!

I found an Interview with Hans Zimmer talking about this as well. Because for Movies they sometimes need and whant Impact in the Low End. But most of the people are watching the movies on bad sound systems so they are always fiddling around with making the score sounding big on bad speakers.

I know, I learned from an absolute pro that distortion on the bass is a Mixers friend. But for me Im producing deep tech house and I cant really put distortion on a kick because it doesnt fit the aesthetics.

What I used to do, is using some mid and high freq informations from one kick drum and the lows from another, to have full control.

But for sinus basses that doesnt work.
So I guess thats the only answer there is really, its just about overtones and I will try the h eq and ubk.

Cheeers!

[Simonator]

Originally Posted by thedigitaldigger

So I would use RBass oder MaxxBass but I guess its something else...

That's exactly what these plugs are designed for.

There is also one from BBE/Nomad Factory called Harmonic Maximizer, nXtasy from Crysonic, Reviver from Fielding DSP and a few others.

Lots of discussion on this topic in this thread-

Advanced sub-bass techniques thread (yes yes ANOTHER)- optimising loudness/harmonics

[Reptil]

yes, related harmonics. but there IS a bass under there. it starts a little before the added harmonics envelope. naaaissee trick
I like the song btw!

also, lower basses will result in distortion on smaller systems, as the energy (electricity) is going into the speakers, but isn't translated into the proper soundwaves because the mass is too small, but does interfere (depending on the speaker). unless there's a highpass filter in there.

generally it's a bad idea to compensate for lack of extension in the speakers, using a plugin or eq, in production. you'll be masking other sounds in the lower midrange etc. (critical area for mixes), and soon you'll be compensating the compensations etc. much headskratching and confusion will then commence

if budget is a problem, get some older, paper cone hifi speakers, like B&W or something like that (and don't turn them up too loud, cause they'll break )

[thedigitaldigger]

Originally Posted by Reptil

yes, related harmonics. but there IS a bass under there. it starts a little before the added harmonics envelope. naaaissee trick
I like the song btw!

also, lower basses will result in distortion on smaller systems, as the energy (electricity) is going into the speakers, but isn't translated into the proper soundwaves because the mass is too small, but does interfere (depending on the speaker). unless there's a highpass filter in there.

generally it's a bad idea to compensate for lack of extension in the speakers, using a plugin or eq, in production. you'll be masking other sounds in the lower midrange etc. (critical area for mixes), and soon you'll be compensating the compensations etc. much headskratching and confusion will then commence

if budget is a problem, get some older, paper cone hifi speakers, like B&W or something like that (and don't turn them up too loud, cause they'll break )

Its not a budget problem, its a question in general how people getting this kind of low impact feel even on small speaker system. Its not for me listening to it, its for the listener to be impressed