Damn Low End!!!
 

In my opinion my mixes are getting a lot better, but it’s just the low end I’m just not happy with. In the studio obviously the mix sounds great, through my phone sounds pretty good, in headphones it sounds pretty good but when I play it in my car the low end just sounds boomy. The hi-Fi in my car is nothing great.

My studio is treated and I use ikmultimedia ARC2 to calibrate the room. My speakers are HS8M. Would investing in a sub help me to identify and control the low end better. I even use magic AB to reference other mixes while mixing.

Something that sticks out a lot when playing my mixes on the car stereo is the toms have a very boomy sound but in the studio this is not the case.

What I have also discovered is my father has a £4K Hi Fi system and this system reveals my flaws in the low end mixing aswell!!! Could investing in better studio speakers improve my accuracy in this low end mud??

Any help/advice here would be much appreciated.


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Re: Damn Low End!!!
 

Investing in sub and NOT CALIBRATING your environment is kind a null sum game

Re: Damn Low End!!!
 

What do you mean by this ??

Re: Damn Low End!!!
 

I use Reference plugin by Mastering The Mix.
This made me realise I had way to much low in my mixes. It was night and day for me.


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Re: Damn Low End!!!
 

Just checked it out and it seems a bit like izotopes mix ref thing they have in ozone 7


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Re: Damn Low End!!!
 

I believe m'colleague is referring to a sub introducing new potential for standing waves and such.


Picture the long, low sound waves a sub produces. If the sound rebounding off a wall is at the positive peak of its "waveform" if you will, and it comes into contact with new sound coming out of the speakers or off the other walls that also happens to be at the same positive peak and frequency, these can cause a drastic bump in volume at that specific location in the room. Conversely, if a wave at its positive peak comes into contact with a wave at its negative peak, the sound will begin to "null" at that spot in the room.


It's really quite amazing what an inch or two will do as far as mic placement or listening position. I've never worked with ARC2 or any "room correcting" software...Can this help you identify these potential "null/sum" nodes in your room?

Re: Damn Low End!!!
 

I mean if your sub is -6 or +6 compared to calibrated system, you will still have no idea how your low end is going to translate

Re: Damn Low End!!!
 

That, and some other problems too.

Sure, if you just buy a sub that has a crossover where you connect your satellites (the monitors you previously had), the instant gratification is that the low end pretty much sounds the same wherever you listen to it in the room. But the benefits end there.

As said, you need to treat your room the more carefully the more low end you have in there.

Re: Damn Low End!!!
 

It helps flatten your room so yes should help with null/sum nodes


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Re: Damn Low End!!!
 

Also to note that toms in most mixes sound VERY boomy in my 2000 and 2006 Toyota Camrys (stock systems.)