Dealing with sub bass frequencies can be one of the trickier aspects of music production. A sub bass part can be elusive – tough to properly monitor in a home setup, often not reproduced at all by smaller speakers – and they can be very hard work to mix. But, particularly when it comes to dance music designed for a powerful sound system, nailing your sub can be what makes or breaks your track.
Put simply, sub bass is anything that happens in the lower end of the bass frequency spectrum. The exact definition of sub bass tends to change depending on who you ask, but it’s generally considered to be anything below around 60Hz-80Hz, reaching down to 20Hz, which is the lowest frequency audible to the human ear. For context, the lowest note of a bass guitar is around 41Hz, and the lowest note on a piano is around 27.5Hz.
Sub bass frequencies are often felt more than they are heard, but that doesn’t mean you can disregard what’s going on down there. It’s in this range that most synthesised basslines have their fundamental frequencies (commonly around 40Hz-80Hz). The sub frequencies also define the power and weight of a track – too little and a mix can feel weak and underpowered, too much and things can
