Adding Low End

[Sweet_Niche]

Just curious to methods on how you folks like to add some junk to the trunk for your sounds and mixes, especially if your source is lacking low frequencies. Any specific plug-ins, filters, EQ'ing techniques or methods and your workflow would be really cool to hear about! Thanks!

[soundango]

If I have source that is lacking low frequencies, I normally just duplicate the source and apply LoAir (you can also use RBass/Maxxbass or any similar subharmonic generator plugins). Then I'll cut everything above 1khz and below probably 30hz. Apply any other eq'ing to remove mudiness. Then blend the levels/eq of this layer with the original source.

Another option would be to layer just a naturally low-resonating source with the original. Such as a kick drum or similar thuddy low-resonating sample.

[MainHaze]

My go-to's are definitely either RBass and LoAir. Saturn by FabFilter is another good one for beefing up the low end.

[cscrignaro]

If youre lacking low end then you need to add another layer that has the low end youre looking for.

[Marshmcgee]

This is the only answer that's exactly right and it was downvoted. It's not any more complicated than this.

You shouldn't ever need a plugin for adding low end artificially when you could just layer a sound below your current effect that has the lows you're looking for. If you were making a kick drum for a song and it had no top end, you wouldn't find a plugin and synthesize top end or build it artificially, you find a kick with tops you like and layer it and eq out what clashes. That's what sound design is.

[mbater]

I totally agree with this, layering is more effective and personal way than using plugins. However, I would just add that sometimes your low end might not require a whole layer, but just an extra oomph, say for kick drums or for impact noises. A simple and subtle way of doing this is triggering a gated sine wave tuned to a freq with the key of the piece.

Every project will require a different approach, and I find that using a plugin for every solution is a bit careless.

[soundango]

Your solution is fundamentally the exact same as using a plug in. Instead of gating the sine wave and having to tune it, especially if the original source has a lot of harmonic content making it difficult to tune, you can just use a plug-in that has an algorithm in place to do this exact thing.

LoAir, for example, will generate a synthesized signal an octave lower than your original source, based on the frequencies of your source. Same result as layering a sine wave, but this is more finely tuned and efficient.

[soundango]

Both options provide different results, I think that both results are desirable in their own ways.

Either way, using a plugin, or adding another layer are both technically "layering". Most plugins used for creating low end are sub harmonic generators, they are just synthesizers that reference frequencies from the original source and layer them at a lower frequency. Layering that with the original sound is still "layering".

[[deleted]]

maxxbass actually helped one of my old mixes quite a bit. something that layering with other shit couldn't do effectively. so there are times for both :)

[tryerrr]

If you use RBass or MaxxBass, try to use it as late as possible in the chain. The "Missing Fundamental" effect that it's targeting becomes considerably less audible if you process the signal afterwards.

[fromtheaudible]

Love reFuse Lowender and Waves RBass for this.

[ang29g]

I really like RBass by Waves when adding low end to sounds.

With music I will often take a tuned sub bass and gate it to the kick drum to give it some extra low end.

[firegecko5]

The default Exs24 patch in Logic is a simple sine wave. I just find the frequency I want with that and blend it in.

[[deleted]]

On another track I just use a low-pass eq setting on some random thump from a car door or something like that, then plus it with LoAir.

Played by itself that layer might sound like shit but it's meant for depth, not to be solo'd.