How to determine when there's too much low end?

[Behind]

Hi everyone!

The title says everything. I've had problems lately to know the limit of the low end/bass frequencies. I tend to fill the mix with a loud and very audible bass, but... how do I know that it's too much??

I know that depending on the style, the bass could be more or less noticeable. When listening to commercial albums, bass guitar's volume seems to be quite low (if you don't have a subwoofer).

So that's the question, in case you want to have an audible bass guitar... where's the limit to make it loud??

TIA!

 

[ahjteam]

when the low end separation and clarity is suffering, there is too much bass and low mids.

 

[Behind]

hi ahjteam,

I underestand the concept behind the war of frequencies but, beyond that, my question is: when all the frequencies are correctly placed and you can push the bass much louder... where's the limit?

 

[dcb]

i would always recommend to have 4 or 5 songs as a reference to compare your song to. always make sure they are the same level that your track is.
due to fletcher munson : always listen to the song at 85 db to compare the bass range. our ear (brain) is very balanced at that level,
if you listen to your mix on lower volumes, you might end up overemphasizing the bass range (and the high end range)

not to mention that your speakers and your room have to have a more or less flat response...

i personally listen to my mixes in comparison to pro mixes on a small phillips 20$ system with sub.
keep in mind, the more bass is in your mix, it will eat up some headroom and prevent you from mastering it "as loud" as commercial mixes.

 

[Behind]

hi dcb,

very helpful information about the listening at 85db. I'd have to think about a method to measure how many db are going out of my speakers.

The problem with mi room is that it's a room "tuned in D". So when D note sounds, the whole place moves . I just ignore when it happens since it's not yet possible for me to have a better recording environment.

 

[Morgan C]

I heard Daniel Bergstrand actually puts his hand on his monitors/sub to judge the bass. Might be a very good idea for people with bad rooms. However you need to really crank it to be able to feel the movement. Good for referencing, not so good for actually mixing, just tiny adjustments.

 

[TheDriller]

I heard Daniel Bergstrand actually puts his hand on his monitors/sub to judge the bass. Might be a very good idea for people with bad rooms. However you need to really crank it to be able to feel the movement. Good for referencing, not so good for actually mixing, just tiny adjustments.

yep, sometimes touching the edge of the driver with your thumb can tell you a lot about whats happening in the bass.

 

[jval]

listen and compare.