Sidechain Your Kick and Bass for Maximum Loudness: A Step-by-Step Guide
Top mix engineers like Jaycen Joshua have mastered the art of getting their kick and bass perfectly synced, resulting in a louder, tighter mix. But how do they do it? Do they rely on special tools or a secret method? In this blog post, I’ll reveal a couple of easy ways to get the same results, using both a manual and an automatic approach. Plus, I’ll walk you through how to use FabFilter Pro MB for complete control, and a quicker solution with Waves Factory TrackSpacer.
Why You Should Sync Your Kick and Bass
When your kick and bass occupy the same frequency space, they can clash, causing a muddy, undefined low end. By syncing them properly, you not only achieve a cleaner low end, but you also control the energy, allowing you to push the mix harder into a limiter for a louder final master. This trick is key to getting your track louder than the competition.
Method 1: The Manual Approach with FabFilter Pro MB
For full control over how your kick and bass interact, the manual method is a great option. This allows you to move things around exactly how you want, although it takes a little more time.
Step 1: Load FabFilter Pro MB
Place the FabFilter Pro MB on your bass channel. We’ll use it to duck the bass whenever the kick hits, making room for the kick to punch through.
Step 2: Set the Frequency Range
Create a band at the bottom around 1kHz to target the low end. You’ll want to set the range to around 30, so it ducks the bass out of the way each time the kick comes in. Adjust the ratio and attack for a quick response, and use the threshold to fine-tune how much ducking happens.
Step 3: Sidechain to the Kick
Go into expert mode on the Pro MB, select "free external" to enable external sidechaining, and route the sidechain to your kick channel. Now every time the kick hits, it will automatically duck the bass.
Bonus: Gain 1 dB of Headroom
Once this process is in place, you’ll notice a gain of around 1 dB of headroom across the mix, meaning you can push your master louder, giving you a competitive edge.
Method 2: The Automatic Approach with Waves Factory TrackSpacer
If you’re looking for a faster solution, TrackSpacer by Waves Factory offers a simple way to achieve the same effect without much manual tweaking.
Step 1: Load TrackSpacer on the Bass Channel
TrackSpacer works by creating space in your bassline automatically. Set a high cut around 1.5kHz so only the low end is affected by the sidechain.
Step 2: Sidechain to the Kick
Just like with the manual method, route your kick to the sidechain input of TrackSpacer. You can also tweak the attack and release times if necessary, though the default settings often work just fine.
Step 3: Adjust the Amount
You can quickly dial in how much ducking you want by adjusting the "Amount" knob. This will determine how much space is made for the kick in your bass track.
Which Method Should You Use?
The manual approach with FabFilter Pro MB gives you complete control, allowing for precision adjustments. However, the automatic method with TrackSpacer is incredibly fast and still delivers professional results. Both methods will help you gain headroom and tighten up the low end, so it’s a matter of preference and workflow.
Download My Free Pro MB Preset
To make things easier, I’ve created a custom preset for FabFilter Pro MB that you can download for free. This preset is designed to help you quickly sync your kick and bass without spending hours tweaking settings.
