1. Introduction
Here I will show you how to mix a dubstep track in 12 easy steps. The thing about using samples and synthesizers is that no matter how well prepared the sound is, even if you sample it from a commercial dubstep record, as soon as you add it in with a new mix, it will lose most of its good characteristics. This is because fat sounds, on fat tracks, sound like this because of the relationship they have to each other and the way they were processed (compressed, etc.) with each other, not necessarily because they are amazing individual sounds. That’s why learning how to mix dubstep properly will make the difference between reaching the top and staying at home in your bedroom. The best advice I can give is to listen and then listen some more. The devil is in the detail.
Learning these tips should take around 5-10 mixes to understand the basics, I can usually mix a track to release quality in 3 hours after doing about 100 mixes. These tips are very effective.
2. Dubstep frequency range
These frequency ranges should help you add or subtract the correct EQ, be careful, adding a certain element to all sounds will give bad results, for example bite. You can use the included frequency map to great effect.
Bass Dubstep: 20 Hz – 100 Hz. Prominent frequency 30 Hz.
Upper bass: 44khz – 20khz – Prominent frequency 220 Hz
808 Kick: 20 Hz – 4 kHz – Prominent Frequency 60 Hz.
909 Kick: 40hz – 7.5khz – Prominent frequency 110 Hz
D&B Bass Drum: 120hz – 7.5khz – Prominent frequency 150 Hz
Shock: 500 Hz – 20 kHz Prominent frequency 2khz
With gas: 120hz – 7.5khz – Prominent frequency 500 Hz
Applause: 2khz – 16khz – Prominent frequency 6khz
Pads: 110 Hz – 20 kHz – Prominent frequency 800 Hz
Rising FX: 20hz – 20khz – Prominent frequency 1.7 khz
Stabs: 500hz – 10khz – Prominent frequency 3.5 khz
You can use the above to give each part of your dubstep mix its own space. This allows the listener to hear each sound clearly without making it sound confusing. Use a careful EQ to create space for each part, you can do this by cutting the frequencies of other instruments around the sound you are trying to space (the most effective way) or by increasing the frequencies of the part in question. Using frequency cuts is better because the human brain will consider a sound to sound more natural when using a cutoff. This is due to what happens in the real world, sounds are absorbed by different materials (such as wood and concrete), which causes the elimination of certain frequencies. Therefore, by increasing the EQ, the brain will not be used to it, as a cut will sound perfectly expected. A good trick if you don’t want to boost one frequency is to cut all other frequencies in addition to the one you want to boost and then turn up the entire volume. As a general rule of thumb, a 1DB boost equals a 3DB cut.
Here are the frequency ranges and associated attributes, increasing / decreasing the EQ to a part of these frequencies will improve or decrease the attribute:
Weight: – 20 Hz – 150 Hz
Hot: 220 Hz – 380 Hz
Muddyness: 250 Hz – 400 Hz
Hit / Punch: 600 Hz – 1 kHz
Definition / bite: 1khz – 2khz
Clarity: 4khz – 7.5khz
Air and shine: 7.5khz – 20khz
If you are not familiar with the above, take a few days to learn it by putting it into practice. Get a dubstep mix that you have made but are not satisfied with and try to separate everything so that each part can be heard clearly.
Power tip: don’t go crazy with the EQ, use the volume first, then if you have to use an EQ, cut around 2 / 6db, if you finally need to boost, never go over 6db of boost until you’ve done at least 100 mixes and is very confident with EQ.
The main reason people get it wrong is that they see the EQ as a ‘sonic sculpting’ tool. Which can be, but in small amounts. Try to avoid this to begin with. If you ever get a chance to see a professional engineer’s desk after a mix, you will see that there are many subtle cuts and some well-placed enhancements. Not drastic, big urges everywhere like most people do when they start out, including me and probably everyone, sometime! Always remember that if you cut one end of the frequency spectrum comparatively, you increase the other end.
Power Tip: As a general rule of thumb, use wide, soft bracing to draw subtle attention to a part and narrow surgical cuts to eliminate problem frequencies.