Do You Need A Subwoofer to Mix Music?:

An experienced engineer can track, mix, and master records with very little—a few plug-ins, good converters, and yes, even a pair of headphones. Listen to an episode of The Mastering Show featuring Glenn Schick, an engineer who mastered J Cole’s KOD on a pair of headphones and a mobile rig.

But there is also the sense of wanting more gear, and to this I can attest: in recent years, I’ve expanded my mastering practice, working on projects for artists like Leland Sundries, Morphous, Pete Mancini, and others. Before I made the choice to get a sub, it was always more of a guessing game when it came to low-end. Relentless checks on cars, headphones, the consumer hi-fi, and more were required before sending out the final product.

Which led me to the question of the day: do you need a subwoofer?

After all, many great, inexpensive monitors extend to the lower frequencies. Focal, Avantone, and others have models that go down to 35 Hz and below. Headphones from Sennheiser, Audio-Technica, and Audeze easily reach down that low—some go even lower.

So what can a subwoofer get you that headphones cannot?

7 Tips for Mixing Guitars:

In part one of this four-part series, we focused on the versatility of Neutron 2 for mixing vocals. In part two, we’re using Neutron as an all-in-one dynamics processing tool for guitars. In parts three and four, we’ll be going through tips on using Neutron 2 for bass and drums.

7 Tips for Mixing Bass:

In parts one, two, and three of this four-part series, we focused on using Neutron 2 for mixing vocals, mixing guitars, and mixing drums. Now, it’s time to bring on the bass, which can be a tricky bugger. Too much of it can swallow up the mix, but too little of it leaves a mix lacking power and warmth.

7 Tips for Mixing Drums:

Drums are a vital element in music. They get people moving and they provide a pulse that keeps songs alive. Well, hopefully they do. If they sound weak, the drums might do nothing more than cause disappointment and even death to your production. Don’t let that happen to you!

7 Tips for Mixing Guitars:

In part one of this four-part series, we focused on the versatility of Neutron 2 for mixing vocals. In part two, we’re using Neutron as an all-in-one dynamics processing tool for guitars. In parts three and four, we’ll be going through tips on using Neutron 2 for bass and drums.