How to Mix 808s So They Hit on Every Speaker
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Mixing 808s · Meshplugins.com
Your 808 sounds huge in headphones and vanishes on a phone? Here's how to mix it so it hits everywhere.
Related: free 808 and bass plugins, how to make a trap beat and the 10 best free plugins.
1. Tune it to the key — step zero
A pitched-wrong 808 sounds off no matter what you do in the mix. Fix this first.
2. Saturate for phones — add harmonics
Distortion adds upper harmonics so small speakers 'hear' bass they can't actually reproduce.
3. Keep the low end mono — translate
Make everything below ~120 Hz mono so the 808 stays solid in clubs and on phones.
4. Sidechain to the kick — both hit
Duck the 808 a hair when the kick lands so neither cancels the other out.
5. Carve an EQ pocket — kick vs 808
Give the kick and 808 their own frequency lanes so they stack instead of fight.
FAQ
Why are my 808s muddy?
Too much overlap with the kick, no mono low end, and no saturation. Fix those three.
How loud should the 808 be?
Loud and upfront, but controlled against the kick so both punch.
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