How To Use Hi-Pass & Low-Pass Filters To Improve Your Bass

Can using a hi-pass filter improve your bass?

In this video, mixing engineer Dave Pensado explains how to get the most of your bass tracks by using both Hi and Low-pass filters while mixing.

The video is from a series of videos recording and mixing, Pensado’s Place.

11 thoughts on “How To Use Hi-Pass & Low-Pass Filters To Improve Your Bass

  1. That’s a useful tip.

    That process, combined with the idea of how the kick & bass co-habitate in the low frequencies, and dynamic control of low-end can help control a mix.

  2. Would be more useful tutorial if he added a spectrum analyzer to show what we are hearing instead of “now it sounds perfect” which is kind of subjective to taste

  3. I have a ton of respect for this guy’s knowledge and skill, but it breaks my heart to watch him… he always looks and acts like he feels like hell. He seems like a physical train wreck.

  4. interesting… even if i totaly agree this operation to clean the infra… I’m not sure of the pertinence of this hi-cut in a mix. I think we sometimes need details to detach an electric bass in a mix, and the noise of the player on the strings and the frets are often important… but if you just kill it with an hard hi-cut, like in this video…
    it’s a matter of taste…

    1. I think you’d have to hear it in the mix. If the bass part was solo, you’d definitely want those string and fret sounds, but if there’s a lot of other stuff going on, it makes sense to make room for the other stuff.

    2. Agreed. I usually find all that high-end fretty noise adds to the expression of the player. I did say usually which means there are exceptions. I find that I almost never use a low pass on the bass but I do tend to boost ever so slightly that sweet spot which gives the bass life. The sweet spot is not a hard frequency, it depends on the relationship to the whole mix and the bass rig itself.
      Overall, good advise on this vid.

Leave a Reply to Anthony Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *