Either the kick or the bass can own the low end of a mix, but you have to choose, and the choice is made with a surprisingly small EQ move. Boosting the bass guitar around 50 Hz tends to fuse kick and bass into one big thump while leaving the kick audible. Boosting the same bass at 80 or 100 Hz usually makes the bass take over and the kick disappear. The difference is often just 2 dB.
The 50 / 80 / 100 Hz test
On Dr. Dog's "Fat Dog," Matt Ross-Spang demonstrates the fastest way to settle the low end: play the mix (not the soloed bass) and click a 2 dB bass boost between 50, 80 and 100 Hz, listening only to the relationship between kick and bass.
His conclusions on that song:
- At 50 Hz, kick and bass hit as one when they land together, and each still keeps its own space. This is what he chose.
- At 80 and 100 Hz, the bass swallowed the kick. Same boost amount, completely different record.
There is no universally correct answer. The point is that you audition the relationship, in context, and pick deliberately.
Why you should not EQ bass soloed
Matt is candid about not trusting big solo-bass EQ moves. Boosting a bass guitar's low end in solo often sounds great until you notice certain notes blooming louder than others in the mix. His rule: any low-end decision on the bass gets made while listening to the bass with the drums, and with any other low instruments (a synth bass, a Moog) in the picture.
The rest of his bass chain, briefly
The "Fat Dog" bass is a simple chain with a clear logic:
- LA-2A doing almost nothing: half a dB to 1 dB of gain reduction. Just enough to make the finger pluck feel bigger.
- EQ after the compressor, so the tone moves do not change how the LA-2A reacts: +3 dB at 3 kHz for pick clarity, a small cut at 500 Hz, the 50 Hz decision from above.
- A re-amped parallel through a small Peavey amp, aligned back against the DI. This "Peavey parallel" adds definition that makes the bass line readable on a phone or laptop speaker, where the 50 Hz fundamental does not exist at all.
Small speakers are the real test
That last point matters for every mix: whoever owns the low end also needs a midrange voice, because most listeners will never hear 50 Hz. Saturation, an amp parallel, or a gentle boost around 700 Hz to 3 kHz is what carries the bass on earbuds.
FAQ
Should kick and bass be EQed to different frequencies?
Usually yes. Carving a home for each (for example kick at 60 Hz, bass at 100 Hz, or the reverse) prevents masking. The demo above is how you decide which one gets which.
How much gain reduction should a bass compressor do?
Less than you think. On "Fat Dog" the LA-2A moves 0.5 to 1 dB. If you can hear the compressor working, it is doing a different job than glue.
Why does my bass disappear on small speakers?
Because its energy is all below what small drivers reproduce. Add midrange harmonics with saturation or a parallel amp track rather than more low end.
This demo is one small moment in the new Inside the Mix series, where Matt Ross-Spang deconstructs his whole Dr. Dog "Fat Dog" mix at Southern Grooves.
