Balancing the low-end is one of the hardest challenges in any mix or master. This is where so many potentially awesome tracks fail. Too much bass and your track will sound bloated and lack clarity. Not enough bass and your track will sound weak.

BASSROOM is a final mix and mastering EQ that helps beginners and pros nail their low-end in seconds. It does this by delivering exceptional sound quality and suggesting genre-specific EQ adjustments a great audio engineer in a world-class studio would make.

We analysed the best mixes in various genres to give you EQ target presets you can trust. From this starting point, you can tweak your low-end to perfection using the immersive 3D room interface.

Quickstart

 

Unique Features

Unparalleled EQ Quality

BASSROOM gives you unparalleled EQ quality when working with low-frequencies on your master channel. Other EQs can introduce transient ringing and smearing or phase distortion that reduces the quality and clarity of your audio.

BASSROOM has specifically designed filters that have minimal phase distortion AND minimal transient distortion providing greater transparency than standard linear-phase filters at low-frequencies. This means that the low-end is not affected by unwanted phase changes that can alter the timbre of your audio or by transient distortion that means you lose the bite from kicks or bass-lines.

For example, the plots below show the transient effects on a step function when applying a 6dB gain at 240Hz. Think of this as a simplified waveform of a kick drum. It's clear that the output of the filter in Plot 2 has an oscillation before and after the "hit". This is a "ringing" of the transient and can sound like a sucking effect. In Plot 3 BASSROOM’s EQ produces virtually no oscillation and so the transient is preserved.

 

 

Bottom Line: With BASSROOM, you can transparently shape your low-end without compromising the clarity of your mix or master. This translates into retaining punch in the low-mids, and definition in the low-end compared to other EQs. The result is a more natural, clear and defined sound.

Immersive 3D Room Display

Ordinary EQs use a horizontal representation of frequencies and vertical representation of gain. BASSROOM takes a unique approach and focuses more on how we experience audio in the real world. Louder sounds feel closer while quieter sounds feel further away and lower frequencies are associated with a ‘foundation’ whilst higher frequencies are perceived as ‘air. To reflect this, in BASSROOM frequencies are displayed vertically, and gain is represented by depth in the room.

When a band is on the central 0dB line in the middle of the room, there is no gain adjustment. Push frequency bands back in the room to decrease gain, and bring them forward to increase gain. The unique and intuitive UI helps you visualise how you’re adjusting the low-end of your song. This gives you a more immersive mixing experience, helping you connect more with your music.

EQ Targets You Can Trust

The targets on the walls of BASSROOM suggest the genre-specific EQ adjustments a great audio engineer in a world-class studio would make. We analysed the best mixes in various genres to give you EQ target presets you can trust.

This isn’t simple ‘slowed-down’ frequency matching. The targets are a result of a complex algorithm that accurately identifies how the human ear perceives low-frequencies relative to the balance of the whole mix. BASSROOM analyses your mix and displays a target in each frequency band to help you make informed mixing decisions sonically relevant to your audio.

Matching the bands to target suggestions results in a clear and defined low-end that’s well balanced in the context of the whole mix. Use the targets to get a great starting point, then adjust by ear to tweak your low-end to perfection.

Using BASSROOM

Overview

BASSROOM uses complex algorithms that accurately identifies how the human ear perceives low-frequencies relative to the balance of the whole mix. For that reason it should be loaded on your master channel so it can analyse and be applied to your whole mix. (BASSROOM can be inserted on mono or stereo channels, but it’s primary function is as a final mix and mastering EQ).

To get the most value from BASSROOM, start by selecting a preset that best suits the material you’re working on.

Alternatively, you can create your own target values by clicking the target icon in the bottom left corner and importing reference tracks. If you’re creating targets, we recommend clicking and dragging on the waveform to select the drop or chorus for the analysis, as this is usually the material with the best representation of the bass in the track. BASSROOM will create targets based on all the tracks loaded into the analysis window.

Now monitor a bass heavy section of your production (i.e. the drop or chorus), and you’ll see the targets move to the suggested EQ positions based on the tonal balance of your mix compared to the tonal balance of your preset. Use the targets to get a great starting point, then adjust by ear to tweak your low-end to perfection. 

The algorithm accounts for differences in loudness, so the targets will be accurate and relevant whether you’re mixing or mastering.

The EQ adjustments may have changed the overall gain of your audio. If the gain has changed by more than 2dB the speaker icon will turn orange. Hover your mouse over the bypass icon to open the output gain and level match pointer. Match the gain slider to the level match pointer to match the perceived loudness of your audio before it passed through BASSROOM.

 

3D Room Display

Most EQs use a horizontal representation of frequencies and vertical representation of gain. BASSROOM takes a unique approach and focuses more on how we experience audio in the real world. Louder sounds feel closer while quieter sounds feel further away. Frequencies are displayed vertically, and gain is represented by depth in the room. When a band is on the central 0dB line in the middle of the room, there is no gain adjustment. Push frequency bands back in the room to decrease gain, and bring them forward to increase gain. The unique and intuitive UI helps you visualise how you’re adjusting the low-end of your song. This gives you a more immersive mixing experience, helping you  connect more with your music.

 

Targets

The thicker Integrated Target shows the gain adjustment needed to match the tonal balance of your preset. The Integrated Target is based on the total accumulating audio of your track analysed by BASSROOM. The fainter Short-Term Target shows the gain adjustment needed to match the most recently played 3 seconds of your track to the tonal balance of your preset. Aiming for the Integrated Target gets the best results but it’s good to have both readings for a broader perspective. Click the target reset button to clear the analysis. The short-term target can be turned on in the settings. You can set the target calculations to analyze your audio pre or post EQ changes in the settings. 

 

Frequency Bands

BASSROOM has 5 static frequency bands; 0-20Hz, 20-40Hz, 40-80Hz, 80-160Hz, and 160-320Hz.The gain adjustment readout is displayed in dB (decibels) at the top of the box. Click the readout to manually input the gain adjustment. Double click or Alt+Click the band to set it to 0dB.

 

Q Bandwidth Control

The Q Bandwidth control is located at the sides of each band and determines the range of frequencies affected. Drag the Q bandwidth control towards the center of the box for a thinner Q affecting a narrower range of frequencies. Drag the Q bandwidth control  towards to sides of the box for a wider Q affecting a broader range of frequencies. There is no Q bandwidth control on the 0-20Hz band.

 

Solo & Gain Adjustment Bypass

Control + Click on any frequency band to solo that frequency band. Solo is useful when setting the Q bandwidth to get the perfect tone for your audio. Alt/Option + Click when you adjust the Q bandwidth to only solo the band whilst adjusting the Q bandwidth. Control + Option + Click to bypass the gain changes of a band to ensure positive progress.

 

Display Range

The default display range is + - 4dB. The positive display range figure is shown at the base in the center of BASSROOM. The negative display range figure is shown at the back of the room. Click and hold the display range figure to change the range. (+-2dB / +-4dB / +-6dB).

 

Bypass, Output and Level Matching

The speaker icon in the top right corner will bypass BASSROOM when clicked. Hovering over the icon will also open the output slider. EQ adjustments in any plugin will most  likely increase or decrease the volume of your audio. The output slider has a level match pointer to help you adjust the output gain to match the original perceived loudness of your audio before it passed through BASSROOM. If your EQ adjustments change the gain of your audio by more than 2dB the bypass icon will turn orange to prompt you to adjust the output gain. So, when you bypass BASSROOM by clicking the speaker icon, you can confidently determine whether your settings have a positive or negative impact on your sound.

 

Resizing The UI

Click and drag the bottom right corner of BASSROOM to resize the UI.

 

Presets

The BASSROOM presets can be found in the bottom left corner of the plugin. Find the genre or style that best matches the track you’re working on (i.e Pop - Electronic). Feel free to experiment with different presets to see which gives you the tonal balance targets  best suited to your preference.

 

Create Your Own Targets

You can create your own target values by clicking the target icon in the bottom left corner and importing reference tracks. If you’re creating targets, we recommend clicking and dragging on the waveform to select the drop or chorus for the analysis, as this is usually the material with the best representation of the bass in the track. BASSROOM will create targets based on all the tracks loaded into the analysis window. You can analyse up to 20 tracks.

The transport bar below the waveform allows you to preview the audio of your selected reference track. You’ll need to enable input monitoring to audition tracks. Click + Drag to create and adjust loops. Alt + Click on a loop to delete it, Alt + Click outside a loop to delete all loops on that track.

 

Help

System Requirements

BASSROOM is available in VST, VST3, Audio Unit and AAX formats  (64-bit and 32-bit).

MAC OSX Requirements

• OS X 10.8 or higher. 64-bit AU, VST 2/3 or AAX host.

WINDOWS Requirements

• Windows 7, 8 or 10. 32-bit or 64-bit VST 2/3 or 64-bit AAX host.

 

Installation

The BASSROOM installer will identify the bitness of your system and install accordingly. Be sure to install the plugin formats relevant to your DAW.

• AU - Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Cubase, Garage Band, Presonus Studio One and more.
• VST & VST3 - Ableton, Ableton Live, Acid PRO, Cubase, Nuendo, FL Studio and more.
• AAX - Pro Tools

Following successful installation, you will find BASSROOM in the designated third party plugin location in your DAW under ’Mastering The Mix’.

To uninstall BASSROOM on Windows: Go to Control Panel then Programs and Features and locate the BASSROOM program from the list. Double click and follow the on-screen instructions.

To uninstall BASSROOM (AU, VST 2 & 3) on Mac: Delete the file located at...

Macintosh HD / Library / Audio / Plug-Ins / Components or VST or VST3.

To uninstall BASSROOM (AAX) on Mac: Delete the file located at...

Macintosh HD / Library / Application Support / Avid / Audio / Plug-Ins AAX.

Authorisation

After you have purchased you will receive an email with a serial code in this format...

XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

Online Authorisation (Default)

Open BASSROOM in your DAW and click the KEY icon        in the top right hand corner of the plugin wrapper. This will open an authorisation page where you can copy and paste your authorisation key. Click ‘Authorise’, and you’re good to go! You will have two activations per license purchased.

Offline

1. Copy and paste the license code sent to you via email into the box below that says ‘Product Key’. Your license code will have this format: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX.

2. Click 'Generate' to generate your Offline Activation Request XML. This file will be saved to your desktop.

3. Transfer this file to an online computer.

4. Upload the file to our website and you will receive an Activation Response XML file download.

5. Transfer that file onto your offline computer.

6. Click 'Load' then locate your Activation Response XML file to authorise your software offline.

Reseting Your License

You can reset your license yourself by clicking the ‘key’ icon in the top right corner of the software. You’ll see a button that says ‘Deauthorise’. Click that and you’ll be able to use your license on a different machine.

You can remotely deactivate your license if you don't have access to the software. Login to your account, then click “Deactivate 1 activation’ to deactivate your license there.

If you bought your license from one of our licensed resellers then you will have to register your license in your account area first. Login to your account, then enter your license into the ‘Register License’ input box, then click register, and refresh the page. Your licenses may take a couple of seconds to appear.

Interactive Help Tips

You can activate/deactivate ‘Tool Tips’ in the settings. Hover your cursor over a feature to show the tool tip.

Software Updates

You can see if an update is available within the software itself. Just click the (?) icon in the top right corner of the software and you'll see the version number. If an update is available you'll also see a link to download the latest update.

Your Online Account

Purchases made directly from www.MasteringTheMix.com will automatically sync your downloads and licenses to your online account. You can register your licenses bought from our authorized resellers in your account area to give you access to remote license deactivation and the latest installer download links. Click the 'Register Product' tab, enter your license into the box and click submit. You will find your license code and your installer download link listed under 'My products' after refreshing the tab.

Technical Support

If you need help with problems or questions, and this help file does not provide an answer, please visit the Help Center on our web site.

If you have encountered a bug in BASSROOM, first of all, make sure that you are using the latest version of the plug-in. You can see if an update is available within the software itself. Just click the (?) icon in the top right corner of the software and you'll see the version number. If an update is available you'll also see a link to download the latest update. If the bug is still present in the latest version, please send us a support ticket and include as much technical information as possible: operation system and version, host software and version, steps to reproduce the bug, etc.