Frequency in psytrance: a practical map of the mix

Every sound in your track takes up space somewhere in the frequency spectrum. Psytrance packs a lot into that space: a heavy kick, a rolling bass, busy percussion, leads, effects and atmospheres. Knowing which element lives where is the basis of a clear, powerful mix. Here is a practical map.

The frequency ranges

A rough division that most producers work with:

• Sub-bass (20–60 Hz): the weight you feel more than hear. The fundamental of the kick and the sub of the bass sit here.
• Bass (60–250 Hz): the body of kick and bass and much of the groove.
• Mids (250 Hz–2 kHz): most melodic and harmonic content: leads, pads, the character of synths.
• High mids (2–4 kHz): presence and bite. The ear is very sensitive here.
• Highs (4 kHz and up): hi-hats, air, brightness and the fine detail of effects.

The borders are not fixed, but thinking in these bands helps you decide which sound gets priority where.

The low end: kick and bass

In psytrance the low end is where the energy comes from, and it is also where mixes most often go wrong. Kick and bass share the same range, so they have to take turns: the bass plays between the kicks, and the kick tail and bass notes should not overlap. Sidechain or volume shaping on the bass where the kick hits helps keep the two apart.

Everything else should stay out of their way. Put a high-pass filter on pads, leads, percussion and effects to remove low end they don’t need. Each of these sounds may add only a little rumble, but together they muddy the mix. Keep the sub in mono so it translates on big systems.

Mids and highs

The mids carry the melodic and harmonic content, so this is where sounds most often mask each other. If a lead disappears behind a pad, cut a little of the pad where the lead is strongest instead of just turning the lead up. Giving each sound its own small area of the spectrum works better than making everything loud.

The high mids and highs add clarity and brightness, but too much of them quickly becomes tiring, especially over a long track at high volume. A gentle high shelf, a de-esser or a dynamic EQ can tame harsh hats and resonant leads without making them dull. Reverb and delay in the highs add a sense of space and air.

Tools for seeing and controlling frequencies

A spectrum analyzer shows you where the energy in your mix is and helps you spot clashes your ears might miss, especially in the low end if your room or headphones are not reliable there. Use it to check, not to mix by eye.

Multiband compression lets you control the dynamics of one frequency band without touching the others, for example to keep the low mids of a bass even while leaving its top free. FM synthesis, where one oscillator modulates the frequency of another, is a common way to create the complex, metallic and harmonically rich textures heard in a lot of psytrance. Changing the modulation amount and ratio changes the harmonics a lot, so small moves go a long way.

Stereo width can also help separate sounds: elements spread across the stereo field leave more room in the centre for kick, bass and the main lead.

Check against references

Compare your mix at the same loudness with professional psytrance tracks you like. Look at their spectrum and listen to how the low end, mids and highs relate to each other. Take breaks and come back with fresh ears, because after a few hours your perception of balance shifts. Listen on different systems as well: a mix with well-placed frequencies holds up on a club system, on headphones and on a small speaker.