Character of the mix
Drum and bass: 170–176 BPM, fast breakbeats (often based on sampled breaks like the Amen or the Think), deep sub bass, and a mid bass (reese, growl, neuro) that carries the character. The snare is very loud and well defined on beats 2 and 4 of the bar (two-step groove: kick on 1 and on the “and” of 3, snare on 2 and 4). Subcategories change the sound: liquid (soft, harmonic), neurofunk (aggressive basses, very technical), jump-up (simple, loud basses), dancefloor/rollers.
Typical balance
| Element | Level relative to the mix |
|---|---|
| Snare | −5/−7 LU (star of the drums) |
| Kick | −7/−9 LU |
| Sub bass | −6/−8 LU |
| Mid bass (reese/neuro) | −6/−9 LU |
| Breaks and top loops | −10/−14 LU |
| Vocals (liquid, jump-up) | −5/−7 LU |
Bass split into bands
The main rule of modern DnB: the bass is built in two or three separate parts:
- Sub (below 80–120 Hz): sine or close to it, mono, constant level, light saturation for audibility.
- Mid bass (100 Hz–8 kHz): reese (two detuned saws), multiband distortion, modulated filters, OTT, wide and aggressive; HP at 100–150 Hz and mono below 200–300 Hz.
- Optional top: noise or distortion above 5 kHz for grit.
The two branches must be phase-aligned and mixed on a bass bus with light compression or a clipper. Sidechained from the kick and snare (2–6 dB) to let the drums through.
EQ
- Snare: body 180–250 Hz, crack 3–5 kHz, noise/clap layer for the tail; HP 100–150 Hz.
- Kick: punch 60–100 Hz, click 3–6 kHz; HP 30 Hz. The DnB kick is short so it doesn't clash with the sub.
- Breaks: HP 200–400 Hz (the break's kick is replaced or supported by a clean kick), EQ for brightness and ghost notes.
- Mid bass: dynamic or static cuts at 2–4 kHz if it covers the vocals; control resonances with a suppressor.
Dynamics
- Heavily compressed and clipped drums: sharp transients but high density (drum bus 3–6 dB, clipper 2–4 dB).
- Parallel compression on the breaks.
- Mid bass: OTT/upward compression, multiband, clipper.
- Master with decisive clipping and a limiter; loudness among the highest in electronic music.
Space and stereo image
- Sub, kick, snare mono and centered.
- Mid bass wide above 300 Hz.
- Wide pads and atmospheres in the breakdowns (liquid); short reverbs on the drums so they don't clog at 174 BPM.
Reference loudness
Master −7/−5 LUFS (neurofunk and dancefloor up to −4); liquid −9/−7 LUFS. True peak −1/−0.3 dBTP. Low crest factor (5–7 dB).
Reference tracks
Pendulum “Watercolour”, Chase & Status “Blind Faith”, Wilkinson “Afterglow” (dancefloor/liquid), Noisia “Stigma” (neurofunk), Sub Focus “Air Raid”, Netsky “Rio”.
Common mistakes
- A single bass doing both sub and mid: impossible to control the low end.
- Stereo mid bass in the lows: loss of power in mono.
- Long reverbs on the drums: at 174 BPM the groove gets muddy.
- Weak snare: the genre loses its drive.
Starting settings
| Parameter | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Snare | −5/−7 LU from the mix | Drive of the genre. |
| Sub | Below 80–120 Hz, mono | Controlled low end. |
| Mid bass | HP 100–150 Hz, mono below 200–300 Hz | Separation from the sub. |
| Bass sidechain | 2–6 dB from kick and snare | Clear drums. |
| Drum reverb | Short, 0.3–0.8 s | Defined groove at 174 BPM. |
| Master loudness | −7/−5 LUFS (liquid −9/−7) | Genre level. |
Frequencies to watch
| Range | What to do |
|---|---|
| 30–80 Hz | Sub bass: mono sine, constant level. |
| 60–100 Hz | Punch of the short kick: sidechain the sub from the kick. |
| 180–250 Hz | Snare body. |
| 300 Hz–5 kHz | Mid bass: character, distortion, modulation. |
| 3–5 kHz | Snare crack and kick click. |
Example chain
| Step | Tool | Settings | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drums | Layers + drum bus + clipper | 3–6 dB + 2–4 dB | Dense transients. |
| Sub | Sine synth → saturation | Mono | Foundation. |
| Mid bass | Synth → multiband distortion → OTT → EQ → suppressor | HP 100–150 Hz | Character. |
| Bass bus | Compression/clipper + sidechain | 1–3 dB | Cohesion. |
| Master | Clipper → limiter | −7/−5 LUFS | Genre loudness. |
How to check the result
- Sub and Bass bands: Side/Mid at −25 dB or lower.
- Master crest factor 5–7 dB (liquid 7–9 dB).
- Upper bass band (120–250 Hz): no higher than the Bass band (risk of mud between the mid bass and the snare).
- Mix correlation +0.2/+0.7; no negative stretches during the drop.
- Drop short-term 3–6 LU above the break.