How to Mix 808 and Kick in Trap (No Muddy Low End)

The kick and the 808 fight over the same low frequencies. If you don't plan for that, your trap beat sounds muddy on big speakers and thin on phones. This guide covers the five fixes producers use most to get a kick and 808 that hit together without masking each other.

1. Pick a Kick and 808 That Fit

Most mixing problems start at sound selection. A long, boomy kick on top of a long, boomy 808 will always clash. Pair a short, clicky kick with a long 808, or a heavier kick with a shorter, punchier 808. Tune the 808 to the key of the beat, and if your kick has a clear pitch, make sure it doesn't clash with the 808's root note. Some 808s already have the punch built in. BLACK TAR 808s includes "Spinz & Punch" 808s that have a real kick on the hit before the 808 rings out, plus clean subs and distorted 808s for different arrangements. Want more ideas for picking and processing 808s? Read How to Make Rage 808s in FL Studio.

2. Sidechain the 808 to the Kick

Sidechain compression is the classic fix. Every time the kick hits, the 808 ducks for a few milliseconds, which gives the kick its own space. In FL Studio, send the kick's mixer track to the 808's track as a sidechain, then put Fruity Limiter in compressor mode on the 808 and set the sidechain input. Keep the release short so the 808 comes back fast and still sounds full. TrapWin Sidechain Setups gives you eight Fruity Limiter presets, including 808 Duck Tight and 808 Duck Pump, plus a step-by-step routing guide. It works with stock FL Studio 21 or newer.

3. Use a Volume Shaper

A volume shaper does the same job as sidechain compression, but you draw the ducking curve instead of setting it with compressor controls. That gives you more predictable results, especially on 808s with long tails. PUMP KING can trigger from tempo sync, MIDI notes, or an audio sidechain from your kick. It has ready-made shapes like Classic Duck and 808 Space, and a band split so you can duck only the lows.

4. Shape the Transients

Sometimes the kick isn't buried. It just has no attack. Boosting the attack on the kick helps it punch through the 808, and cutting the sustain shortens its tail so it stops ringing into the bass. You can also tighten an 808 by reducing its sustain. SNAP is a transient shaper with Attack and Sustain controls and presets for Kick, 808 and Drum Bus.

5. Saturate the 808, Keep the Sub Clean

An 808 that's mostly sub disappears on laptop and phone speakers, so it's tempting to turn it up until it swallows the kick. Saturation is the better fix. It adds harmonics in the low mids so the 808 can be heard at lower volume, and the kick keeps more room. Multiband saturation lets you add grit above the sub while the fundamental stays clean. HEAT has a LOW KEEP option for exactly this, plus 808 presets.

Quick Checklist

• Pick a kick and 808 with different lengths and tune the 808 to the key.
• Duck the 808 under the kick with sidechain compression or a volume shaper.
• Add attack to the kick and trim the tails.
• Saturate the 808 above the sub so it translates to small speakers.
• Check the low end in mono and at low volume.

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