What is the best way to get a clean low end with a sub oscillator in synth bass?

[Penelope42]

I’ve been trying to get a more consistent low end on my synth bass patches, but when I add a sub oscillator it just turns into a muddy mess in the mix. I’m not sure if I should be high-passing the main oscillator more aggressively or if the issue is with the phase relationship between the two.

[KennethXP]

I tried this last year and hit a muddy mess once I added a sub. The turning point was letting the sub own the low end and letting the main tail off with the filter. I usually cut the main around 80 Hz to 100 Hz and then notch away a bit of 120–180 Hz from the main so they don’t fight. Also keeping the main’s envelope gentle helps stop it from re-triggering with every note.

[SavannahPB]

I fiddled with phase and a touch of detune between the two oscillators. In patches that sounded hollow, flipping one oscillator’s phase by a degree or two or nudging it a few cents often cleared up some of the muddiness. It’s not guaranteed, but a tiny phase tweak can change the interaction a lot.

[Stella_W]

Are you sure the problem is phase or filter, or might something else in the chain be making the low end messy? Sometimes master bus compression or room reflections masquerade as a bad bass patch?

[Jack_R]

Honestly, I’ve chased this for a while and ended up stepping away from a patch for a day and coming back with a different approach. I tried a little gentle saturation on the sub path and a separate light LPF on the main to isolate the mud. It isn’t perfectly consistent, but a small nudge here or there can make the bottom feel cleaner for a spell.