# Music with "enhanced" basslines **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 24, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786 "2013-06-24T14:38:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/1 "2013-06-24T14:38:03Z")
Some songs seem to have been offered (or at least performed) in versions with enhanced basslines. The Top Gun Anthem is one example: play the soundtrack-album version, and then play the first few minutes of the movie (both on a system with a decent subwoofer), and you’ll immediately hear the difference. Another one I recall (and the one of interest to me here) is Joe Cocker’s version of “You Can Leave Your Hat On.” The [album version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMTu86K-IhI) doesn’t have much in the way of low bass, but I heard it about 20 years ago in a dance club, and there the bassline (in the 30-50 Hz range) was heavily augmented. I don’t know if it was something the club was doing on the fly, or if they had access to a version of the song not readily available to the general public, but I would like to get my hands on it somehow. Anyone know where I can dig something like that up? ---
**Author:** ![Nom\_de\_Plume](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85f322/32.png) [@Nom\_de\_Plume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nom_de_Plume)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/2 "2013-06-24T14:41:57Z")
It could have been the sub-woofer in the club enhancing the bass. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/3 "2013-06-24T15:05:19Z")
> [@Nom\_de\_Plume](#): > > It could have been the sub-woofer in the club enhancing the bass. I’ve got a subwoofer at home that only goes _up_ to about 50 Hz, and I’ve cranked it way up for the album version of that song. The bass just isn’t there in that version; it doesn’t exist. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/4 "2013-06-25T03:02:15Z")
The secret sauce at clubs is dbx, or dynamic bass extension [subharmonic synthesis.](http://www.dbxpro.com/en-US/product_families/subharmonic-synthesis) ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/5 "2013-06-25T12:29:52Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > The secret sauce at clubs is dbx, or dynamic bass extension [subharmonic synthesis.](http://www.dbxpro.com/en-US/product_families/subharmonic-synthesis) Aha! It all makes sense now. It seemed unlikely to me that recording artists would bother to put out a special low-bass version of any of their songs for such a small market. Very cool! Thanks for the link. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/6 "2013-06-25T12:57:08Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I’ve got a subwoofer at home that only goes _up_ to about 50 Hz, and I’ve cranked it way up for the album version of that song. The bass just isn’t there in that version; it doesn’t exist. I hope that’s not true. Most home subwoofers go up to about 200Hz. Bottom E on a bass guitar is 41.2 Hz so a subbie than only ran to 50 Hz would only work for about 3 frets on that one string. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/7 "2013-06-25T13:38:33Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I hope that’s not true. Most home subwoofers go up to about 200Hz. Bottom E on a bass guitar is 41.2 Hz so a subbie than only ran to 50 Hz would only work for about 3 frets on that one string. There’s more to bass than 41.2 Hz. Pipe organs, earthquakes, and other sources go down to 20 Hz and below, and so does my sub. If you’ve got money to burn, you can even invest in a [rotary subwoofer installation](http://www.rotarywoofer.com/) that will go down to 1 Hz. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/8 "2013-06-25T13:45:57Z")
Well since humans only have an auditory range below 20 Hz in ideal laboratory conditions while they are children, I don’t think I would bother. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/9 "2013-06-25T14:51:08Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I hope that’s not true. Most home subwoofers go up to about 200Hz. Bottom E on a bass guitar is 41.2 Hz so a subbie than only ran to 50 Hz would only work for about 3 frets on that one string. Isn’t there some kind of inverse relationship with speaker cone size and the ability of the cone to move in order to reproduce the frequencies being asked of it (in other words, why subs have larger cones and tweeters are very small)? I know that in car audio the sweet spot for subs in a sealed enclosure is right in that 50-60hz range where they punch the hardest. Every amp I’ve ever used with subs would have an adjustable crossover that I would normally set at about 80-90hz. Anything higher than that causes too much distortion from such a large speaker…which is why I would have dedicated mid-woofers in my car with their own crossover keeping them right in that 100-200hz range to handle those frequencies. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/10 "2013-06-25T15:14:09Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Isn’t there some kind of inverse relationship with speaker cone size and the ability of the cone to move in order to reproduce the frequencies being asked of it (in other words, why subs have larger cones and tweeters are very small)? The short answer is yes, you are correct although the depth of the cone comes into play as well. To the OP, generally there are not separate versions of songs(re-mixes, radio edits etc excepted) available for club use but a movie soundtrack is going to be mastered differently. Artificial sub frequency generation may be used but mostly clubs use powerful subs and DJs turn up the bass. **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/11 "2013-06-25T15:14:09Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Well since humans only have an auditory range below 20 Hz in ideal laboratory conditions while they are children, I don’t think I would bother. You don’t hear it so much as you _feel_ it. My sub isn’t very loud below 20 Hz, but it’s there. I’ve only knowingly heard [one movie that deliberately used it,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12165341&postcount=12) but there have probably been others. I’ve felt infrasound in person [in the tunnels beneath Niagara falls:](http://www.johnbraine.com/words/AcousticPhenomena.pdf) > [@](#): > > Waterfalls also produce infrasound, and many visitors to Niagara Falls have reported feelings of nausea that aren’t related to vertigo. The tunnel geometry makes it a resonator that selects/amplifies extremely low-frequency noise emanating from the falls, resulting in an intense throbbing that flexes your eardrums and pushes on your chest. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/12 "2013-06-26T17:25:40Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > The secret sauce at clubs is dbx, or dynamic bass extension [subharmonic synthesis.](http://www.dbxpro.com/en-US/product_families/subharmonic-synthesis) Is there freeware/shareware/software that will let me do this with WAV or MP3 files? ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/13 "2013-06-26T17:37:30Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Well since humans only have an auditory range below 20 Hz in ideal laboratory conditions while they are children, I don’t think I would bother. > [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > You don’t hear it so much as you _feel_ it. It’s not only that you feel it, it’s how those ultra-low frequencies affect and interact with the frequencies that are audible which enhances the sound. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/14 "2013-06-26T18:26:47Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > It’s not only that you feel it, it’s how those ultra-low frequencies affect and interact with the frequencies that are audible which enhances the sound. Yes. Looking for a demo? Buy [Track #7 from this album,](http://www.amazon.com/Time-Warp-Jerry-Goldsmith/dp/B000003CTH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372270624&sr=8-1&keywords=kunzel+time+warp) “Throne Room & End Title From Star Wars IV: A New Hope.” It’s just 99 cents. The section from 3:15 to 4:15 (particularly after 3:56) has sustained bass notes - pipe organ or synth, not sure - as low as 22 Hz (a low concert F), if you can actually coax your audio system into reproducing that. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/15 "2013-06-26T18:40:23Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Aha! It all makes sense now. It seemed unlikely to me that recording artists would bother to put out a special low-bass version of any of their songs for such a small market. Very cool! Thanks for the link. Not necessarily…it’s a very common practice in mastering (prepping material for release) to print what are called laybacks or stems - that is multiple versions of a final track for different purposes. When I print laybacks of a tune, at a minimum I print the approved master (what the artist/mgt/label signed off on), an instrumental, an acappella. If it’s a dance or club track, I will usually print a ‘club mix’ as well, with significantly more bass in the 35-70 Hz range - designed for the club systems with large sub systems. These club mixes are generally printed with far more information in mono as well - most dance club systems are wired in mono anyway. If I’m printing masters for a label, I’ll often also print a Vox Up and Vox Down as well - with the lead vocal up and down 1.5 dB respectively. It gives the decision makers more flexibility in choosing a final print without making me go back and redo work. (Especially if I’m running through a hardware console or printing masters to tape) In modern DAWs, this is fairly trivial to do. My mastering templates in Pro Tools are already set up with Aux stems to create any or all of the versions, and I simply route the appropriate audio to each. They all print at once. Now it’s less likely that a tune such as the Cocker one had a specific club mix, and it very well could be a sub harmonic generator/LFE - or a sub with a particularly high crossover point that’s boosting the signal. But the main point is that yes, we produce multiple versions of most everything these days, so it’s quite possible. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/16 "2013-06-26T18:45:26Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Is there freeware/shareware/software that will let me do this with WAV or MP3 files? check out [Reaper](http://www.reaper.fm/) - it’s a full fledged DAW but free to try/no nag or disable after trial. Or [Audacity](http://audacity.sourceforge.net/), but I find Reaper is both easier to start with and more intuitive. simply insert an LFE (Low Frequency Exciter) plugin, or use a Lo Shelf filter around say, 40 Hz with a 6 or 12 dB rolloff. I use the [Waves LoAir](http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=9939) plugin, but that’s definitely not a cheap package. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/17 "2013-06-27T01:18:29Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > There’s more to bass than 41.2 Hz. Pipe organs, earthquakes, and other sources go down to 20 Hz and below, and so does my sub. > > If you’ve got money to burn, you can even invest in a [rotary subwoofer installation](http://www.rotarywoofer.com/) that will go down to 1 Hz. Around here, we call that an analog clock. 😛 [Time to pull out the stop on that 128 foot pipe now…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rmsORjN0ws) ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-with-enhanced-basslines/661786/18 "2013-06-27T12:03:58Z")
[QUOTE=Machine Elf] Looking for a demo? Buy [Track #7 from this album,](http://www.amazon.com/Time-Warp-Jerry-Goldsmith/dp/B000003CTH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372270624&sr=8-1&keywords=kunzel+time+warp) “Throne Room & End Title From Star Wars IV: A New Hope.” It’s just 99 cents. The section from 3:15 to 4:15 (particularly after 3:56) has sustained bass notes - pipe organ or synth, not sure - as low as 22 Hz (a low concert F), if you can actually coax your audio system into reproducing that. [/QUOTE] I forgot I had that album. That track is sneaky. At first, I was thinking “sounds nice, but what bass?” But at 3:56, the room just shudders, so it sounds like I did a good job when I reconed my sub. 🆒