How to Mix 808 and Kick So They Don't Clash

Your beat sounds fine in your headphones, but on a speaker the low end turns to mush. Chances are your kick and your 808 are getting in each other's way. They both want the low end. Here's how to make them work together.

Why they clash

A kick and an 808 both live down low. When they hit at the same time, they stack up. Your mix gets muddy, your master clips sooner and the punch disappears. So it's not about which sound is best, it's about who gets the space at which moment.

1. Decide who carries the low end

First decide what each one does. In a lot of trap and drill, the 808 carries the low end and the kick mostly gives the hit. In that case, pick a kick with a short, tight attack and not much tail. Want a fat kick instead? Then the 808 can be a bit shorter.

2. Tune your 808 to the key

An 808 is a note, not noise. If it's out of tune with your melody, the low end sounds restless no matter how well you mix. Find the key of your beat, for example with the free Beat Lab, and let the 808 follow the root notes of your chords.

Listen to your kick too. Some kicks have a clear pitch. If it doesn't fit your key, try another kick or tune it a few semitones up or down.

3. Don't let them always hit together

The easiest fix is in your pattern. Does the 808 land at exactly the same moment as the kick? Pick one of the two, or let the 808 start just after the kick. Especially with sliding 808s, it helps to leave the kick out there. How to make those slides is in how to make a drill beat in FL Studio.

4. Sidechain your 808 to the kick

With sidechain compression, the 808 ducks for a split second when the kick hits. Put a compressor on your 808 and use the kick as the sidechain source. Use a fast attack and a short release, so the 808 comes right back after the hit. Listen whether the kick now cuts through without the 808 pumping.

In FL Studio you send the kick to the 808 track as a sidechain through the mixer and use, for example, Fruity Limiter in compressor mode. The full step-by-step is in how to sidechain in FL Studio. In Ableton Live you use the Compressor with Sidechain turned on. Read how to sidechain in Ableton Live. In Logic Pro you pick the kick as the sidechain source at the top of the Compressor.

5. Give each one its own spot with EQ

Listen to where each sound has its power. Often the hit of the kick sits just above the deepest part of the 808. Take a little out of one where the other is strong. Small moves are enough. Always compare with the full beat, not solo.

Want your 808 to come through on phone speakers too? A bit of saturation or distortion adds harmonics. You hear those on small speakers, where the deepest low end drops out. More on the 808 itself in what an 808 is.

6. Check on several speakers

Low end is hard to judge in an untreated room. Listen on your headphones, your phone and in the car. Compare with a reference track in the same style, at the same volume.

Sounds that already fit together

Rather start with kicks and 808s made for trap? The NAME Trap Oneshot Pack Vol. 1 includes 26 808s and 20 kicks, all royalty-free.

Want someone else to finish your track? Check out mixing and mastering.

FAQ

Do I always need to sidechain?

No. If your kick never lands with the 808, or it already sounds tight, you don't need it.

Why can't I hear my 808 on my phone?

Small speakers barely reproduce the deepest low end. With some saturation, your 808 gets harmonics you can hear there.

Does the 808 need to be in the same key as the beat?

Yes. An 808 is a note. Let it follow the root notes of your chords.