The mix sounded great at your desk. Then you played it in the car and the bass was either missing or huge. Car speakers are part of it, but often the problem started in your room.
How your room fools you
Your room makes a few bass notes louder where you sit. When a bass line hits one of those notes, it sounds too loud, so you turn it down. In the car, that note is no longer exaggerated, and the bass sounds thin.
The opposite happens too. If your room swallows a note, you boost it, and the car booms.
Is it your room or your car?
Play your mix on three or four other systems: headphones, earbuds, a friend's speakers, the car.
- Same problem everywhere: It's your mix, and most likely your room caused it.
- Only in the car: Cars have their own boom. Don't chase one system.
Then play a reference track you like in your room. If its bass sounds too loud at your desk, your room is exaggerating something.
Find the note
Play a slow bass sweep at your desk and listen for the note that suddenly jumps out. The free Room Bass Test does this in your browser. The Frequency to Note tool tells you which musical note it is, so you know which bass notes in your song to watch.
Fix it at the source
Moving your monitors or chair can shift the boom. The Monitor Placement tool helps you find a better spot.
If a note still booms, Unboom finds it and gently turns just that part down in your music and video apps. Your room stops lying to you about that note, so you stop mixing around it. It never boosts, and you can flip it off to compare.
Other reasons mixes don't travel
Not every car problem is the room. Also check:
- Very low sub bass that small speakers can't play.
- A mix that's too loud or too squashed.
- Stereo effects that disappear when you sit off to one side.
FAQ
Should I mix for the car?
No. Aim for a mix that sounds good on many systems. The car is one check among several.
Why does it sound fine on headphones?
Headphones don't play into your room, so the room can't exaggerate anything. That's a strong sign your room is the problem.