How to EQ 808s and Kicks for a Clean Low End

By HOPEX · Updated July 2026

Muddy low end is the #1 reason beats sound amateur. The fix is deciding who owns which frequencies — then enforcing it.

Step 1: pick a sub owner

Below ~60 Hz there's room for one instrument. In 808-driven genres, the 808 owns the sub and the kick becomes a punchy click above it. In house/techno, the kick owns the sub and the bass sits higher.

Step 2: complementary cuts

808 owns sub: high-pass the kick around 50–60 Hz; boost its beater click ~2–4 kHz so it cuts through.
Kick owns sub: high-pass the bass around 80–100 Hz.
Cut 200–400 Hz gently on both — that's where mud lives.
High-pass everything else (melodies, vocals, FX) at 100–150 Hz. Half your headroom returns instantly.

Step 3: glue with sidechain

Duck the 808 2–4 dB when the kick hits (three ways here). They stop stacking, the low end stops pumping randomly.

Step 4: mono below 120 Hz

Stereo width in the sub falls apart on club systems and phones. Use a stereo-imaging plugin to collapse lows to mono.

Step 5: reality checks

Test on laptop speakers (can you still sense the 808 via its harmonics?), then loud on headphones (does anything boom?). And tune the 808 to the key first — check the key here — because no EQ fixes an out-of-key sub.

Tune the 808 before you EQ it →Find any sample's key free — the low end will thank you.

Frequently asked questions

Should the kick or 808 be louder?

In trap/drill the 808 usually leads with the kick clicking through above it; in house/techno the kick leads. Either way, one of them owns the sub — not both.

What frequencies should I cut on an 808?

Gently cut 200–400 Hz mud, high-pass a hair below its fundamental to remove rumble, and add saturation so it reads on small speakers.

Why does my low end sound muddy?

Usually: kick and 808 overlapping in the sub, nothing high-passed, and 200–400 Hz buildup across many tracks. Assign the sub to one instrument and high-pass the rest.