Mixing with a subwoofer

[TheAquired]

Hi all,
So I have a pair of TASCAM VL-A5 monitors. (are they any good? They dont have much on the internet about them) but I have recently hooked up a bass speaker to my setup.

I am using a scarlett 2i2 recording interface, so the only way to do this was to use the headphone output to go to my subwoofer. Is it a good idea to use my sub to mix with? The tascams are quite shy on the bass, but my biggest concern is that I can control the volume of the bass speaker independently, so I dont know if my mix is good or not. I hear people say they mix with subwoofers, but how do you know how true the mix is then?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[Ethan Winer]

how do you know how true the mix is then?

You need to calibrate the subwoofer to the main speakers. That's done by measuring your room's response:

Room Measuring Primer

Anything less is just guessing.

--Ethan

 

[bouldersoundguy]

Regardless of the type of speakers you need accurate sound at the listening position.

Testing is the "best" option, but a trained ear and a lot of auditioning can get you a long way toward the goal. Testing may be more precise but even that takes a lot of knowledge to sift useful information from the data.

You've identified one variable, volume, but then there's also polarity and phase. On top of that is the interaction between the room, placement of the sub and the listening position. Even with the right measurement gear it can be hard to unravel the source of a measured problem. This may be why mixing with a sub is often not recommended.

 

[TheAquired]

Alright, thank you everyone for your responses. I'll mix without it, and just use it for listening and checking my mix. Thanks!