808 sub

About this sample

This 808 sub bass is built on a sine wave that starts at 180 Hz and quickly drops to 43.65 Hz (F1) using an exponential pitch envelope, creating a distinctive thump. The amplitude envelope features a very fast 2 ms attack and an exponential decay to simulate natural drum vibrations without clicks. Harmonic saturation via tanh distortion adds midrange presence, while a 500 Hz low-pass Butterworth filter smooths the sound and keeps it warm. The 2-second, stereo dual-mono sample is normalized to -3 dB for a clean, punchy output.

It fits well in hip-hop, trap, and electronic genres, especially at tempos that allow a 2-second sub bass to sit naturally. Use it as a foundational low-end layer, pairing with higher bass elements or drums for clarity. Watch for excessive low-end buildup in mixes and consider gentle EQ or sidechain compression to keep it tight.