Specifications

Pro Tools Reference Guide506
Bass Management
Bass management is a function of the playback
system. Bass management refers to a number of
processes by which a playback system can con-
trol what will be heard through the Sub(woofer)
and other channels. The purpose of bass man-
agement is to optimize low frequency reproduc-
tion and overall frequency response for your
specific monitoring system. Bass management
provides a way to tune bass response for vari-
ables, including room size and shape, the pres-
ence (or absence) of a subwoofer, and the fre-
quency range of each speaker.
Filtering
In its simplest form, bass management applies
high-pass filtering to the full-range speakers.
Frequencies below the filter cutoff are summed
with the LFE channel (if present) and then
routed to the subwoofer. Different systems may
offer additional bass management processes, in-
cluding:
Bass Redirection Mutes or unmutes the low-fre-
quency signals filtered out of the full-range
channels (all signals that fall below the bass
management filter cutoff frequency). This is
useful when the full-range speakers are truly
full-range, capable of accurately reproducing
bass without distorting.
Bass Extension Allows the bass (however it is de-
rived) to be routed back through the full-range
speakers. Though this may seem like a contra-
diction, its main purpose is to let sub content
emanate from all around, rather than only from
the subwoofer.