Infra by Blue Lab Audio: Expand the Horizons of Your Bass
Have you ever encountered a situation where the bass part sounds somewhat “thin” or lacks the necessary power and depth? This is especially relevant when working with certain synthesized sounds or recordings where the fundamental low frequency is weakly expressed. This is where Infra, the powerful bass enhancement plugin from Blue Lab Audio, comes to the rescue.
Infra is designed to give your low frequencies tangible weight and presence, even if the source material doesn’t provide it. It uses a unique combination of psychoacoustic phenomena and the synthesis of additional frequencies to create the illusion of a deeper and more powerful bass, which is felt physically.
How does it work? The Phenomenon of the Phantom Fundamental and Sub-Octave
At the heart of Infra’s magic lies the psychoacoustic phenomenon known as the “phantom fundamental” or “missing fundamental”. Our brain has an amazing ability to “reconstruct” the missing fundamental frequency if it hears its harmonics arranged in a certain way. For example, if you hear the harmonics of 100 Hz (200 Hz, 300 Hz, 400 Hz, etc.), your brain may perceive this as if the 100 Hz frequency itself is present, even if it is not physically in the sound signal.
Infra skillfully adds such harmonics to your sound, which “deceive” the hearing apparatus, making you perceive the presence of a stronger bass frequency, which in reality is not in the original. This creates a sense of a fundamental low note, which adds body and weight to the bassline.
In addition to the phantom fundamental, Infra also synthesizes a sub-octave – a frequency that is an octave lower than the selected phantom frequency. This is a direct way to add ultra-low frequencies that are felt more than heard, and give the mix a seismic foundation, especially effective on large sound systems.
Features and Capabilities
Infra gives the user full control over the bass enhancement process, offering a number of intuitive parameters:
- The ability to select the exact phantom fundamental frequency, allowing you to tailor the effect to a particular bass part and tonality.
- Adjusting the volume of the added phantom harmonics to balance the intensity of the perceived bass.
- Choosing the synthesized sub-octave frequency to add ultra-low “earthquake” components.
- Adjusting the sub-octave volume independently of the phantom fundamental.
- The function of switching the output signal to mono, which is critically important for low frequencies, which usually work better in mono for compatibility and mix stability.
- “Adaptive mode”, which dynamically optimizes the addition of frequencies depending on the input signal for a more natural result. (Details may vary depending on the implementation of the plugin, but the idea of adaptability is key).
- Adjusting the overall output level (Output gain) for fine-tuning the final volume of the processed signal.
These tools allow you to precisely “sculpt” the desired bass sound, adding weight, density, and the feeling of “bottom” that was lacking.
Who is this plugin for?
Infra will be an indispensable tool for musicians, sound engineers, and producers who work in any genre where a strong bass plays a key role – from electronic music (techno, house, drum and bass, hip-hop) to rock, funk, and modern pop music. It will help “save” recordings with weak bass, make synthesized basslines more voluminous and powerful, and also add a professional “club” sound to tracks with deep and tangible lows.
Download Infra today and feel how your bass parts gain new power and depth, transforming your mix!
