Dan Braunstein mixes "Bend" by Volumes and shows how sidechain compression carves out space for a punchy kick.
He routes the kick into FabFilter Pro-C 2 on the bass track, starting with extreme gain reduction before dialing back to a more natural 3 to 6 dB. That subtle duck lets the bass breathe while the kick cuts through cleanly on every hit.
Braunstein then tackles the overlap between kick and bass with FabFilter Pro-Q 3. Since both instruments share most of their frequency range, he has to choose who owns the sub and who owns the low mids.
He tests both directions and settles on the kick taking the sub frequencies, giving the bass room for harmonic content instead. The result is a low end that stays punchy without turning muddy.