https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)01535-4

Does low frequency sound (bass) make people dance more?

We tested whether non-auditory low-frequency stimulation would increase audience dancing by turning very-low frequency (VLF) speakers (8–37 Hz) on and off during a live electronic music concert and measuring audience members’ movements using motion-capture. Movement increased when VLFs were present, and because the VLFs were below or near auditory thresholds (and a subsequent experiment suggested they were undetectable), we believe this represents an unconscious effect on behaviour, possibly via vestibular and/or tactile processing.

 

The military uses 4-6hz at directed high amplitude against crowds. It makes you vomit and shit in your pants!

 

Sorry, but im not DRASTICALLY changing the voltage of my song because of a placebo. these low frequencies suck the soul out of your material and the translation will be shitty, because you would only feel the effect with potent subwoofers or hifi speakers. I'm out

 

I think this is only of interest if you own a club with a system to boot.
I don't think the authors intended for music makers to reconsider their low end choices.

 

If you owned a real club with a system, you'd be low cutting what they are talking about to keep people from dancing.

That way they stay at the bar and spend money on drinks.

 

Bcuz lows help people perceive rhythm

 

it could be great actually. it would save a lot of work on the original production. right?

 

Some frequencies can be really bad
i don't know the exact frequency's the only thing i know is that it can change your mood state of mind make u nervous, paranoid, nauseous ,tone deaf ,irritated it can really fuck up your day if you know how to do it
you can littarly torture people with sound
you can treat people with kidney stones by using ultrasound

 

Something else can make people dance : good music with no VLF.
Some guys love to think that we are just pavlov dogs in the end, but we are more than that, much more.

 

Last edited: Nov 12, 2022

So.... essentially you reinvented bass reflex system, good on you.

 

Undetectable??? Have you seen that f-plot?
First they cut at 40hz for their 'no bass' guniea pigs. That's quite high for a club setting.
Then they turn on their undetectable (!) subbass. going from 40hz down to 20hz. (20hz is clearly not 8 hz)
at the same level as the 40hz bass, and that being 10db louder than any other frequency on the spectrum.
So they had 'we have some bass like you're used to get from your stereo' bet against 'now we do have a decent clubbing'.
What a bs journal is that and what "scientist" reviewed that.

 

I didn't look. I low cut everything below 20 as a rule; and even move up off that to, say like 30hz. On every single channel I open an EQ on. You see people put this into their stock DAW EQ as the Default Preset commonly. But another common way is to think about the nature of the source of low end before considering the Q and the Rolloff of the Filter. For instance, you may like to roll off acoustic sounds with a -24dB filter set; and drum machine basses with a -96dB rolloff instead. Brick wall it. Whatever fits. But not preset, because that is forget instead.

The bass you are blasting these people with, It's not undetectable, it is something added by them and/or system when it is reproduced in a club. So what can a producer do to control this scenario? Not look at the link. Play better songs.

 

Last edited: Nov 12, 2022

here's the graph you're totally right

 

No more highpass / lowcut filtering

 

You can actually boost lows by using HPF at a precise frequency. HPF-ing kicks and basses is actually not a bad practice at all if you know what you're doing, have a good quality sub and room, and boost the Q a little as needed.

 

That's actually what I do all the time: resonant highpass with the cutoff frequency set to the fundamental of the kick drum and then increase Q: instant booooom !

 

This is one of those instances where I almost think you can do this "not by ear". It's simple subtractive lpf/hpf for almost all tracks. Don't let me tell you not to stack up resonant stuff, because that can sound pretty interesting. But a lot of people do it on accident. They leave in stuff to make some ringing and all other super common mistakes. Ballpark figures are really almost close enough of most channels. Those frequency ranges should already be relatively empty of information.

 

To torture people you only need Ed Sheeran, not a hi-end costly bass-heavy sound-system.

 

I know nothing about low frequencies and how they react on people, but I can tell you for a fact that club owners want you dancing. Actually, I play gigs all the time and we are required to play continuous sets when people are dancing, 3 to 5 songs in a row because it seems that people dehydrate and buy even more drinks. Besides, they have a good time and drink more anyway.