Codwaves BassXtend Adds Psychoacoustic Bass to Small Speakers
Codwaves has released BassXtend, a new psychoacoustic bass enhancement plugin. It helps low-frequency content translate to phones, laptops, earbuds, and other playback systems that cannot reproduce deep bass effectively.
Instead of simply boosting the low end, BassXtend generates a tuned series of harmonics above a user-defined crossover frequency. These harmonics preserve information about the original bass notes. As a result, the ear can perceptually reconstruct low-frequency content that may be missing on smaller speakers.
How BassXtend Works
The generated harmonics are derived from the bass already present in the source. BassXtend does not generate additional sub-bass below the selected crossover. This approach keeps the low end clean while improving perceived depth on limited playback systems.
The plugin is designed for 808s, synth bass, bass guitar, kicks, drum groups, and other sources where low-end translation is important. It is available in VST3, AU, and AAX formats.
Compatibility and Price
BassXtend supports major DAWs on both macOS and Windows. The plugin is available for $9.99.
For music producers working on tracks with heavy low-end content, BassXtend offers a practical solution for mix translation. It is especially useful for beatmakers and electronic music producers who want their bass to cut through laptop speakers and earbuds.
Pros
- Generates harmonics to preserve bass note information
- Helps low-end translate to phones, laptops, and earbuds
- Available in VST3, AU, and AAX formats
Cons
- Does not generate additional sub-bass below the crossover
- Limited to sources where low-end translation is important
More info: Codwaves | BassXtend
