I can't hear the low frequencies

[Andii]

I am having trouble with low frequencies. The monitors that I am using are leaving me feeling blind. What sounds great on them will have completely exaggerated low frequencies in my car(my car does well into the 30's) compared to recordings that I use as a reference. I can go back and compensate until the really low frequencies are in the right place, but I really need to do detailed work and not just set the level of the frequencies.

The references I use are Beneath the Massacre's Dystopia and Ion Dissonance's Minus the Herd(I know, but damn if it isn't one of the most amazing sounding albums I've ever heard)

The most obvious solution to the problem is getting a reference sub. I have been looking at some more affordable ones and the entry level JBL is looking the best. I don't have enough money for even that right now thanks to different things happening, but if that is what I have to do i can make it happen at any cost.

I have an album to deliver some time in the near future and I would like to get this issue in order. My clients can't tell the difference between me compensating and making the level comparable to other records and actually fixing the issues I have with the sound, but I can't live with something not living up to my expectations.

I have some ATm40fs headphones that reproduce the frequencies that I need to work on, but the level of those frequencies is way down there in modern recordings because of the loudness everyone is going for. When I play a sine wave that sweeps from 10 and goes on up it's extremely loud starting in the late 20's on my cans. But when listening to reference material or mixing those frequencies are gone even though they're actually there in spades in my car. It's almost like I need a super hyped low end to get the job done.

What are the guys that have everything perfect using?

Is it possible to get a slightly higher end set of cans like the AThm50 and hear what is going on down there? Some people who review those headphones say they offer a similar sound compared to a pair of monitors and a sub, I find that a little difficult to believe. That would be a magnificent break for me if I could spend that small amount of money and solve my problem.

Any help from the knowledgeable is much appreciated. I feel like this issue is nearly the final frontier before I can be satisfied with my recordings as a listener.

Thanks
-andii

 

[String7th]

If you are not using good monitors, have no acoustic treatment, or in a small room, a sub can do much more damage than good. What monitors are you currently using? Are they studio reference monitors or powered computer speakers? They are not the same.

The most common problem with mixes not translating to other speakers are because people are monitoring on systems that color, compress, and do not represent what the mix really sounds like. Computer speakers, home theater stereo and spekers, and non-reference monitors are designed to make audio sound "better" or "louder". Meaning when you export the mix and play on another stereo it will sound completely different, and not better.