# BassXtend Psychoacoustic bass enhancer that makes low end audible on small speakers. - Canonical URL: https://codwaves.com/bassxtend/ - Publisher: CodWaves (https://codwaves.com/) - Category: Psychoacoustic bass enhancement and bass translation - Plugin formats: VST3, AU, AAX (mono and stereo) - Operating systems: macOS 10.13+ (Apple Silicon & Intel, universal binary), Windows 64-bit - Price: EUR 14.99. Prices are advertised in EUR; checkout displays the equivalent in the local currency. - Trial: Free trial available - Current version: 1.0.2 - User manual (PDF): https://codwaves.com/assets/BassXtend-User-Manual.pdf BassXtend is a psychoacoustic bass enhancer that synthesises a focused harmonic series above a chosen crossover, so kicks, basslines and 808s stay audible on phones, laptops, earbuds and small speakers. Zero latency, loudness-matched, with nothing added below the crossover. ## Problems BassXtend solves - Bass translation: low end that disappears on phones, laptops and earbuds stays perceptible - 808s whose sine-heavy fundamental drops out on small speakers remain identifiable - Basslines keep note definition and rhythm on limited playback systems - Kick weight communicates on small speakers while preserving headroom - Harmonic bass enhancement without adding energy below the crossover and without boosting the sub ## Best for - 808s and synth bass - Bass guitar - Kicks and drum groups - Live and low-latency chains (zero latency, bit-exact across buffer sizes) ## Key features - Focused harmonic series above the crossover, with nothing added below it - Recursive multiplicative generator: partials track the played note - Loudness-matched to the replaced band via ISO 226:2003 equal-loudness contours - Within 1.8 dB of the original band at the calibrated Intensity 0 reference - Low Band In/Out to audition the generated harmonics alone - Zero latency, no oversampling, all-IIR processing - Bit-exact across host buffer sizes and transport resets - Four controls: Root 32-256 Hz, Intensity +/-24 dB, Gain trim, Low Band In/Out ## Compatibility - Formats: VST3, AU, AAX (mono and stereo) - Operating systems: macOS 10.13+ (Apple Silicon & Intel, universal binary), Windows 64-bit - Hosts: Standard VST3, AU and AAX formats, so every major host loads it. - Requirements: Internet for activation (one-click online, or offline licence file for air-gapped machines) ## Licensing - Payments, downloads and plugin access are handled through a CodWaves account. - Licenses allow up to three active activations at a time; activations can be revoked from the account panel. Offline activation via license file is available and permanently binds the license to that device. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is BassXtend a subharmonic generator? No. BassXtend generates harmonics above the crossover you set, and adds nothing below it. It does not create an octave-down sub like a dedicated subharmonic synthesizer. For designed rumble and low-end extension, use Seaquake. ### Is BassXtend just distortion? No. A saturator applies a fixed nonlinearity to the whole signal. BassXtend's recursive generator builds a harmonic series that tracks the played note, synthesised only from the band below the crossover and loudness-matched to it. The result is tuned partials, not waveshaper mush. ### How do I compare it fairly against bypass? At the calibrated Intensity 0 reference, the generated series lands within 1.8 dB of the band it replaces. The plugin is designed not to win by being louder. For tighter comparisons, use the Gain trim (-30...0 dB) to level-match manually. ### Will it make bass audible on every phone? Playback devices vary. BassXtend adds harmonic information in a range small speakers reproduce more effectively, but no plugin can guarantee identical bass perception on every speaker. ### Can I use BassXtend on a master? BassXtend is designed first for sources: 808s, synth bass, bass guitar, kicks and drum groups. If you use it on a bus or master, start with subtle Intensity settings and level-match carefully. ### Where should I put it in the chain? Anywhere. BassXtend is zero-latency, so it's safe in live and tracking chains too. Start on the track after corrective EQ or dynamics for a predictable input. Move it before compression when the generated harmonics should drive the compressor. ### Does BassXtend work if the bass was never recorded? BassXtend synthesises harmonics from the band below the crossover, so it needs usable low-frequency information in the source. It is not sample replacement or a pitch-tracked sub synthesizer. ### How is BassXtend different from Seaquake? Seaquake creates designed rumble and low-end space. BassXtend enhances the perception and translation of bass already present in the signal. ### Can I build this effect with stock plugins? You can approximate the class of effect with filters, nonlinear processing and parallel routing. BassXtend packages it into one focused processor with note-tracking partials, ISO 226 loudness matching and zero latency, repeatable in seconds instead of rebuilt per session. ### Will my existing settings and automation transfer? The four controls keep the ranges and defaults of the plugin this technique is known from, so a parameter set carried across lands in the same place and existing automation curves still mean what they meant. ### Can I activate it offline? Yes. Create a device file on the studio machine, exchange it for an access file on any internet-connected device, and drop that back on the plugin. ### What about mono and stereo? Mono and stereo are both supported, with linked detection and per-channel trim. An input balance is preserved at the output, and anti-phase input produces no generated signal, so your stereo image stays intact. ## Third-party coverage - [Ridiculously HUGE Low End. UNREAL Value. | BassXtend](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLY81ienlfA) by Art1fact (YouTube) ## Related CodWaves plugins - [Seaquake](https://codwaves.com/seaquake/): Seaquake designs rumble and low-end movement; BassXtend helps existing bass translate to small speakers. ## More - Product page (HTML): https://codwaves.com/bassxtend/ - All CodWaves resources for agents: https://codwaves.com/llms.txt - Machine-readable catalog: https://codwaves.com/products.json - Support: https://codwaves.com/support/