Tape Op's Jeremy Wurst added not just one but two Core Subs to his Core 59 monitoring setup to put the really low end to the test...
"Setting up the Core Sub was simple. There is a Bass Extension switch on the back of each Core 59 speaker that gets flipped from Full to HP. Then I chained the digital outs from the back of my converters to all speakers. The Core Subs can also be used in tandem with analog outputs, but the digital outputs worked better with the converters and monitor controller in my rig.
(...) I should mention, before this review, I don’t usually incorporate a sub in my day-to-day mixing. I’ve tried some budget subs before, but the extra boom always felt more like an ego boost and wasn’t detailed enough for me to appreciate what was going on in the deep low end. Needless to say, I was curious if this 100 pound, quad-driver, monster sub would change my mind.
Color me surprised! The Core Sub produces plenty of wall trembling boom, but also generates an especially musical low end. I spent a good bit of time the first few days using the Band Solo mode in Fab Filter Pro-Q3 [#132] in conjunction with the sub to solo out deep low end frequencies and listen to how they were helping or hurting the source audio. Simply being able to differentiate the total mud from the helpful moving low end while using the sub has become an invaluable asset in my workflow.
(...) Being able to listen and feel with the Core Sub, then reshape the low end of a problematic bass amp became a trend on numerous mixes throughout my time mixing with this subwoofer. Previous to mixing with these subs, I’ve noticed I tend to use “preset filters” on guitars and room mics when I’m mixing to clear up space in those areas. I’ve stopped doing that since adding the subs to the mix.
(...) Again, when using the sub to gauge the difference between the grossness and the beef, pulling the filter back even a little bit to the 70 to 75 Hz area retained of that low end thickness I was missing (and trying to add back in later). I ran into a similar situation when mixing synths in a big rock production – you don’t realize how much sub information a simple stereo synth pad patch might have. Those frequencies can cloud up other important instruments that are living in your L/R fields.
(...) being able to hear the low end spectrum of my mixes while using that information in tandem with some of my favorite mixing tools, has allowed me to be more in control. It made having a sub in my room feel less like a gimmick, and more like a tool. The only problem now is that when my mixes sound bad, I can’t blame my speakers! The Dynaudio Core Sub is an excellent (and fitting) addition to the Core speaker system."
