Coldplay Fix You Multitrack !link!

Listening to the isolated stems of Fix You is a masterclass in arrangement and dynamic range. Here is what stands out when you strip the song down:

In the final chorus, the kick drum and bass guitar play the exact same rhythm. In the multitrack, mute the bass. The kick sounds thin. Mute the kick. The bass sounds muddy. Together, they become one instrument. When mixing your own rock ballads, high-pass the bass at 50Hz and let the kick live at 60Hz. coldplay fix you multitrack

When the full band crashes in, the low end is actually carried by the bass guitar and the low octave of the piano. The kick drum stem shows that they side-chained the kick to the bass, but more importantly, they let the cymbals and the snare roll take priority. By reducing the kick’s prominence, they stopped the mix from getting muddy. The power comes from the mid-range distortion of the guitars and the snare, not the sub-bass. Listening to the isolated stems of Fix You