Focus or Sub Anchor: harmonics or more low end?

Focus moves Lava’s added harmonics between low weight and upper presence. Sub Anchor adds more of the low end that’s already in your bass. It doesn’t create a sub-octave. Pick Focus when the bass is hard to hear, Sub Anchor when it needs more weight.

Updated 7 November 2026 · S9 Audio

If the bass is hard to hear but the mix already has plenty of low end, more Sub Anchor usually makes it worse. Try Focus first, and listen with the kick.

For S9 Lava 0.1.3.

S9 Lava’s volcano, Heat, Focus, Sub Anchor, Bite, Mix and Output controls
The real S9 Lava interface. Open full size.

Step by step

  1. Listen in context

    Play the bass with the kick and main parts. Does it need clarity or weight?

  2. Try Focus

    Move Focus with Sub Anchor left alone. Listen to where the added character sits.

  3. Try a little Sub Anchor

    Go back to your starting point and add a little Sub Anchor. The added bass is centred in the stereo image. Watch your meters.

  4. Leave headroom

    Lower Output or Sub Anchor if the next plug-in is being hit too hard.

Good to know

Check high and low notes

Play the lowest and highest notes of the part. A setting that works on one long note may need less Sub Anchor elsewhere.

It can’t add missing notes

Sub Anchor boosts low end that’s already there. If the note you need isn’t in the source, it can’t create it.

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Sources