🚀 go-pugleaf

Yes, focusing frequencies for the bass and kick drum, or anything else with low frequency energy, so that they compete as little as possible, will help give each their own identity. In addition to that, using side-chain compression to compress the bassline using the loudness of the kick drum is a trick that can allow the bass to be compressed (allowing louder levels) while the kick goes virtually unaffected. This does not work for all kinds of music. In fact, it will give a pumping effect which is more akin to dance music, but it is an example of how this might be an approach to consider depending on what you're doing. Multi-band compression is another possible consideration. This would allow upper frequencies to pass while adding compression to lower frequencies for better control and/or longer sustain. Those are not necessarily solutions, but may be alternatives to experiment with.