Stacking drum samples (less refined than layering)

[Aureliano]

For a while I've been 'stacking' my drum samples, which is probably just my term for lazy layering. For example, instead of finding or creating a click, knock, and boom for a snare, I'll just find 12 snares and drag them into my Drum Rack and then I'll fill in my midi roll so that all snares play at the same time. Then I'll mute them all, and one by one I'll unmute and listen to them in combination to find a sound that I like.

It sounds dreadfully amateur but I can create some really nice, subtle timbral changes by slightly editing the velocities of each sample over 32 bars: imagine a snare hit comprising of 6 samples sounding a bit different each time.
I've found it works best with snares, hats and claps, with kicks it's less audible although I stack them too. I run my drum buses through compressors/saturators/reverbs to glue the sounds together.

Anyway, the main purpose for writing is to ask: is there anything fundamentally wrong with my approach?

Some other questions that I've thought about:
- To what extent should the transients be tight? Regardless of genre and sounds, should the kicks be perfectly tight? How would it sound on a big system if they weren't?
- What happens when we hear 6 kicks at the same time? Is it just an increase in db?

Ultimately I think this will all end up being a subjective thing; 'do what you think sounds right'; 'no rules' etc, but I have a feeling there's an angle on this topic that I'm not educated about yet.

[winston]

that's what i do with my drum samples too, putting fx on each of them and adjusting each sample to build one new combined sample. i don't go adjust each hit though, i would bounce it to a new sample and then make adjustments to that, but i can see that your approach gives a much larger scope for sound differences.

perhaps with kick drums one needs to be more careful because of phasing issues if one sample works to cancel out others, but i don't know.

[Planar]

The risk is you lose power through phase cancellation, but I think thats mainly a concern with lower end elements, imo. So you could probably get the same or better results with 2 or 3 well chosen samples edited correctly. So many samples for a single one-shot is a bit like throwing shit at a wall and hoping some of it sticks. I would definitely try and ensure it doesn't fuck up your transient too much. However, I like the idea of changing the velocities per layer over time.

But... if it sounds OK, it is Ok. Etc etc.

[Dattington]

Not sure there's anything really wrong per se: if it works go for it. Be careful of smearing transients though, and phase issues as mentioned above.

Re velocity: in your sampler try modulating the pitch ever so slightly using velocity (and well as velocity modulating sample volume) and it adds another really subliminal effect to your drums. Done right you won't notice it too much, turn it off and the loop will sound really flat.

Also, (this sounds really basic but this was a total 'aha!' moment when I saw someone do this for the first time) if you want to thicken a sample but don't want to use another layer just play the sample over a couple of octaves in the same plugin. e.g C2 and C1 or something. You can get your drums sounding pretty heavy really easily.

[Merah]

Anyway, the main purpose for writing is to ask: is there anything fundamentally wrong with my approach?.

Time consuming.

[kertikristof]

Like previously said, if it works, go for it. Sometimes I just go along with experimental sessions where I layer the shit out of samples. The thing about phase cancellation is a true sound manipulating concern. But if it sounds good, it sounds good. Remember this approach along your way in music writing. Such small but cool ideas like playing with some of the layered elements velocity is just great! And along the way they could be forgotten while you achieve better or other results with new/other approaches. So basically nothing wrong. I would consider if it's worth it. Does that effect make a cool impact or just something which fulfills your soul with satisfaction

[gedda]

I personally go transient hunting through my samples to get snap or midish-lowish range shwonk when layering for kicks.

I was reading old posts and Mattias was talking about how he uses phase EQ to layer.

so uh...can you get in hear and give us tips? .