Kick Drums

[core2]

Samples or software?

I use a combination as I might layer a synth sub with the top of a kick that I like.

Other times I just grab a 909 kick and process the life out of it. If I do that I might use a 3rd party kick as reference and keep comparing the waveforms til Im near to where I want. Usually Im adding a little bit of compression or slight distortion as I go.

Dont know whats right, but just keep going until I am happy. How is everyone else doing theirs?

It is an area that I am always unsure about. Is it possible to make a good kick with just one sample, providing its the right sample?

What do you eq? I think I like the sound of a dip around the 200hz mark and maybe some more aroun 500hz, cos it tightens it up a bit. doesnt clash with other shit in the track either.

[Mslwte]

At the moment I'm using the mbase11. Ill sample it and but not layer it. I add a litlle bit of ny compression and then distortion on my drum group. I'm happy with this procedure at the mo. I can tweak the mbase and get the kick I want from the start instead of flicking through samples.

I'm not a fan of layering kicks anymore. I used to spend far to much time doing it lol.

There isn't any right or wrong way of doing it in my opinion. Just what ever works for you

[sam]

I've been going through a software stage for the last while now, so sines or or filtered saws or squares with a small fast pitch drop and other modulations, sometimes run through an fx chain with saturation and limiting.

I've been going for a particular style of kick recently and basically any filtered kick will do it as long as it has a nice thud rather than a knock or click

[Críoch]

I'm using Microtonic.

I only use light compression, just to make it pop out slightly, cos any more, i find the oomph evaporates + it'l start 2 distort with more comp on the master.

Thats more a fault on my part though, so thats why i try to keep it clean. I like MT cos it changes slightly over the course. Dont layer cos i've never been happy with the results.

Again another fault.. So needless to say, One Kick is enough for me

[NomadSpectrum]

I'm using the 909 Fat Bloke Kick on the M<aschine as I type - then going to route to audi into live and see what i get

[NomadSpectrum]

http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/ ... ntent=1861

[Críoch]

Well.. I made my 1st kick this evo that I've been happy with.

Used StereotypMonoton's tip:

youtu.be/VwNN6oTGNOI

[sam]

Can you paraphrase the tip from that one please John?

Really at the moment I just make something that goes "thud", check it in headphones and on laptop speakers, then balance everything else around it, but I really want to develop a more refined approach.

[Críoch]

Dont know if its any good or not.. but its cool nonetheless - haha

Basically:

In the arrange page..

Get your low kick on one channel.

Select a clicky or noisy Kick.

Pull back the audio on the 2nd kick (the clicky / noisy one).. til its just the initial noise.

Drop that on top of the Low Kick.. so now you have effectively cut off the attack of the low kick & replaced it with the attack of the 2nd.

The audio automatically has fades in it.

Then - select the 2 pieces of audio that you have on the one channel & consilidate. You might want to lower the volume of the clicky one before you drop it. When you drop that new kick into simpler.. you can shave off a little off the attack to make it less harsh.

I like it cos its quick.. but its given me the confidence to try it a little more now.. so think I'll keep it going. See the potenital for it now. Was listening to some of the kicks in that Mattias Fridell Pack last night.. really cool.

[Lost to the Void]

I use anything at the moment.
Synth generated or sampled.
I`m trying to use unconventional sound sources as much as possible at the moment to inject something different to the sound.
Doors slamming, chest freezers slamming, hitting a large mattress with a baseball bat (i kid you not).

The real trickery is compressing it nicely afterwards. The attack and release are the most important settings here, they really can change the characteristic, the punch, the snap.
That and some good EQ.

[helloitsmeagain]

I been focusing on kicks for the last few days, trying to delve deep into them and create a pool of samples for myself. i was getting really depressed with my lack of success with it and then while doing, i accidentally stumbled onto something... I sent the kick to a return track with a compressor on it and dropped a EQ on the return. 1 pole high pass, shaving off the bottom 100 and ...BOOM! both the original stem and return together, i got punch.

[Patriek]

After i got my maschine, i got lazy when it comes to kicks. Used to layer/compress/reverb the shizzle out of it. But the trick in the youtube movie with the bassline etc, is very nice. So much to do now

[sam]

I been focusing on kicks for the last few days, trying to delve deep into them and create a pool of samples for myself. i was getting really depressed with my lack of success with it and then while doing, i accidentally stumbled onto something... I sent the kick to a return track with a compressor on it and dropped a EQ on the return. 1 pole high pass, shaving off the bottom 100 and ...BOOM! both the original stem and return together, i got punch.

hey mate, that sounds really interesting, have you got an example we can listen to?

[NomadSpectrum]

I been focusing on kicks for the last few days, trying to delve deep into them and create a pool of samples for myself. i was getting really depressed with my lack of success with it and then while doing, i accidentally stumbled onto something... I sent the kick to a return track with a compressor on it and dropped a EQ on the return. 1 pole high pass, shaving off the bottom 100 and ...BOOM! both the original stem and return together, i got punch.

hey mate, that sounds really interesting, have you got an example we can listen to?

Or even a vid

[Mslwte]

lol

[helloitsmeagain]

hmm, wait off. i have another option.

drop a verb independently onto each portion of the kick (body, bass, attack) then, using a low and a high pass sculpt them each. compress the unified outcome.

[Lost to the Void]

Why would you place a reverb on 3 separated parts of the kick drum? surely you want the kick to sound like it is all coming from the same source and therefore use one reverb for the whole thing?

Whilst parallel compression on full drums is nice, for techno, on kick drums, I feel it leads to a slightly overly dynamic sound.
Which kicks you want more bam rather than massive dynamic, I generaly find it is better to just really tune your compression well.
Pay careful attention to the attack phase of the compression as well as the release.
The attack phase makes a lot of difference to how the kick sounds and can dramatically effect the punch.

[helloitsmeagain]

Why would you place a reverb on 3 separated parts of the kick drum? surely you want the kick to sound like it is all coming from the same source and therefore use one reverb for the whole thing?

actually i'm not sure that's the sound i want. i know it's not techno but try Blawan's - Getting Me Down or Rodriguez Jr. - Bare. These tracks have made me consider alternative takes on a what a drum can be. honestly i'm relatively new to production so i'm experimenting. I wanna do my own thing, so I leave myself room to do "bad things". who can say where it'll lead me... i'll learn, if nothing else.

[Mattias]

Just make sure the verb isn't killing the kick, cut the low and high so it blends in smoothly. If possible make the bottom end of the verb mono.

[Lost to the Void]

Why would you place a reverb on 3 separated parts of the kick drum? surely you want the kick to sound like it is all coming from the same source and therefore use one reverb for the whole thing?

actually i'm not sure that's the sound i want. i know it's not techno but try Blawan's - Getting Me Down or Rodriguez Jr. - Bare. These tracks have made me consider alternative takes on a what a drum can be. honestly i'm relatively new to production so i'm experimenting. I wanna do my own thing, so I leave myself room to do "bad things". who can say where it'll lead me... i'll learn, if nothing else.

3 reverbs on a kick is completely unecessary to emulate the blawan sound.
you just need a spring or roomy reverb set with a short decey so there isn`t too much overlap, roll off the highs on the reverb then post compress the reverb so it sticks to the kick.
Maybe run some lo-fi sat on it.