So how can i make those punchy kicks and SNARES sound like BILLAIN,AEPH,SPOR,MAZTEK ???
please can u guys tell me more about this kind of production style ?
is it posible to do that just on pc without any hardware ?
any tips?
yup layers. ensure youre working with good samples prior to that. if a break feels tinny a whole lot can be done by layering it with drum machine sounds
sample choice is evrything, really important that u get some high quality one shots to work with in the first place
layering and finding sounds that work well together is key as well
finally eq - powerful tool to bring out certain frequencies that will give ur kicks n snares more impact (kicks normally around 80 - 110hz and snares around 150 - 200hz)
Another powerful tool for punchy drums is you amplitude envelopes.
If you are using redrum, DONT
use the NN-XT. You can have much more control over your sounds.
Once you have a nice sound running with layers---> select all your kick or snare layers------>
Push the Decay up to the max---->
Pull the sustain down to zero---->
Then slowly lower the decay untill you get a short sharp click or thud---->
The slowly start bringing up the sustain up to bring the body back into the sound.
Then you should have a much more tight, punchy drum sound where all the layers are working as one.
Takes a bit of practice but works a charm once you get it.
Also for compression.
A good way to make a good start for settings.
Apply compressor to your kick or snare----->
Set the ratio anywhere from 3:1 - 6:1 ------>
Set the Attack to as fast as possible and the release as slow as possible---->
Then pull the threshold down until you are triggering around -6dB of gain reduction------>
Then with you eyes closed, slowly increase the attack time until you hear the initial transient start to come through and give you a nice thud/click.
The reason i say with your eyes closed is so that you are working with what your ears are telling you not your eyes!----->
The release time then can be set where you like really as setting this can really change the feel of every thing. I find a good start for a main kick or snare is some where around 350ms which is a quarter of a bar at 174bpm. But if you've got busy kicks or snares you are going to want a quicker time ------>
Anyway, once you got a decent attack and release time you like, then play with the threshold and ratio to set the amount of compression to your own taste/need----->
Now you might have realised that your kick or snare is now sounding quieter, that because you are taking volume away, so what you want to do is look at the gain reduction meter. find out how much gain reduction there is there and then increase the output of the compressor to match the amount----->
Now your kick or snare should be a similar volume as to before, and from here you can listen to it with the conmpressor on or off to see if what you done helps---->
If you dont like, reset and try again------->
Keep doing this until you really get a feel for what it happening in the compressor and feel really comfortable with it. It will soon click into place.
It's all about layering your hits, layering your breaks and layering hits on top of your breaks. There's lots of information about layering kicks & snares on this forum already. Do a search and you'll find lots of useful info.
I agree with Ketz too, choosing your samples wisely is also important. Try to use the highest quality possible. You can always degrade but can never uprade the quality of a sample.
Use effects - overdrive, distortion, saturation (sparingly - don't over do it) to give your beats some crunch.
Use compression and EQ. This has been explained already. Again loads of info here on both of these.
Also with Redrum & NNXT you can send your individual outs into EQs and compressors and process hits individually. Then use the line mixer to create sub mixes and apply send effects (ie reverb & delay) from there. I usually group my drums in a combinator patch.
Also with Redrum & NNXT you can send your individual outs into EQs and compressors and process hits individually. Then use the line mixer to create sub mixes and apply send effects (ie reverb & delay) from there. I usually group my drums in a combinator patch.
I've changed my way of working recently and i now only use one nn-xt for my whole drums.
Wish i had done it sooner, so much easier having all my drums in one clip on the sequencer.
Easy editing and it saves on the scrolling up and down !
No doubt its better to get the best sound before you compress, but if you have a punch sound pre compression then a little compression can then take you that one level higher.
Also with Redrum & NNXT you can send your individual outs into EQs and compressors and process hits individually. Then use the line mixer to create sub mixes and apply send effects (ie reverb & delay) from there. I usually group my drums in a combinator patch.
I've changed my way of working recently and i now only use one nn-xt for my whole drums.
Wish i had done it sooner, so much easier having all my drums in one clip on the sequencer.
Easy editing and it saves on the scrolling up and down !
my god I remember that tune you sent me where every single hit was an nnxt
it was IMPOSSIBLE to work with
It wouldnt even play cause of the cpu overload on my old comp.
nice one jimmy
compression is definately a powerful tool once u know how to use it, i personally don't use it toooo much on my one shots for fear of ruining my beats, i do use it on snares more than kicks tho to bring the "snap" out of em
ok might as well go thru the way i do my kicks n snares (and by no means disagreeing with anyone elses methods - everyone has their own little ways of acheiving the same / similar end effect)
Kicks:
Normally I use 2 main layers as I mentioned earlier, when it comes to layering breaks afterwards i either hi pass them, cut the low end or simply remove the kicks and/or snares from the breaks. i find 1 kick with a lot of low end, something quite "boomy" - boost around 80hz (say about 4 - 6db). 2nd kick i find a nice punchy sound that will really cut thru the mix (its just about knowing what qualities ur looking for in each sound), boost around the 500hz mark by the same, now depending on the sample i may take some low end out of this layer if its clashing with the lower kick, i also find the punchy layer can be a good way of getting ur kick heard without turning the lower layer up too much (can help save space in ur low end). again things like an extra hat layered with ur kick can give it even more definition
Snares:
Again 2 layers normally, one will be a nice low type snare with a lot of "body" - boost around 150hz by 4 - 6db (all the eqin really depends on the sounds that ur workin with so varies) so it really crunches thru, possibly cut some hi out of this layer. 2nd layer a nice hi "snappy" type sound with some compression to bring the snap out more
The reason i try to keep 2 layers for each is to try keep things simple, the more layers u have the harder it can become to mix down in the end
With both as jimmy mentioned pay attention to the amp envelope settings, some sounds need to be shortened so they don't sound too messy, also certain sounds have a play with the pitch if they don't sound right as they are
I think once u've found sounds that work well together, its always an idea to resample these shots (all layers together ie ur new hybrid kick or snare) and use em again in future tunes, processed differently, guaranteed way of building up a bank of good sounds that will help u avoid sifting thru 000s of sounds that all sound shite lol
The shit that helped me the most with drum layering bizzinizz over the years are the youtube videos from Mistabishi Producer masterclass (do watch all four of them)...
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