making kicks

[steevio]

if its about experimenting and learning, than its always good. even if you learn that way is bad.

absolutely

[NoAffiliation]

my goto process for kicks (i use microtonic but anything that makes sine waves will work, samples would work also but the synth makes it easier to make it perfect)

kick consists of two sine waves...

first sine is the deep low tuned to root note of track, i use a high amount of pitch envelope and medium to fast rate to generate the weight in the low mid area, decay is timed relative to the tracks bpm. the kick will have alot of punch at this point but way too much click and low mid.

second sine tuned a few steps up and same process of heavy pitch envelope and rate.

after this i low pass filter the deep sine and hi pass the second sine until i find settings where the sound gels and sounds like a single hit. this is where the heavy pitch envelope works in your favor because it eliminates the need for a 3rd sample to give the kick it's body as the harmonics are already present from the modulation.

after the sound is there i usually automate the pitch envelope slightly on the higher layer to give different subtle snaps as the kick plays over time. kind of similar to an analog kick where it would hit slightly different every time.

i do this same process on my elektron md with trx bd1 and bd2 layered using the filter section the same way

[NoAffiliation]

When I make kicks, I usually make them way too snappy and with too much high end. Then, when I use them in a track, filter to taste. Every tune has a different requirement, so the filtering can make one kick work in a number of situations.

+1

[simonb]

Seems like some of you are the opposite of me, I often find I make or use deep bassy kicks then find they don't really cut through the mix!

I tend to either use my Machinedrum or samples for kicks. I don't use layering much, I confess I've probably not spent enough time experimenting with it but I often just like to use one sound.

Kick drum threads on dance music forums never fail to get people talking... some wise words here about kicks in isolation vs kicks in the context of a tune, anyway.

[AK]

Seems like some of you are the opposite of me, I often find I make or use deep bassy kicks then find they don't really cut through the mix!

I tend to either use my Machinedrum or samples for kicks. I don't use layering much, I confess I've probably not spent enough time experimenting with it but I often just like to use one sound.

Kick drum threads on dance music forums never fail to get people talking... some wise words here about kicks in isolation vs kicks in the context of a tune, anyway.

I think it's worth trying out every idea that seems interesting to see what gets you the best results. People obviously have different tastes, I was just reading the other day on GS about TR-909 kickdrum processing and TR-909 owners saying how they were disappointed with the 909 kick 'out the box' and applied a ton of processing to get it to sound good, then on here, you'll often hear how it might be used with no compression at all and as it is out the box. Very different views on kicks it seems. I much prefer short decays on kicks - things feel tighter to me that way but for me, the attack part of the kick is where its at. I always end up fiddling around with it in some form and can never settle on which tweak is best.

[steevio]

Seems like some of you are the opposite of me, I often find I make or use deep bassy kicks then find they don't really cut through the mix!

I tend to either use my Machinedrum or samples for kicks. I don't use layering much, I confess I've probably not spent enough time experimenting with it but I often just like to use one sound.

Kick drum threads on dance music forums never fail to get people talking... some wise words here about kicks in isolation vs kicks in the context of a tune, anyway.

I think it's worth trying out every idea that seems interesting to see what gets you the best results. People obviously have different tastes, I was just reading the other day on GS about TR-909 kickdrum processing and TR-909 owners saying how they were disappointed with the 909 kick 'out the box' and applied a ton of processing to get it to sound good, then on here, you'll often hear how it might be used with no compression at all and as it is out the box. Very different views on kicks it seems. I much prefer short decays on kicks - things feel tighter to me that way but for me, the attack part of the kick is where its at. I always end up fiddling around with it in some form and can never settle on which tweak is best.

the 909 kick works totally out of the box, i've never had to compress or EQ a 909, but i do enjoy overdriving it thru a mixer sometimes (not always)
so many good tunes over the years are just a straight 909 kick, so i personally think thats bollox, why would it get such a reputation as the perfect dance music kick, and be the basis for almost all modern incarnations and clones if it was sh!t out of the box.

earbud generation nonsense

[AK]

I'm just saying what I read on Gearslutz, I've only ever used samples of the 909 kick, never owned the machine, just found it interesting how peoples opinions differ greatly. From the likes of yourself who like it right out the box to what I was reading here: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/electron ... ssing.html

[steevio]

i totally realised it was what you read bro, all i'm saying is the evidence doesnt add up, for every GS disbeleiver theres 10,000 tunes that have rocked dancefloors since the 1980s, ok there's plenty that will have been processed to some extent, but shitloads that havent. the sound of the 909 kick pretty much built house and techno music.