Kickdrum EQ'ing

[jessejames]

Typically I will do the "low end trick" with my Pultec Pro as the first shaping eq. So the "boost" and "attenuation" at 60 CPS, mixed to taste. This will thump the bottom and carve out the mid section.
A resonant shelf, if you will. Then typically some type of small boost in the upper range anywhere from 2k to 5k.

After this I'll have a precision eq (Sonalksis) to roll off low end usually with 2pole LF and a bump around 120ish. Then possibly some more mid carving in between 200-800 depending on what the bass is doing. Then rolling off the top with 1pole.

[Barfunkel]

What sorts of eq settings are people using on their kicks? Is there anything typically you do to your kicks?

I don't do anything, I just try to synthesize the kick the way I like it.

[simonb]

What sorts of eq settings are people using on their kicks? Is there anything typically you do to your kicks?

Whatever suits the specific drum.

One thing I've recently found useful is cutting some of the low-mids, around 200-400 Hz, can reduce overall muddiness and make it a bit tighter.

Might boost the lows around the kick's main frequency if I want a bit more "boom", or the high-mids/highs if I want more "click".

As with everything else in music though, it works some times and not others.

This is all at the mixing stage that I'm talking about - needless to say I'll already have tried to get it sounding as close as possible to what I want at the composing/sound design stage i.e. on my drum machine.

This EQing isn't the difference between a crap kick and a great kick though, the EQing is just icing on the cake/fitting it into the mix.

[deccard]

This EQing isn't the difference between a crap kick and a great kick though, the EQing is just icing on the cake/fitting it into the mix.

+1

[hydrogen]

i've recorded it and then used eq's to make it sound better. i normally use those plugin's,i love the d16s, but i made this on the moog and find it a great kick, it only doesn't sound that good in my room and i was hoping anyone could give me advice on eq'ing/compression.

I'm all for experimental kicks But... If it's such a great kick... Why are you having problems with it? No amount of eq and compression can save a bad sound source. I would try to synthesize to make it "better". Especially if you are having to do extreme cuts and gains on EQ to save/resculpt it.

[::BLM::]

What sorts of eq settings are people using on their kicks? Is there anything typically you do to your kicks?

I don't do anything, I just try to synthesize the kick the way I like it.

Yeah I'm the same. I have never really done any eqing or compression, but I was speaking to someone I really rate and they said to me its all in the EQ so it got me thinking.

[MarcAshken]

im not always right tho ben

[Ingemar]

i'm one of those who tries to touch the kick as little as possible, no more eq:ing than I have to to make it work with the bass, and absolutely no compression. In my opinion compression on the low end bits is a major no no in general. But each and everyone to their own I guess