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kick drum compression
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j-ryda
Started Topics :
1
Posts :
10
Posted : Aug 13, 2004 20:55
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i would like to hear some tips on bass drum compression. how to make it punchy, kicky and give it that psychedelic flavour? i'm specifically interested in vst plug-ins.
thank you. |
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fuzzikitten
Annunaki
Started Topics :
40
Posts :
603
Posted : Aug 13, 2004 21:32
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I am also interested in this - so far I've only been compressing bass and leads and don't really know how to approach compressing kicks.
Please, share the luv. 
-Alex |
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ZilDoggo
Started Topics :
4
Posts :
663
Posted : Aug 13, 2004 21:45
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you should experiment with pre and post eq.,
(i dont know any rules, just make it sound good )
also, limiting can be better sounding than compression.,.,
greets.,
aka.
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Mike A
Subra
Started Topics :
185
Posts :
3954
Posted : Aug 13, 2004 22:45
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I never had the need to compress kicks.
Maybe that's why my kicks suck so much LOL
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Spindrift
Spindrift
Started Topics :
33
Posts :
1560
Posted : Aug 14, 2004 00:23
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If you get it from a good sample CD it can manytimes be compressed and eq'ed already by decent engineers. As they say "if it ain't broke.."
Otherwise like ZilDoggo said, the setting on the compressor should many times be with a high ratio ie acting as a limiter.
Good software compressor for kicks I think is the sonic timeworks compressorX. Not the easiest to get the right setting on, but you get a good control over the attack of the sound.
A slower attack means generally a more defined attack on the sound, and a slower release a less squashed, but punchier sound.
So if you find a kick a bit to long and not snappy enough you would have a longish attack and release, while a to thin sounding kick can benefit from faster settings.
I use the great flexor modules for the creamware scope platform. The include superior envelopes, so kicks you can make with that stuff won't need compressing if you have the right settings to start with.
Try also using several sounds, layered in different frequency ranges. For example you can use a nice clean punchy software generated kick low-pass filtered at about 180hz, a hard electronic or live kick between 180hz and 1k. Finally try a little bit rattly one for the top. It's a great technique to achive very good control over the characteristics of the sound. |
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Morax
Triac
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
348
Posted : Aug 14, 2004 05:27
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try to use waves c1-sc, you can just pick the
freq you wanna compress and its soooo easy!
other way is to envelope your kick, you can reduce
volume in particular places, just make notches in the
volume envelope and it will sound really different.
eq is always welcome too, it can make a big difference.
cheers |
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WAVELOGIX
Wavelogix
Started Topics :
136
Posts :
1214
Posted : Aug 14, 2004 11:20
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hey triac mate , it would be really nice of u , if u could explain how exactly to go abt using this waves comp - sidechain !
i know how to do good compression on everything ... but now i would like to learn more abt frequecny controlled compression and see how it can help me !
plur ... boom ! |
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Spindrift
Spindrift
Started Topics :
33
Posts :
1560
Posted : Aug 14, 2004 13:44
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A side-chain compressor will actually compress the whole frequency range, but recive it's input to the VCA from an other source. In the C1 that source is the original sound going thru an eq.
Manytimes ppl use a compressor on the bass with the kick as the side-chain input, to avoid clashing and phase problems in the bass frequencies.
I never used it on a kick with a eq in the side chain. Maybe it's possible to get good results doing that, but more as a experiment than standard practice I belive.
On drumloops I use it often to get rid of the kick, while keeping the mid-range more intact than if you would just be using an eq. |
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Morax
Triac
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
348
Posted : Aug 14, 2004 14:43
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hey there
i mensioned the c1-sc mostly for the compressor itself,
not the side-chain, especially for kicks.
about the frequencies, a small tip...
open an equalizer and pick a notch, play with it around
until you find the freq you want to increase.
write you down the freq number and CLOSE
the eq plug.
open the c1-sc, type there the freq you wrote
down from the eq, and just compress it.
(if you want to decrease the volume of a certain
freq, you bettert just eq.)
you can just do it automatically in the compressor,
without the eq stage... just a tip how to start.
about the side-chain, i dont use c1-sc for this much, thu of course you can.
enjoy 
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br0d
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
12
Posts :
355
Posted : Aug 14, 2004 20:18
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If you want more "chock" out your kick, you can increase the attack time on the compressor. You can't really set a short release because bass sounds and short releases do not go well together (linear/intermodulation distortion.)
Bottom line is, no compressor in the world is going to add a tight and timely punch to a bad sample--if the envelope is too slow on a kick sample (it takes too long to get from the attack to the real push of the kick) then the kick is going to interfere with the bassline and generally sound lazy. Typically these kicks are over 250 milliseconds. This is why a lot of people layer kicks, because the typical "self-oscillating filter with pitch mod, static LFO, or pitch shift" method of synthesizing kicks always presents a trade off or catch 22--if the pitch envelope is too fast, then the pitch drops through the bass range too quickly and the sound is not meaty enough...if it falls too slowly, you get enough bass, but it arrives too late. IMO you can still get great kicks out of synths like Virus and Q, but traversing the full frequency range (say, 6kHz down to 20Hz) is always going to take longer than layering a snap over top and setting your cutoff lower.
My 02c  |
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WAVELOGIX
Wavelogix
Started Topics :
136
Posts :
1214
Posted : Aug 14, 2004 21:11
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thanks a lot mate ..... this forum really roxx 
im sure learning a lot frm this forum and now there is no doubt tht my mixes will just get bettter !! |
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Morax
Triac
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
348
Posted : Aug 14, 2004 22:51
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br0d, if the bass sample even dont has the
frequencies you want, you can use pitch changes,
that will change the tuning and the freq too.
than youll have the bass sound you mentioned. |
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Spindrift
Spindrift
Started Topics :
33
Posts :
1560
Posted : Aug 15, 2004 13:52
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Quote:
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On 2004-08-14 22:51, Morax wrote:
br0d, if the bass sample even dont has the
frequencies you want, you can use pitch changes,
that will change the tuning and the freq too.
than youll have the bass sound you mentioned.
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Read brOd's explanation again. He's actually saying something that makes a lot of sense.
Basically that a single synthesized sound can't provide the same punch as several layered sounds.
Thx for that one....like I said, I like also to layer kicks, but never understood it like that. |
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