mixing Metal Foundry kick drum help.

[logicriffs]

Hey guys, I’ve learning a bit about drum mixing, but always have quite a bit of trouble with S2.0 and Metal Foundry kicks sounding pretty “hard.”
I was wondering if I could get some tips on eq’ing and compressing the kick to make it sound a bit softer, less harsh, and help it cut a little more through the mix.
I’ve uploaded a short sample with a few riffs on my soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/a-different-logic/clip-test-1
I am using the first kick in the metal foundry expansion pack on this clip.

Thanks a bunch for the help!

-A Different Logic- Project coming soon

Topic

[VOLiTiAN]

Hello there,

Just a couple of suggestions, firstly look at the envelopes maybe just reduce the attack marginally to suit, also mix a small amount of snare wire bleed from the kick drum, as for compressors, I’ve always like the crysonic sprectraphy, you tend to want some bottom end, try adding a slope around 45-125hz might help offset the top-end a touch

See what the parallel bus compression is doing, sometimes the kick can hit too hard through there, a bit more clarity from the kick can be found again from the sidechaining of other instruments.

Aside from that have you tried adding a small amount of overdrive or distortion to the kick? On some of the better ones you can run a freq pass and tune in the top end break up to soften the highs and give the kick and more “paddy” feel

Dunno if any of that is of any help…

Regards

D.

www.myspace.com/VOLiTiAN www.soundclick.com/VOLiTiAN www.reverbnation.com/VOLiTiAN www.soundcloud.com/VOLiTiAN

[deonnn]

make sure your release time on the compresor is set fairly quick or you could be holding onto more of the drum sound that you dont want there.

I find the quicker the “attack” the more beater sound you’ll get also, as you slow it, you’ll get more of the drum sound.

You can always notch a bit out eq wise too, but probably not the best option.

[Dingo]

Kick

Ratio 5:1

* Threshold: -10 to -30.
Look at the peak reduction meter, depending what the input gain is you might have to keep pulling the threshold down. I like about -4 to -10db gain reduction.

* Attack 20ms

* Release 0.1ms

As for EQ it all depends on the kick and where it’s natural frequency’s sit. So as a guide line:

* Roll off anything below 42hz

* Boost around 50hz – 80hz for low end punch

* Problem areas are around near 120hz – 250hz (boomy or resonant) 300 – 400hz (boxy or cardboard like) so find the problem and cut it by -4db or – 9db

* 600hz – 1k on some kicks you can get a nice wooden poke by boosting around this area.

* 2k – 6k pay around boosting between these to get a more snappy or clicky sound.

* 8k – 12k for crispness & air.

Regards, Marcus.

[Author]

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