Make A Big Fat Kick?!

[Augment]

Quick question related to layering kicks. I have heard alot about tuning the kick to the key of the track or another note within the key/scale but when layering kicks do you tune each layer or just retune the kick as a whole after its bounced? What is the best way to go about doing this, if at all (using Logic). thx.

I've sure you've heard this alot of times, but, whatever sounds best.

[bigdaveo11]

haha yah I have but it is always good to keep that in mind and be reminded of it because in the end that is what matters.

I guess I was just looking for more opinions on what other people tend to do rather than a "right" or "wrong" method. And if I were to go about tuning what methods are effective for doing so, not exactly which key/note is correct since that will vary track by track.

I guess to determine the key the best way would be to see where the peaks are in a spectrum analyzer and what note the correspond too. when Loading my sample I would map it to the corresponding key and use the transpose button to retune?

[Augment]

If I want to tune my drums, I load them into Edison to find out what note it's hitting, then I tune it to my key.

[Filthzilla]

"Club Kicks"

Deffo Club Kicks. They're always dope.

holy shiiiiiit the drums in "Atlantis" are incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
any tips for getting your kicks so punchy?

Haha thanks buddy.

People are on the right lines here. It's all about the club kick.

I would even go as far as to say have a look in a few Gabber sample packs at the club kicks in there.
They're always beasty.

Edit: Just not the distorted kicks.. Hell no!

[killkisaragi]

Im pretty sure everyone covered all the techniques for getting a big fat kick... but you could also go the other way.

If you listen to Pendulum (drum and bass band, totally dope), they have an interesting tactic I employ all the time.

Get a nice punchy kick with a lot of mid/high end. Now, load an EQ and completely cut off the sub bass area. Then, load another EQ and boost it so that the kick is very clicky. Go to your basslines and cut all the areas you boosted your kick so it punches through (Im a big fan of subtractive EQ), and then with everything else in the track, cut the sub bass range completely off. Then make a sine wave sub bass, make sure it covers the entire sub bass frequency (usually takes two octaves) and then cut everything in its EQ except the sub bass freqs, so there isnt any overlap. This way you can get basslines with lots and lots of definition in the bass-mid bass area, get a nice punchy kick and have car-blasting sub basses.

Make sure you cutoff any super super deep freqs on your sub bass to save headroom (Wherever you cutoff when you pre-master or mix it is good. Some people say 20 htz, some people say 30. It depends on your habit.)

If you take a track by Pendulum and lowpass it so you can only hear the sub bass, it has zero kick interference and lots of pure sine basses. And really, they have FAT basslines.

Yeah, this didnt answer your question, but its kind of an alternative. Its also geared toward more classic drum and bass, rather than dubstep, so this may or might not be a good idea.

Now to make your kicks big and fat... Well, first do everything else everyone else said (layer two well EQed kicks, saturate them, compress them), but then do an EQ sweep and find the real sweet spots, where the big 808 bass hits and where the real punch is, and possibly where it clicks in the high end. Boost these frequencies (might be a good idea to do this before the compression). Now, you have a big punchy fat kick right? Now here is the thing you need to do: make it cut through the mix. Take your basslines and violently subtract these frequencies from them with an EQ so that the kick really stands out in those areas (dont cut them completely, or your bass will sound thin, but do them liberally). Then take your percussion, like your snares, toms, hihats. EQ them all so they have no bass frequencies that are interfering with your kick and your basslines. Do the same with all your instruments, so that the kick has a real place in the mix.

Now you have your kick that stands out in the mix. If it is overpowering your bassline now, try bringing down the frequencies where your bassline is really hitting.

I am a huge fan of subtractive EQing... I find that when I take away frequencies, I can stuff way more power into a mix. You may have to layer more tracks though to make everything have a bigger frequency range before you cut, just to make sure that they arent thin. You want them big and bold in their spectrum, not thin and wimpy

I'd say basically the same thing.

[Augment]

Instead of cutting the freqs from the bass, like forever, you can make those freqs duck when the kick hits.