How to make kicks and snares 'punchier'?

[dublerium]

http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=229302

Give this thread a look, Jack sparrows thread on transient shaping and some info from ruckspin too.

[XxMcBrennanxX]

Arranging a track such that the drums have more rhythmic space will make them seem more intense and present, too.

What are you using for the reese?

[Artie_Fufkin]

Emphasize the transient? Shape the the lowest frequencies into a transient?

[Trichome]

imo arrangement, bass sounds, and atmospheres mean nothing unless everything is equed and mixed together well.
if the drums are punching through the mix, you can make them sound punchy without doing any of this shit

[TheWallOfSacrifice]

Ny compression + 200hz boosting + transient shaper, pretty basic

[Aufnahmewindwuschel]

there is really no end to what you can do to your drums

to get them punchier i guess all is said ,sidechain ,find the right eq spots, ny compression ,transient shaper ,find the right samples ,layering ,arrengment is important too some people say slightly compress your drum bus?! too so its glued together

yeah snare would be around 200 hertz

bassdrum is more of a decision if you wanna put it on top of the sub so 80 hertz plus or sidechain so you can go low like 40- 60 hertz

some white noise is used often too and some slightly reverb to give it a little room feeling

[elyhess]

Layering and compression and ofc eq

[james369]

Layer, elements from high frequency to low direction...eg for attack and click something metallic, for body something mid rangey eg a percussion , for tail something suby eg 808 synth or a synth note...and make sure they all in the same key but on different octaves...iris can map samples on their key space, the rest is you just slide them on different octaves where they compliment each other according to the frequency range, check out this site for reference http://www.facebook.com/pages/Istanbul- ... 9134850529

[BYTEME]

Get a deep clicky kick that hits around 56-220 hz, boost where it hit the most in the low end by 2.0 decibals, boost all above 18,000 hz, by 0.6 decibals, then shorten the kick drum sample preferably. That's how my kicks are. I love them to be minimal. Then I raise the volume so the kick hits -6 decibals. Sometimes pan it 2-16% to the left or right.
And make the kick volicities variate VERY LITTLE to where it's ALMOST unnoticable. Usually raise the first kick by 0.6 db, lower the 2nd kick by -0.2 db, then lower the 4th kick by -0.4 db, keep the 3rd kick where it's originally at.

You MAY add reverb or delay but only to the high-ends, otherwise you'll get muddy mids and sloppy ends.

[Samuel_L_Damnson]

sloppy ends.

But in all seriousness why are you boosting at 18Khz on a kick?

[BYTEME]

I like to make them sound snappy and like their 'sticky'. It could just be my sound drivers or headphones. I really don't know. It sounds very nice to me.

[Artie_Fufkin]

a small thin boost at 4kHz-18kHz kinda gets that Metallica/Pantera/clicky metal kick drum sound if your sample has some of that trebley attack sound.

[Trichome]

I like to make them sound snappy and like their 'sticky'. It could just be my sound drivers or headphones. I really don't know. It sounds very nice to me.

same with me, only problem is it makes them sound shit at low volumes
i did it with the track in my sig

[Samuel_L_Damnson]

I dont think you should be boosting "everything above 18khz" on a kick drum. I usually cut everything above 18khz haha. That region is more suited for hi hats ect but it still often makes them a pit sharp and harsh if you boost it too much i think.

[BYTEME]

I like to make them sound snappy and like their 'sticky'. It could just be my sound drivers or headphones. I really don't know. It sounds very nice to me.

same with me, only problem is it makes them sound shit at low volumes
i did it with the track in my sig

I think those are great drums, especially that snare.. I'm in love with that snare.. The way it just sounds a drum being hit in the rain, or with sand on the drum... x}

[Neuro Fiend]

Half the time I find pitching it up a few semitones helps put the punch in the right place, but I do prefer the higher pitched techy sounding snares.

Sometimes I will also distort and limit the lower mids round the area of the punch to give it some meat but leave the top end clean so the transients still sound clear. I don't layer too often, only to add character or snap, and I would typically use an acoustic snare for these layers from an old (or new) break.

For the EQ I usually cut the lows and boost anywhere between 1kHz - 6kHz, sometimes you will find the snares which cut through the mix do so not by being punchy but by having solid mid range. This is where most of the 'thwack!' lies.

[MORZ42]

imo arrangement, bass sounds, and atmospheres mean nothing unless everything is equed and mixed together well.
if the drums are punching through the mix, you can make them sound punchy without doing any of this shit

True that. Too many times I notice with my mixes that the kicks sound good by themselves, but awful in the mix itself. You gotta watch for the mud. Make sure you routinely clean everything out, otherwise some power for the kick will be lost.

[Arvis]

1. Make sure everything else is not as loud as drums
2. Sidechain with peak controller, everytime kick is played, reduce volume for everything else
3. Add Maximus plugin (comes with FL) to kicks / snares
4. In EQ slightly boost kicks at around 100Hz and Snares around 200Hz

I hope some of this works well for you

[Trichome]

I like to make them sound snappy and like their 'sticky'. It could just be my sound drivers or headphones. I really don't know. It sounds very nice to me.

same with me, only problem is it makes them sound shit at low volumes
i did it with the track in my sig

I think those are great drums, especially that snare.. I'm in love with that snare.. The way it just sounds a drum being hit in the rain, or with sand on the drum... x}

commonly known as a clap

but thanks man

[Krinj]

Good samples, light distortion, layering, modest compression, everything in moderation, you can have a heavy fucking kick, but if it's heavy purely because it's too loud then it's not heavy, it's loud, don't be like me and turn everything up because you're deaf as all hell. Loud is something mastering and a volume knob should be in charge of. It rests a lot a lot of sample choice and wise EQ and layering decisions, and most of all trust your ears, I've been using the same snare for years because it's a good sample, it's progressively sounded different because I've learned more about production, it works for me, maybe not everyone else. secondly, don't focus as much on production as writing effective music, the rest will come, as EDM producers we write EFFECTIVE music, sometimes musicality is forsaken a little bit, but oft that is forgiven on the basis that it is still an effective track.