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What do you guys think about hard clipping drums?

I've been experimenting with clipping anything past -5 DB and then bouncing it out, maximizing the volume the push it even harder with multiple Maximus in stages, 3db on the kick another 3db on the buss.

I've been told this is a terrible thing to do, but it sounds good.

Correct me if I am wrong but..

Clipping a sampling OUTSIDE of the main mix, bringing it back in and then mixing to a satisfactory volume (i.e not clipping it again) is fine.

Its 100% legitimate way of getting distortion. Same as using a WaveShaper or something like Amplitube just less dynamic.

Taking a look at the waveforms, the snare is pushed hard enough to be a decent approximation of a square wave and stays at a near constant 0db, the kick is less crushed but still close to a square. I'm clipping in the mix bouncing in then clipping the in mix again.

Have you dialled down to some of those brostep 909 drums? They're complete squares.

There is no incorrect way of making music - if it feels right: do it!

I'm pretty sure I'm pushing it harder than brostep drums.

Very common technique in garage, particularly on the hats

There was a thread similar to this before which I posted a fair bit in.

It's one way to get distortion but imo it'd probably be easier just to use a waveshaper/hard distortion/bitcrusher, that way you can tailor the sound more effectively than digitally clipping it by just making it too loud.

If you're using Maximus anyway, you're probably just smushing the "clipped" signal into a brickwall limiter so you're not getting the signal any "louder".

If you're doing this for "loudness" imo there are better ways, if you're doing it for creative effects go ahead but again there are alternatives.

I'm doing it in maximus by drawing a point in the uppermost left hand side. Then waveshaping and bitcrushing.

azuk wrote:I'm doing it in maximus by drawing a point in the uppermost left hand side. Then waveshaping and bitcrushing.

Low/mids/highs/master?

I really wanna hear these drums, sounds like you've distorted them to hell and back haha

All 4.

Soundcloud

azuk wrote:All 4.

Soundcloud

The kick sounds like a resonant pluck, the snare sounds like 100% white noise.
If that's what you want.... great, imo it sounds shocking.

That's because the snare is white noise.

I'm using a pitched white noise sample to act as a snare.

With a proper snare
Soundcloud

mthrfnk wrote:

mthrfnk wrote: If that's what you want.... great

If not, then would multiband saturation sound different?
One of the reason why I like this is the way the kick is clipped, there is a really heavy sub.

Why would you use a multiband on a kick?

Its primary focus will be the low-mid and low end.

Use a waveshaper for intense clipping.

legend4ry wrote:Why would you use a multiband on a kick?

Its primary focus will be the low-mid and low end.

Use a waveshaper for intense clipping.

One band for the sub, one for the thump, and one for everything else.

I'll try using a waveshaper.

There's nothing nice about digital clipping.

You can use GClip to hard clip stuff at any level you want. free vst

azuk wrote:I've been told this is a terrible thing to do, but it sounds good.

I do a lot of drum processing, with Camel Crusher, and G Clip.

that kick sound wack lol