Layering and processing to achieve kicks like this

Hey Phil,



Wondering if you could possibly do a tech tip on getting kicks like tommy trash there always so solid and pack alot of punch, I have been trying a lot of different stuff I have read but still not having any luck when it comes to layering kicks and processing them with effects. It would be good to see what you would do to get one of your kicks to a level good enough for a commercial track, using whatever plugins you think are best.



Tommy Trash - Cascade (Original Mix) - YouTube



Tommy Trash - Future Folk (Original Mix) - YouTube

I dont do very much processing on Kicks… maybe a bit of compression.



I think its really all about context.



If you have a kick and have taken the weight out of your other sounds and then master your kick will appear to have more effect.



It also helps to have good kick samples to start off with… all my best kicks have been nicked from tracks.

I tried using kicks from tracks the way you do in the kick isolating tutorial, but i can never get the curve back to a point when it doesn’t end up having a click in it, I thought I cut roughly in the same place you did in the video but just haven’t been able to get a good result, I get close but not close enough.

A lot of times now im just taking the click part then layering with a kick from ANA so you can really fine tune the thump.



Theres a nice click on madeon icarus… Very click housey sound.



But just try to grab a bunch of clicks and try differnt ones while messing with the slopes from ANA.

You will need to ease of on the amp env attack to get rid of the ANA click.

Thanks Phil I will keep all that in mind,



I got pretty close to what I was after tonight by taking a kick out of a commercial track where the kick plays pretty much on its own, then using a spectrum analyzer plugin, parallel compression and eq to match the spectrum curve of the kick and it worked really well.



Quick question while we are on the kick topic, whats your opinion on tuning the kick drum of your track, say if I was making a track in C i would tune my kick to C then boost at octaves of C.



The kick from the commercial track I looked at seemed to be doing this, but the other thought I had is when I used to be a drummer the bass drum was not tuned differently to every song the band would play?

As always just use your ears… some tracks it will sound better some it doesnt matter… it depends on the Bass/Kick Combo.



I never think about the note but i do tune kicks but always by ear.

Thanks for input Phil appreciate it :slight_smile: