How to Create a Punchy Kick Drum Sound Using Samples

Gather TWO kick drum samples and one closed hi-hat sample.,Place the kick drum samples and the hi-hat sample in your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) all on different tracks.,Add a filter VST effect to both tracks with the kick drums.,On the track...

22 Steps 1 min read Advanced

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Gather TWO kick drum samples and one closed hi-hat sample.

    Make sure one kick has more bass or low-end coverage and that the other has slightly ore high-end or treble coverage. ,,,,, !, The hi-hat should not be obvious, but more of a complement to the kick sounds to make them sharper.,, Open it and make a low shelf cutoff at around 40 hZ.

    This will remove any sub bass that might detract from the overall audibility of your kick., This will remove any muddiness from your kick.,,,
  2. Step 2: Place the kick drum samples and the hi-hat sample in your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) all on different tracks.

  3. Step 3: Add a filter VST effect to both tracks with the kick drums.

  4. Step 4: On the track with the low-end kick

  5. Step 5: open the filter and create a high-shelf cutoff at around 1500 hz.

  6. Step 6: On the track containing the high-end kick

  7. Step 7: open its filter and create a low shelf cutoff at around 2000hz.

  8. Step 8: Mute the hi-hat track and listen to the two kick sounds being played together.

  9. Step 9: Now unmute the hi-hat track and slowly increase the volume while playing back all the tracks.

  10. Step 10: Now in your DAW's mixer or global effects section

  11. Step 11: open an envelope filter VST effect (also known as an envelope shaper) and change the attack value to 8.0

  12. Step 12: and the release value to -10.0.

  13. Step 13: Now in the mixer

  14. Step 14: create a filter effect.

  15. Step 15: On the same filter effect

  16. Step 16: create a parametric dip at around 200 hZ.

  17. Step 17: Finally

  18. Step 18: create another parametric dip at around 13500 hZ

  19. Step 19: which will prevent the kick from overtaking other sounds like cymbals and higher-end claps.

  20. Step 20: Either lower or raise the mixer's output volume to make a compromise between the stereo output being clipped

  21. Step 21: and the sound falling too short of being as loud as possible.

  22. Step 22: Now export the kick sound as a higher-quality .wav file.

Detailed Guide

Make sure one kick has more bass or low-end coverage and that the other has slightly ore high-end or treble coverage. ,,,,, !, The hi-hat should not be obvious, but more of a complement to the kick sounds to make them sharper.,, Open it and make a low shelf cutoff at around 40 hZ.

This will remove any sub bass that might detract from the overall audibility of your kick., This will remove any muddiness from your kick.,,,

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M

Matthew Taylor

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