Tuning kick to work with the (sub)bass? Important?

[loopdon]

Hi fellow producers!

Lately i have been more and more concerned with the tuning of elements within tunes. I didn't worry to much about this until recently but i am eager to learn your thoughts about this.

i am thinking that if one for example has a subbass line playing (one note to keep this simple) and i have my kickdrums playing on top of these notes - would it make sense to make them play on a note which would be part of chord together with the sub underneath (and possibly the 'normal bass playing a third note to make a full chord consisting of sub + kick + bass)? and following this idea, if remotely plausible at all, would i then go on and adjust the other parts of the tune, say perc-loops (bongos etc.) to build up a harmonic mix??

and what to do, if the bass notes/subs go through changes throughout the tune??

my idea of at first matching the kick to the sub would work like creating a subbass line and then tune the kicks to this in the microtonic drum vsti (you can enter hz/note values to have your kick play at) there so that would be a piece of cake.


i would be very very glad indeed, if you spread your knowledge freely

[arke]

Tuning a kick will not matter unless you have a tail after the pitch drop. During the pitch drop, you're not going to actively discern a pitch (because its so fast), and if you have a release tail after thats the pitch that you'll perceive the drum at.

Some people will let kicks have a tail to make it sound better (I was guilty of this too), but it doesn't sound pleasing to our ears and theres better ways to make a kick stand out (layer it with a high-passed acoustic bassdrum, and limit both together).

Hope this helps

[krushing]

Well, can't say really what's right or wrong, but I like to tune all of my drums, especially longer, ringing ones. I guess it simply comes down to the good ol' common sense about what you're wanting to convey with them...

[jones-y]

EQ is your friend as well...