Soft attack (transient) snare sounds - number of layers

[Liney]

Whilst learning about using compression as a sound design tool to change the envelope of drum sounds, I have read that regarding snares, there are different approaches depending on whether you want a hard/clicky attack, or a softer attack. I'm absolutely fine with how to do that.

However, my question regards constructing soft attack snare sounds in the first place, using subtractive synthesis, in terms of what I am hearing on records. I have included two examples below.

If constructing a traditional snare sound, I would use 2 or 3 layers:
1) a short swept sine for the crack of the stick hitting the drum.
2) a longer filtered noise wave for the snare wire sound.
3) an optional extremely short amp env for the initial click of the transient.

My question is, are some of the snare sounds I am hearing on records only using one layer, being just the noise wave? In a way this is similar to a clap sound, but less percussive, and without multiple attacks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-v3sVWT8pA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4eccPBFEjE

[Ari-S]

I think, based on your examples, that you're actually looking for an electronic clap sound instead of a snare. For the 'Crystal Castles' example, just take a standard TR-808 clap and add some distortion/saturation and reverb. The Daft Punk example is mainly a burst of decaying pink noise with a few generic clap samples layered on top of it.

[Liney]

Thanks Ari. I've actually had some good success making nice, crunchy clap sounds. I guess these are just less crunchy, or more distorted/reverb-y. I will try it out.

[mt3]

Using standing waves is fine but look into membranophonics.
Chromaphone and such for modeling drums.
Resonators rather than wave layers.