KVR Audio

zvon · Post by **zvon** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 2:41 pm

Hi everyone,

Here's a basic tip to enhance drum parts. I'm sure a lot of you already know this, I'm posting it for the others.

Try doubling your drum parts with different sounds, this can enhance their sound and even give them a different feel. For the 2 audio examples below, I've used an excellent acoustic kit from the RMIV and our own Prepared Rhodes (good to add an unusual touch).

Example 1: basic pattern, plays 3 times straight and then 3 times doubled.
HERE

Example 2: complex pattern from the Groove Monkey lib, plays twice straight then twice doubled. The snare and the hats are not doubled.
HERE

When using this technique, anything goes. You can double some of the hits or all the hits, double with similar sounds or completely different sounds, etc.

Let me know if this tip and the examples are useful for you.

Thanks

zvon · Post by **zvon** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 3:21 pm

Do you find that the examples illustrating this tip are useful?

Gregjazz · Post by **Gregjazz** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 2:33 am

Actually it might be even more syncopated and groovy sounding is those other sounds were not doubling the main drum beat. Just my opinion.

zvon · Post by **zvon** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 11:57 am

geoffkhan wrote:Actually it might be even more syncopated and groovy sounding is those other sounds were not doubling the main drum beat. Just my opinion.

That's true, but the tip is about doubling drum hits, like when doubling a synth part to make it fatter. Of course another part or more can be added too.

Thanks for the reply.

JoMal · Post by **JoMal** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 6:32 pm

Very cool tip Zvon! Thanks.

J

mckenic · Post by **mckenic** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 6:41 pm

Yes indeed - its something I hadnt considered and listening to the sound examples makes me wonder why I hadnt...

Thanks for taking the time Zvon!

Dave

zvon · Post by **zvon** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 9:18 pm

This trick can give some very varied results. Aside from the samples you pick to double your original kit, the results will also vary with the mix levels and panning of your kits. You can also have different FX for the 2 kits, or one dry and one processed (lightly or heavily).

Gregjazz · Post by **Gregjazz** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 9:25 pm

zvon wrote:
geoffkhan wrote:Actually it might be even more syncopated and groovy sounding is those other sounds were not doubling the main drum beat. Just my opinion.
That's true, but the tip is about doubling drum hits, like when doubling a synth part to make it fatter. Of course another part or more can be added too.

Thanks for the reply.

Ah, I understand.

One cool trick I did with drums, which sounds really cool, is to double both an electric and acoustic drumset -- so they're playing exactly the same beat.

nool · Post by **nool** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 9:39 pm

removed babble

mckenic · Post by **mckenic** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 9:56 pm

Please keep em coming guys - great tips here!!!

Thanks again,
Dave

toine6 · Post by **toine6** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 10:03 pm

Yup very useful!

tee boy · Post by **tee boy** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 12:14 am

Zvon,

That is probably the best advice thats ever been posted on any forum, ANYWHERE!

Its basically the principle of component synthesis. This is the most fundament principle that I base my own work on - the idea that complex sounds can be create by layer various simple sounds.

Any this technique applies to every field of audio engineering - from movie sound design to mix engineering!

If you can become a master at layering, and use this rather than excessive EQ and compression... then you wont go far wrong imo.

zvon · Post by **zvon** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 12:50 pm

Thanks for the comments.

tee boy wrote:Zvon,

That is probably the best advice thats ever been posted on any forum, ANYWHERE!

Its basically the principle of component synthesis. This is the most fundament principle that I base my own work on - the idea that complex sounds can be create by layer various simple sounds.

True, that's why most synths use multiple oscillators and two synths with 2 oscillators each equals 4 oscillators. With a 4 oscillators synth, it will be easier to combine and mix them. And 2 different two oscillators synths may give a wide range of tones.

xoxos · Post by **xoxos** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 4:29 pm

idea.. tricks/tips as joy buzzers handed out in bags, music like a dildo to glide on between shifts.

semantic.. layered rhythm = semantic.

sonicsmurf · Post by **sonicsmurf** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:12 pm

zvon wrote: Try doubling your drum parts with different sounds, this can enhance their sound and even give them a different feel...

I think it does not sound so good... The trick is okay for experiments, but it does not make the drum tracks "better" or more realistic in my opinion (-says a guy who taught drumming for a few years and who loves the sound of a real drumkit)

But I checked out the other sound demos on your website - very interesting work!

Tip: doubling drum hits (with MP3 examples)