SNAREs: What Types of Plugins/Techniques make them GREAT?
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- KVRist
- 40 posts since 28 May, 2005
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- KVRist
- 297 posts since 30 Dec, 2003 from Denmark
Many good tips here already.
Remember that even pre-processed drumkits from specific producers won't necessarily give you "their sound". The general mix of the whole piece also has a great impact on how individual elements sound. For example, in some situations it can help pan the snare a tiny bit offcenter.
If you feel that your snares don't sound quite right even when solo'ed, you can really change alot of the character by applying some compression. I'm of course biased, but would recommend you to take a look at otiumFX Compadre beatpuncher in it's "shaper" mode inserted on the snare-track itself.
Remember that even pre-processed drumkits from specific producers won't necessarily give you "their sound". The general mix of the whole piece also has a great impact on how individual elements sound. For example, in some situations it can help pan the snare a tiny bit offcenter.
If you feel that your snares don't sound quite right even when solo'ed, you can really change alot of the character by applying some compression. I'm of course biased, but would recommend you to take a look at otiumFX Compadre beatpuncher in it's "shaper" mode inserted on the snare-track itself.
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- KVRist
- 40 posts since 28 May, 2005
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- KVRian
- 1278 posts since 24 May, 2004
909pharaoh wrote:i don't know how to create that specific sound of drum kits made by famous dance producers , dunno how ;can someone help me ?
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- KVRAF
- 8077 posts since 9 Jan, 2003 from Saint Louis MO
ndc's Distortionator on the Sine setting works well and you don't even have to be subtle. 
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- KVRist
- 39 posts since 17 Apr, 2005 from Sydney Australia
Excellent tips here for a learner like myself. Since there's nobody here to stop me I'll ask what's probably a really really dumb question ... If I sit down for a few hours and put a whole bunch of work into varying the velocity of sample hits and then run it all through a compressor, would that just put all the hits back where they started, at same level?
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- KVRist
- 246 posts since 24 Jul, 2003 from Far, far away.......
not if the drumkit is properly multisampled. that way not just the volume of the kick is affected by velocity, but also it plays different samples at different velocitys. so the sound as well changes
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- KVRAF
- 3002 posts since 24 Nov, 2003 from Heidelberg&Hamburg
Pretty good advice! Never layered one snare with another, but then, me drumsdeclassified wrote:1. Distortion, but NEVER distort too much.
2. Boost one frequency (as bobby yarrow said). Try boosting the low end and then go up with the boost until it sounds good.
3. Layer the snare with another snare. Use two very different snares that complement each other. Then process them together.
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- KVRist
- 461 posts since 12 Jan, 2003 from Kyoto
When compressing, play with the attack & release (especially attack) settings to get the sound you want -- a big squashed boomy sound, or more of a "thwack?" A lot of people think "compressor = less dynamics," but you can use a compressor to increase dynamics, too, even to restore transients to previously overcompressed sounds.
And yeah, mixing a boomy snare with a thwacky snare can be good.
And yeah, mixing a boomy snare with a thwacky snare can be good.
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- KVRian
- 781 posts since 26 Feb, 2004 from UK
Nice first postomo wrote:One word - Layering.
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- KVRist
- 207 posts since 28 May, 2005
Well... layering
Layering takes some experience and a lot of time playing with samples and recording them. What I do first is get the sound in my head then find or record a sample with something that works as starting point, core or base of the future sample sound, something with full bottom because the most important thing is to find the right bottom pitch for the snare (and I always relate them to the kick and bass with lead vocal off course). If I don't get that perfect pitch I may pitch shift it a bit. I record it most of the times myself, say, 10-15 shots so that they don't all sound the same making the beat kinda flat. I then move from this base and create another track (layer) and place there something that I think is missing (usually something with higher frequencies). I very often will place (trim in sequencer) a number of different klicks and claps I recorded slightly before and after the bottom of the snare just to fatten it. I usually end up with 20 or so tracks (layers) for snare.
One very important and sometimes tricky thing is to move samples around changing timing relation between them.
Layering - best done in analog domain on a console or small mixer. I send each layer out individually and mix them. I very often will place (trim in sequencer) a number of different klicks and claps I recorded slightly before and after the bottom of the snare just to fatten it.
I love getting air from 747, and generally hate digital EQs and compressors - they make things smaller and less punchy.
Some carefully chosen distorion on claps (or anything) works great. For distortion I love to use analog processors for guitars, some tube compressors when overloaded. Sometimes I'll use SaturatedDriver or omething similar if on a hurry.
Personally, I'm not very found of pitch shifting but sometimes it is the very thing that's needed so I would recommend to play with ps rather more.
Like so, in a nutshell.
Layering takes some experience and a lot of time playing with samples and recording them. What I do first is get the sound in my head then find or record a sample with something that works as starting point, core or base of the future sample sound, something with full bottom because the most important thing is to find the right bottom pitch for the snare (and I always relate them to the kick and bass with lead vocal off course). If I don't get that perfect pitch I may pitch shift it a bit. I record it most of the times myself, say, 10-15 shots so that they don't all sound the same making the beat kinda flat. I then move from this base and create another track (layer) and place there something that I think is missing (usually something with higher frequencies). I very often will place (trim in sequencer) a number of different klicks and claps I recorded slightly before and after the bottom of the snare just to fatten it. I usually end up with 20 or so tracks (layers) for snare.
One very important and sometimes tricky thing is to move samples around changing timing relation between them.
Layering - best done in analog domain on a console or small mixer. I send each layer out individually and mix them. I very often will place (trim in sequencer) a number of different klicks and claps I recorded slightly before and after the bottom of the snare just to fatten it.
I love getting air from 747, and generally hate digital EQs and compressors - they make things smaller and less punchy.
Some carefully chosen distorion on claps (or anything) works great. For distortion I love to use analog processors for guitars, some tube compressors when overloaded. Sometimes I'll use SaturatedDriver or omething similar if on a hurry.
Personally, I'm not very found of pitch shifting but sometimes it is the very thing that's needed so I would recommend to play with ps rather more.
Like so, in a nutshell.
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- KVRAF
- 2356 posts since 30 Sep, 2003 from Sunny Staffordshire
You have a 747? Nice!
Iv been doing a 747 emu in SE, you cant tell the difference ( 
)
No but seriously, you are so right with this post. The technique is called component synthesis (by some), and as you rightly say it involves layering different sounds in order create a composite. One or more samples might make up a percussive attack, another might be the 'oomph', another might provide ambience... etc. The cool thing is that if you're crafty with you're layering, the need for significant EQ and compression decreases vastly. As you say, this is always advisable when in the computer.
I bet the 747 is lovely on the 2buss though, right? I have one of there DI amps and its a big fave of mine. I'd love one of the parametric EQ's.
Iv been doing a 747 emu in SE, you cant tell the difference (
)No but seriously, you are so right with this post. The technique is called component synthesis (by some), and as you rightly say it involves layering different sounds in order create a composite. One or more samples might make up a percussive attack, another might be the 'oomph', another might provide ambience... etc. The cool thing is that if you're crafty with you're layering, the need for significant EQ and compression decreases vastly. As you say, this is always advisable when in the computer.
I bet the 747 is lovely on the 2buss though, right? I have one of there DI amps and its a big fave of mine. I'd love one of the parametric EQ's.
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- KVRist
- 39 posts since 17 Apr, 2005 from Sydney Australia
Cool. I tried layering a second snare with some hits slightly offset from the first track and ran them both together through Classic compressor. Sounds a zillion times more lively and even a bit more realistic. Thanks a heap.
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- KVRist
- 49 posts since 12 Jun, 2003
One of the beautys of the DR008 is that you can layer four pads into one pad. Its as close to live drums as Ive come across.