How do you make your drums more punchy/fat in Ableton?
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- KVRer
- 8 posts since 1 Aug, 2011 from Rome
I wanna get the drums more punchy/fat.What's the best way or some vst!Thsnk you!
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- KVRAF
- 2488 posts since 2 Dec, 2004 from Sydney, Australia
2C: Punchy/Fat only works in a context. To have something punchy, you need some 'unpunchy' elements. Maybe leave the drums alone but work on the elements around them (e.g. Bass/Strings/Pads)? Drums in general need transients to stick out, so don't squash them too much, but squash everything around them instead.
To get that effect, almost any compressor/limiter will do this job.
To get that effect, almost any compressor/limiter will do this job.
Cowbells!
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- KVRist
- 149 posts since 3 Nov, 2010
Parrallel compression is excellent for getting punchier sounding percussion and I also use a transient designer for the drum bus aswell
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- KVRAF
- 2147 posts since 30 Oct, 2006 from Australia, NSW
On a send track drop an eq8 cut the mids in a wide band now add a compressor after it and pull the threshold down to about half.Now create another send track do the same except create a small hi freq band with the eq8 .Dial in the send amounts on your drum tracks ...phat n punchy opps i said too much
http://www.voltagedisciple.com
Patches for PHASEPLANT ACE,PREDATOR, SYNPLANT, SUB BOOM BASS2,PUNCH , PUNCH BD
AALTO,CIRCLE,BLADE and V-Haus Card For Tiptop Audio ONE Module
https://soundcloud.com/somerville-1i
Patches for PHASEPLANT ACE,PREDATOR, SYNPLANT, SUB BOOM BASS2,PUNCH , PUNCH BD
AALTO,CIRCLE,BLADE and V-Haus Card For Tiptop Audio ONE Module
https://soundcloud.com/somerville-1i
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- KVRAF
- 5648 posts since 18 Jul, 2002
In a word: compression.GrooveFond wrote:I wanna get the drums more punchy/fat.What's the best way or some vst!Thsnk you!
Try using several techniques like side chain, limiting, multi-band, parallel and so on until you find out the sound you really want.
On a related note, ThrillMe can also help you
http://www.discodsp.com/thrillme/-
- Banned
- 2033 posts since 19 Jun, 2011 from a world of Black Thunder chocs
+1dalor wrote:2C: Punchy/Fat only works in a context. To have something punchy, you need some 'unpunchy' elements. Maybe leave the drums alone but work on the elements around them (e.g. Bass/Strings/Pads)? Drums in general need transients to stick out, so don't squash them too much, but squash everything around them instead.
To get that effect, almost any compressor/limiter will do this job.
Good arrangement makes mixing a hell of a lot easier.
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- KVRian
- 576 posts since 15 Apr, 2004 from Sweden
separate transient elements from "fleshy" elements of percussion sounds
separate different spectral ranges. often you can have a lot of transient content in treble (5k +) without overloading the mix, while lower frequencies need some dynamic control etc (try sidechaining snare to kick but leaving the transient uncompressed). forget EQ "common sense" and abuse your parametric. if it sounds good it is good. if you can't judge the sound you're lost.
putting the transient slightly before the main "body" of the drum hit is invariably f**king great and should be done without restraint or care.
clipping drum hits works quite often. also it should be noted that most percussion really only needs transient. I've made a habit of shortening most perc samples I use, to good effect (in my opinion). the only things that really tend to benefit from a huge vibrant tail are kicks, snares, toms. with snares and toms one must be careful to ensure enough mid-bass content for them to make sense while leaving room for dat bass.
one general word of advice: forget what software you're using and forget miracle solutions. practice hearing, discerning elements, critical listening, switching between listening modes.
separate different spectral ranges. often you can have a lot of transient content in treble (5k +) without overloading the mix, while lower frequencies need some dynamic control etc (try sidechaining snare to kick but leaving the transient uncompressed). forget EQ "common sense" and abuse your parametric. if it sounds good it is good. if you can't judge the sound you're lost.
putting the transient slightly before the main "body" of the drum hit is invariably f**king great and should be done without restraint or care.
clipping drum hits works quite often. also it should be noted that most percussion really only needs transient. I've made a habit of shortening most perc samples I use, to good effect (in my opinion). the only things that really tend to benefit from a huge vibrant tail are kicks, snares, toms. with snares and toms one must be careful to ensure enough mid-bass content for them to make sense while leaving room for dat bass.
one general word of advice: forget what software you're using and forget miracle solutions. practice hearing, discerning elements, critical listening, switching between listening modes.
bleh
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- KVRAF
- 2960 posts since 9 Dec, 2011 from falling
You'll get a different opinion from almost everyone you ask, so here a few thoughts that came to mid for me.
I like using Ableton Drum Racks, Simpler, and plugins like Nerve for my drums and percussion. Nerve is amazing and offers up some great pre calculated effects (easy on CPU) to help you make your drums snappy and punchy. Nerve also saves audio files with your Ableton project so you don't end up missing samples later on.
1. 90 % of the battle is won if you start with great samples. So many great drum sample packs available, so there's no excuse for starting with bad samples.
2. I like to use some EQ, high pass/low cut with EQ 8 around 30 Hz. You can also boost the low frequency fundamental where the kick is tuned, maybe somewhere between 40 - 80 Hz. Use your ears. You can also search the higher end for the snap/crack of the kick and boost a bit there. Anything you do with the kick has to work with your bass. If bass and kick walk all over each other, neither will be as distinct as you want them to be.
3. Parallel compression can be cool, easy to overdo. Dom Kane shows one way (which I really like) to do this in - "Dom Kane In The Studio With Future Music Magazine issue 252" - there are other ways to do Parallel compression, and you just have to try different techniques until you get the sound you want.
4. Nudge some of your punchier sounds forward a bit, like snare or clap, so you can hear the snap before it gets walked on by the kick.
5. Experiment with something like Flux BitterSweet II, a free transient designer.
Try working quickly, using your ears. Use any tips you've read or heard a just something to try. Let your ears decide what advice to keep and what to throw away.
I like using Ableton Drum Racks, Simpler, and plugins like Nerve for my drums and percussion. Nerve is amazing and offers up some great pre calculated effects (easy on CPU) to help you make your drums snappy and punchy. Nerve also saves audio files with your Ableton project so you don't end up missing samples later on.
1. 90 % of the battle is won if you start with great samples. So many great drum sample packs available, so there's no excuse for starting with bad samples.
2. I like to use some EQ, high pass/low cut with EQ 8 around 30 Hz. You can also boost the low frequency fundamental where the kick is tuned, maybe somewhere between 40 - 80 Hz. Use your ears. You can also search the higher end for the snap/crack of the kick and boost a bit there. Anything you do with the kick has to work with your bass. If bass and kick walk all over each other, neither will be as distinct as you want them to be.
3. Parallel compression can be cool, easy to overdo. Dom Kane shows one way (which I really like) to do this in - "Dom Kane In The Studio With Future Music Magazine issue 252" - there are other ways to do Parallel compression, and you just have to try different techniques until you get the sound you want.
4. Nudge some of your punchier sounds forward a bit, like snare or clap, so you can hear the snap before it gets walked on by the kick.
5. Experiment with something like Flux BitterSweet II, a free transient designer.
Try working quickly, using your ears. Use any tips you've read or heard a just something to try. Let your ears decide what advice to keep and what to throw away.
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 8 posts since 1 Aug, 2011 from Rome
Thanks guys.Actually i use loops.I use compressor with sidechain on buses.I make only the sidechain to sound good and thats my compression(That's wrong?)Or should i use 2 compressor.1 for compressing and one for sidechaining?.I make 2 bus drums+one channel separe of the kick(Alone).One bus with high drums(From 1kh in up..as shaker,hats).And other with the main drums(around 400hz).I use alsou a stereo imaging,spl transient designer,transient shaper,a little bit of overload,Eq8.But i cant get that fat drums sound.The kick its fine...only the other drums.Because i make tech house and the drums are very important.i will try what you guys have recommended to me.
Here its a example of one of the tracks in progress that im working
http://soundcloud.com/groovefond/time
Here its a example of one of the tracks in progress that im working
http://soundcloud.com/groovefond/time
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- KVRer
- 25 posts since 6 May, 2012
if you have a compressor that models an analogue compressor (eg. The Glue), I would say compress it as you normally would--I go for about 10 db of Gain reduction on a snare with a ratio of 4 to one. To fatten the sounds I usually use a fairly slow attack and medium release. After all, these are samples--they shouldn't need fast attacks very often. Once I have it compressed like this, I push the make-up gain way up to the point at which the sound distorts slightly. I play around with how hard I push the gain (and thus distortion) dpending on the sample I use. I got this idea from listening to a lot Deadmau5's kicks. I realized what made gave them such impact was a small amount of distortion, and the best place I've found to distort is in compression.
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 8 posts since 1 Aug, 2011 from Rome
I have the Glue.You use compressor on every chanel or only on the bus?nicktheloafer wrote:if you have a compressor that models an analogue compressor (eg. The Glue), I would say compress it as you normally would--I go for about 10 db of Gain reduction on a snare with a ratio of 4 to one. To fatten the sounds I usually use a fairly slow attack and medium release. After all, these are samples--they shouldn't need fast attacks very often. Once I have it compressed like this, I push the make-up gain way up to the point at which the sound distorts slightly. I play around with how hard I push the gain (and thus distortion) dpending on the sample I use. I got this idea from listening to a lot Deadmau5's kicks. I realized what made gave them such impact was a small amount of distortion, and the best place I've found to distort is in compression.
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- KVRer
- 7 posts since 18 Jun, 2012 from youkay
to be fair i never compress until i have layered high,mid and low kick drums to give me the desired puchy / fat sound im looking for. Then i eq the kick and once i have that i compress, then you end up with a excellent sounding kick. sometimes a slight amount of reverb helps (barely nothing).
I'D recommend PSP Vintage Warmer for a great compressor.
FM
I'D recommend PSP Vintage Warmer for a great compressor.
FM