KVR Audio

now_continue · Post by **now_continue** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 5:20 pm

What im really after is the sp1200 effect, really punchy and dirty drums like those of jel, dj signify and buck65. Ive tried a bunch of lofi vsts, predatohm, the ultrafunk compressor and the kontakt compressor but none of them seem to make my drums as punchy as I want. And I have no idea how to achieve the sp kind of grit with software vsts. Any suggestions? I cant afford a real sp1200 so thats not an option. What stuff do you use to make the drums explode in the listeners ears?

Steven West · Post by **Steven West** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 5:36 pm

I just used Muon's 'M-Drive' effect - intended for 303 emulators, to give a big ol' clanky drumkit that 'edge' and 'roughness'. Did a damn fine job for me atleast.

Can't remember if it comes with a Muon 303 clone download, or you get it separately? Have a look in the KVR catalog for it atleast.

Stupid American Pig · Post by **Stupid American Pig** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 7:41 pm

MDA degrade. Its a bit / sample rate reducer that will have your drums sounding 12 bit/22 khz in no time.

jones-y · Post by **jones-y** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 9:14 pm

You can get close, but not all the way there, in my experience

The bit-depth and sample-rate reduction plug-ins are good for it. The SP1200 sampled at 12 bits, at a rate (IIRC) of 32kHz.

Same for the MPC60.

Stupid American Pig · Post by **Stupid American Pig** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 9:15 pm

the SP-1200 was 22khz, and the MPC was ~32

kilroy · Post by **kilroy** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 1:02 am

Take your samples and buss them out to a bass amp. Juice the highs at the amp, and crank the thing up till you are really hurting the speaker. Get the rattiest SM-57 you can find and shove it in front of the amp. Use *no* compression/limiting whatsoever. Now, re-record the samples using all the headroom on your DACs.

Your samples will now punch holes through cinder block walls.

Just remember...hurt that amp. You must not be shy...no indeed not. It...must...feel...the pain. If you are afraid of wrecking your amp...borrow a mates or rent one.

For even more mass, put a distant mic back in the room somewhere, and record that to another track so you can mix it in to taste. Now *this* mic you can compress the bleeding daylights out of. Except don't use too fast an attack on the comp or you will take the snap out.

This recipe should get the effect you are looking for. Seems like a bit of fiddling about does it? No worries. Once your mates hear your tracks they will be sooo in awe of you that you won't even care.

jones-y · Post by **jones-y** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 1:57 am

I've used a variation of that, on a variety of tracks in the past. In place of the guitar amp, I used an old 70's stereo, and a radio shack mic. I wasn't able to really crank it, because of living arrangements, but it did work well.

now_continue · Post by **now_continue** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:11 am

I might actually try a modification of kilroy's advice

The degrade effect is the best bit reductor so far but still not very close to the grit of a sp1200. How is the bit reduction in battery/battery2? Is it exactly the same as the one found in kontakt?

clueless · Post by **clueless** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:15 am

kilroy's advice would certainly work

or you could try putting your drums through an amp/speaker simulator

declassified · Post by **declassified** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 7:22 pm

I think the SP-1200 had just 1.4 seconds (or something like that), so they sampled stuff at a higher speed (by playing 33rpm vinyls at 45rpm) and pitched it down afterwards.

Kim Lajoie · Post by **Kim Lajoie** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 2:41 am

timewastin wrote:I think the SP-1200 had just 1.4 seconds (or something like that), so they sampled stuff at a higher speed (by playing 33rpm vinyls at 45rpm) and pitched it down afterwards.

Yeah, that's a cool trick.

Forever,

Kim.

boriscy · Post by **boriscy** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 3:06 pm

To get punchier drums you need to use very hi compression ratio and be careful with the threshold, you can make a lot of difference, and use a 30 or so millisecond attack that works for me. Also try some eq that helps a lot, but do not use a very small attack because you will only hear the attack of the drum and not to much of the bass.

elv · Post by **elv** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 3:14 pm

Why not try CamelPhatFree http://www.kvraudio.com/get/537.html

declassified · Post by **declassified** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 8:36 pm

This is gonna help you:

http://www.trickology.com/thebored/arch ... -4909.html

hefty · Post by **hefty** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 10:15 pm

An elusive component of the SP1200 comes from its true analog filters. There are four types of analog filter, selected depending on the output number each 'pad' is assigned to. Except for the low pass kick filter, the other filters are more EQ like. When utilizing the individual outs (rather than the mix out) there are both dry/filtered versions of the signal on the ring/tip of the 1/4" jack.

While bit reduction (i.e. 12 bit) is a component of the SP1200 sound, the true analog reconstruction phase gives the SP1200 its signature sound. With a 26040 hz sample rate, only 10 seconds of sample memory, yet a SP1200 bank can be created with deadly kicks, quality hip hop snares, and other cool in your face sounds.

Acoustic hi hats and cymbals are best rendered in another product, the SP1200 has punch and grit, not clarity and sheen.

When one sound cuts off another (voice gating/stealing) the result is sonically super smooth on the SP1200, yet another elusive quality of this platinum and gold record producing beat box.

One day someone will likely provide tools to more closely emulate the SP1200 sound in software. Ironically, high bit depths are required to capture all the sonic nuances of this low bit beast.

punchier/dirtier drums (sp1200 style)?