Tune the Kick to the Song ?

[VibraSound]

Tuning the pitch of the kick to the key of the song sounds better.
For example :
Kick at 55 hz for a song written in A.
Kick at 49 hz for a song written in G.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_key_frequencies

You can use Span to see the frequencie of the kick and then correct the pitch using semiton up or down for the root note of the kick and then fine tune the pitch.
After that, if you want you can add a sharp EQ boost to the kick right on the key frequencie.
http://www.voxengo.com/product/span/

Do you tune your kick just like me ?

[allcentury]

yup, sure do!

[camsr]

Tuning the pitch of the kick to the key of the song sounds better.
For example :
Kick at 55 hz for a song written in A.
Kick at 49 hz for a song written in G.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_key_frequencies

You can use Span to see the frequencie of the kick and then correct the pitch using semiton up or down for the root note of the kick and then fine tune the pitch.
After that, if you want you can add a sharp EQ boost to the kick right on the key frequencie.
http://www.voxengo.com/product/span/

Do you tune your kick just like me ?

almost, but after the eq it sounds nice through some saturation as well.

[RyanG]

I found this nice site to find exact equal temperament tunings:

http://www.music.sc.edu/fs/bain/atmi02/ ... fault.html

Just keep in mind that your track might sound weird if it involves a lot of chords that don't involve the tonic.

[Fragile_Frankie]

This basically means pitching your kick sample up a few semitones until it's on the root note of the track?

[Stomper]

Kick has no pitch.
Not saying that tuning the kick cant make it bettet, but i dont think it needs to be in the root key.
I dont think a real drummer hit the kick drum differently when theres a different key to the song.

[VibraSound]

This basically means pitching your kick sample up a few semitones until it's on the root note of the track?

Yes !

[bebop]

might reduce the harmonics and would sound flat
depends on the basics of the main LFO
if there is only such a thing

if you plan to get deeper might shock the signal, add more noise

try it good idea

[VibraSound]

I dont think a real drummer hit the kick drum differently when theres a different key to the song.

In electronic music we can tune the pitch of the kick to the song key (root).
Yes kick have a pitch, take a look at Span to see the pitch.
Just hold your mouse over the peak level in the spectrum to see the frequencie.

Live Rock bands cannot tune the kick to the song and this is probably why Electro sounds better

[deastman]

Kick has no pitch.
Not saying that tuning the kick cant make it bettet, but i dont think it needs to be in the root key.
I dont think a real drummer hit the kick drum differently when theres a different key to the song.

It must drive those real drummers crazy when the song has key changes...

[Stomper]

I dont think a real drummer hit the kick drum differently when theres a different key to the song.

In electronic music we can tune the pitch of the kick to the song key (root).
Yes kick have a pitch, take a look at Span to see the pitch.
Just hold your mouse over the peak level in the spectrum to see the frequencie.

Live Rock bands cannot tune the kick to the song and this is probably why Electro sounds better

I know, i produce dance music
In regards to kick and drum or any percussion sound, Span will show you where is the body of that drum sound (43 or 50 or 60 Hz) but you cannot determine what note it plays, if you cant recognize a note, than it has no pitch.

drum sound is made by a very quick change to the pitch. when you sound goes over more than an octave in less than a second than it change too fast for any human to recognize a specific pitch.

Again, im not saying tuning a drum cant be good. but by doing that you actually change the color and timbre of that drum. not its pitch.
its just not possible to say this kick is C and this kick is B.

Your eyes can be a good tool to help you to mix and master.
but ears first


Stomper.

[SomeCallHimWhitey]

Kick has no pitch.
Not saying that tuning the kick cant make it bettet, but i dont think it needs to be in the root key.
I dont think a real drummer hit the kick drum differently when theres a different key to the song.

All sounds have pitch, but transient sounds like kicks are often less noticeable, and in many genres it's irrelevant as long as it sounds good... Although they change the pitch in electronic music because it sounds good to them, so it's all subjective. But there is a practical reason as well which is the drive for big kicks and bass sounds that don't clash AKA have your cake and eat it too

...I'm going to bed

[penguinfromdeep]

It's not always necessary but sometimes it can work wonders .. Especially the interaction between the (subby) bass and kick, you can make nice patterns this way ..

[Stomper]

By tuning the kick you change harmonic content of the kick, so a kick might be lighter on the bass and blend in better with the bass. that does not mean you change the pitch.

You dont have a single frequency that complete a complete cycle in a kick and the langth of the cycle keeps changing. if you know how the ear and brain work, you know that if there are no cycle the brain can not interpret the sound to a pitch.

try to test it if you want. play a kick and a piano/keyboard sound and play it over the kick. now try to find which note it is by EAR.


Stomper.

[penguinfromdeep]

Obviously depends on the kick drum sample too, for example 808 kicks with long decay definitely have a pitch to my ears and I can find the pitch by playing a key on top of it just by ear