Not sure if this is a sound design or production technique question but was wondering how to get that feeling of your song exploding in your mixes. It doesn't seem like an arrangement issue but maybe it could be a layering technique.
This guy does it really well and I've heard it in other producers' work too.
11 sec
30 sec
45 sec
1:03
1:25
1:38
1:50
2:04
It's as if the instrument or music is louder and fuller than it should be but doesn't distort or anything and feels like it's in your face. Any help is appreciated.
The Explosion
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- KVRist
- 83 posts since 15 Nov, 2021
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- KVRist
- 99 posts since 27 Feb, 2026
"explosion" is rarely about loudness, it's about the gap before it imo. the section that explodes feels bigger because the bar before it was smaller. if you sidechain-duck or filter-narrow the leadup for the last 4 to 8 bars, the drop reads twice as wide on the same peak level.
three concrete moves that compound:
1. parallel compression on the drum bus, not series. a heavily-squashed parallel buss blended in at 20-30% gives you the density without losing the transient energy. fabfilter pro-c 2 in upward mode + dry blend in your DAW. or any 1176 emulation at 20:1.
2. transient layer. on the actual hit, layer a short transient sample (sub kick if it's bass-driven, snare crack if it's rhythmic) and sidechain its dynamics to the main hit. 6-8 dB cut on the main when the layer fires. the ear hears one event at twice the size.
3. mid-side EQ on the master, sides up 1.5 dB above 3 kHz only on the explosion section. automate it. wider top end on demand without phase smear in the centre.
the thing not to do: master limiter pushed harder. once you hit 1.5 dB of GR on the explosion bar, the meter pegs and you've capped the perceived size. cut the leadup, don't crush the explosion.
three concrete moves that compound:
1. parallel compression on the drum bus, not series. a heavily-squashed parallel buss blended in at 20-30% gives you the density without losing the transient energy. fabfilter pro-c 2 in upward mode + dry blend in your DAW. or any 1176 emulation at 20:1.
2. transient layer. on the actual hit, layer a short transient sample (sub kick if it's bass-driven, snare crack if it's rhythmic) and sidechain its dynamics to the main hit. 6-8 dB cut on the main when the layer fires. the ear hears one event at twice the size.
3. mid-side EQ on the master, sides up 1.5 dB above 3 kHz only on the explosion section. automate it. wider top end on demand without phase smear in the centre.
the thing not to do: master limiter pushed harder. once you hit 1.5 dB of GR on the explosion bar, the meter pegs and you've capped the perceived size. cut the leadup, don't crush the explosion.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 83 posts since 15 Nov, 2021
thanks for your response. this definitely seems to help and yes, it the help seems to be gap before it being different. i've heard him produce other artists and make average songs really pop. gonna try this out.