Sub Bass + kick drums....
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Posted on Feb 13, 2005 03:16 am
ILLbizzel
ILLbino - one of WA's finest
Member Since: Feb 10, 2004
When I listen to commercial RnB and hip hop instrumentals, I hear a good solid kick drum on top of a solid sub. I was curious how this is done.
I get fair results by low EQ'ing the kicks and sub-bass down and then compressing them. But its still missing something. I usually mono drums and sometimes widen the sub bass, but still, they tend to blend in with each other and make the sub woofer somewhat muffle when two hit simoltaneously.
How do you record your kicks on top of a solid bass so where they're both extinct and solid, but don't muffle the sub-woofer when a kick overlaps a solid bass?
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el musicoFreeleance Producer/Engineer/GtrMember
Since: Aug 11, 2002
Feb 13, 2005 04:42 am set up a track with a signal generator or noise generator on SINE and 50hz. then put a noise gate on that track with it's key input being a send from the kick track. Dial in the threshold of the noise gate to open when the kick is played. You can dial in the attack and release to shape your sub bass by either adding time to the release to give it that long boom or shorten it for the quick punch. Have fun!
ILLbizzelILLbino - one of WA's finestMember
Since: Feb 10, 2004
Feb 13, 2005 05:06 am I'm confused. Could you please explain better how to do this?
I use Adobe Audition, Fruity Loops and Reason. So maybe you could better explain on one of those platforms or maybe even a step by step solution, lol. It'd be much appreciated.
The more I re-read it, the more I understand what your saying, but I just don't know how to do this in the programs I use.
Feb 13, 2005 02:05 pm in reason, you could get a good kick from redrum then use a subtractor for the sub....it really helps if the two samples are in tune in a way that compliments eachother....the trick is you want the attack from the kick sample to bite through, so cut the bass out a bit at about 100hz or lower, then play with the ASDR of the amp envelope on the subtractor....now i'm drifting off here cuz i bieleve you just want to have two distinct sounds and not accually layer in a sub with a kick sample to sound like one instrument...the main thing to keep in mind is they hafta mix well, play with all available paramaters (manily tune and amp envelope) and eq them so they sit nicely together. mixing with synth paramaters will totaly help ya...
peace
wyd
ILLbizzelILLbino - one of WA's finestMember
Since: Feb 10, 2004
Feb 13, 2005 08:20 pm Maybe I'm better off using a layered kick and sub. I've done this before and I got decent results.
What I was trying to do was have a constant bass line play without any pauses yet have a kick that overlapped it but still was apparent and didn't muffle the sub when the two played together.
I thought El Musico's suggestion would help, but I couldn't figure out how to have a kick initiate a noise gate on the sub.
el musicoFreeleance Producer/Engineer/GtrMember
Since: Aug 11, 2002
Feb 13, 2005 11:28 pm I really don't know about adobe audition so I can't help you there.
I'm not sure that I can explain the procedure any better than I have. You need the ability to sidechain in your software. If the noise gate plugin you use has a "Sidechain" or "Key Input" than that's were a send from your kick would go.
Hopefully Noze2u or dB can jump in and clarify, since I think one of them knows Adobe Audition.
Good Luck.
Feb 14, 2005 05:56 am eh, neither of us use it...to clarify them both I just EQ them so their primary frequencies arein different places.
