hello guys.
first off i wanted to say i'm new so hello.
i picked up a pretty cool trick (and though i've never shared this with anyone before i don't mind posting it)
i forget where i picked it up, but add your own twist to it, most of the time it creates nice kicks for me.
i wrote this tut in hopes that you will take what i have written here not for gospel, but a general idea to get you started.
if you see anything which you seem incorrect please let me know.
what you will need:
sony sound forge, battery 3, some kick sample with good attack transients (depending on style i usually choose the vengeance stuff)
let me explain the process first.
what the goal is:
layer 2 samples: a kick created in sound forge using the FM synthesis generator to create a since wave kick for low freqs, and using the transient from the sampled kick for the attack phase. one can then pitch low kick up or down to match the pitch of the tune.
now how to do it:
first and foremost, your going to need to know how long your kick created in sound forge should be. there is a simple trick used to calculate the length in ms: 60/BPM * 1000 = length in ms
for example assuming your track is 140 BPM's: 60/140 * 1000 = 428.5714 ms.
now that we know how long the kick should be, we can go about creating the sine kick in sound forge.
create a new file, I tend to use 44.1 16 bit mono so the low end stays as clean as possible, but mess around and find out what works best for you.
next you'll need to use the fm synthesis to create the kick: tools>synthesis>fm.
use these settings: waveform length: 1.000, operator shape sine, freq, 110hz, feedback 0%, amplitude 0.0 db.
you have now created a sine wave that operates at 110 hz. This means that you should use this kick in relation to notes A. I will create a chart here for frequency and notes:
freq (hz) note
55 A1
58.270 A#1
61.740 B1
65.410 C2
69.300 C#2
73.420 D2
77.780 D#2
82.410 E2
87.310 F2
92.500 F#2
98.000 G2
103.830 G#2
110.000 A2
*whew* pretty crazy shit dude.
you must now pitch the sine wave so it sounds like a kick rather than some boring sine wave.
select the amount that corresponds to how long your kick should be in ms.
in this case 428 i've found that it's usually a little easier to make the kick a *tad* bit longer and then you can do the calculations again at the end once you add them into battery.
now effects>pitch>bend
select the entire section in ms and process.
you now have a remotely recognizable kick.
repeat process and trim the selection so you have a piece of the kick.
you can pitch it multiple times if needed and i suggest playing with the amount of the wave that you pitch.
save the file.
now on to battery in your session:
open the kick that you would like to use on the attack phase.
make sure the attack is 0 ms, adjust hold to taste. you should not be using the entire kick, only the attack.
i suggest using 50 hold and 100 sustain, but use your ears.
now load the sine wave in the next cell.
use an attack of 170 ms the hold to 48 and sustain to 221
keep in mind these settings will be slightly different based on the sample you are using for the kick. just use your ears.
the attack phase should hit immediately and face out and the sine kick should slide in without any dip in the signal, nor fade.
optional pitch envelope: -2.14 D1=25, D2 = o
now pitch the low end kick based on the note in your tune!
hooray!