Mixing an 808 Kickdrum

[lcvl]

IMO, if properly recorded the 808 kick doesn't need very much processing.
just make sure you whole mix has plenty of space for the 808.
only then it will really shine through.

[Edward]

Once or twice I've compressed the 808 for an effect (so the kick "swallows" all the other drums) but the other 500 times I've recorded an 808, the most processing I would do is to roll off a tiny bit of treble.

The reason they are so popular and sought after is that they sound good by themselves.

[dlmorley]

It just needs space so I mix around it. Leave some room and turn it up to the right level. Decent monitoring is more important than tricks....

[Reptil]

a little eq to give it some attitude, or tighten it up a bit (808 is kinda "loose"), and some compression, to fit the tail in the groove mostly. I'm usually not layering the bassdrum. But I know many ppl. do.

[messiahwannabe]

i almost always layer it with another drum (often just some sort of short clicky sample) to give it a bit of character. if you're going for a strict miami bass sound you might not do this, but otherwise it almost always sounds better this way to me (of course it's a matter of taste)

dave pensado's kick drum method is similar to mantik's post, and works very well for 808's, or any kick at all actually - it's really made a big difference in my mixes.

R&B - mixing - Kick drum

[Native Yards]

Hi Guys...I need some help. I recently listened to Kanye west's record called Power and was impressed with the kicks and was wondering if anyone knew how that larger life kick effect can be achieved. I'm using sonar 8.5 and has the waves mercury bundle...

[Xero]

does he even use an 808? didn't he state in some interview that he like used a 909 on 808s and heartbreak? lol...

[s-tron]

One trick I use with Ableton Live is simply put a EQ3 on it. The EQ3 has extreme crossover frequency artifacts, and simply playing with the crossover points will add both punch and snap to it.

[Tarkovsky]

Wow, there is a use for EQ3 then!

808s I proces by dividing them up for transient, punch, and boom and work on them seperately/replace them with bits from others. Frankenstein kicks...