How to get a Clean, tight Kick

[mutabeatz]

Im a newbie when it comes to mixing i know a little about frequencies i was wondering how can i get a clean, tight kick. Im using Fl studio.

and does mastering a track help to give the kick no distortion

thank you in advance

[JaeOne3345]

Use a clean, tight, kick.

Serious answer.

[KT1]

Originally Posted by mutabeatz

Im a newbie when it comes to mixing i know a little about frequencies i was wondering how can i get a clean, tight kick. Im using Fl studio.

and does mastering a track help to give the kick no distortion

thank you in advance

Need a fair bit more information? Are you talking about taking a kick and changing it transients? more attack less release?

some fizz from distortion can be eq'ed like the top and that 9k ish frequency.but if the audio is DISTORTED from the start not much you can do aside from some cleaning up. Mastering does give you volume and in some cases some EQ (if mix is good not much is required) to balance things out. It will not clean up distortion.

Is the wave form distorting from inception? Or is it distorting post processing? You may be clipping it..are you working in analogue or digital for processing?

[mutabeatz]

Originally Posted by KT1

Need a fair bit more information? Are you talking about taking a kick and changing it transients? more attack less release?

some fizz from distortion can be eq'ed like the top and that 9k ish frequency.but if the audio is DISTORTED from the start not much you can do aside from some cleaning up. Mastering does give you volume and in some cases some EQ (if mix is good not much is required) to balance things out. It will not clean up distortion.

Is the wave form distorting from inception? Or is it distorting post processing? You may be clipping it..are you working in analogue or digital for processing?

Its like your speaking a new language to me, but i understand most of it. The kick is distorting from inception, in the program i helped it by doing a quick fade out getting rid of the end to kick it a more tight sound but it still sounds.
And i think am using digital guessing analogue is hardware.

[DTake]

I'm going to agree with Jaeone on this and say that the sample should be pretty solid to begin with. There's also the option of layering the kick with another one and tweaking the levels to taste.

[e-are]

Originally Posted by mutabeatz

Its like your speaking a new language to me, but i understand most of it. The kick is distorting from inception, in the program i helped it by doing a quick fade out getting rid of the end to kick it a more tight sound but it still sounds.
And i think am using digital guessing analogue is hardware.

If the kik is distorting in f loops maybe it's too loud. Try turning everything down if you are digging the levels but the kik is distorting. I'm not sure Im completely understanding you tho.
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[clivek]

2 things come to mind ! Which can help alot !!

1. Look up paralell compression. Remove low frequencies on the paralell track, compress a fair bit. Slow-ish attack. Blend in to taste !

2. Have you any transient plugins for your software. This will help with the attack aswell !!

[KT1]

Originally Posted by clivek

2 things come to mind ! Which can help alot !!

1. Look up paralell compression. Remove low frequencies on the paralell track, compress a fair bit. Slow-ish attack. Blend in to taste !

2. Have you any transient plugins for your software. This will help with the attack aswell !!

This is exactly what I was initially thinking. If it is at.inception. what I mean muta is that the kick sample your using ..if you play it in iTunes or whatever does it still sound distorted? If so its the sample. You can as others have said try find another sample or use a mixture of compression to shorten the release. More effective than fades and sharpen the attack. Or use a transient designer to do the same thing. Increase attack or.shorten release or both. This is assuming the distortion is on the tail end of the sample. Eq may also.help but.it.really.depends..can.you post the.kick..

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[DAH]

distortion cant be undone.
causes
1 distorted sample
2 distortion in the processing chain.

[KT1]

And before that make sure your gain is at a suitable level and your not clipping.

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[KT1]

Originally Posted by DAH

distortion cant be undone.
causes
1 distorted sample
2 distortion in the processing chain.

Exactly. He said inception so no post processing. Hence my posts above.

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[DAH]

Originally Posted by KT1

This is exactly what I was initially thinking. If it is at.inception. what I mean muta is that the kick sample your using ..if you play it in iTunes or whatever does it still sound distorted? If so its the sample. You can as others have said try find another sample or use a mixture of compression to shorten the release. More effective than fades and sharpen the attack. Or use a transient designer to do the same thing. Increase attack or.shorten release or both. This is assuming the distortion is on the tail end of the sample. Eq may also.help but.it.really.depends..can.you post the.kick..

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in high doubt that only the end is distorted.
usually the attack is distorted and the tail is clean.

[KT1]

Originally Posted by DAH

in high doubt that only the end is distorted.
usually the attack is distorted and the tail is clean.

Totally agree. My question was because he appeared to be looking for tight to avoid distortion. Unless the sample was processed perhaps recorded to distort at tail end. Rare very rare. So I asked to hear sample.

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[Karloff70]

Or if you like the way the kick is in the mix, apart from the fact that the distortion has taken the attack away so it doesn't cut through, you could just drop a suitable kick attack portion in there on top of it to reclaim the 'corner' and still keep the body of your previous chosen kick. Like a Slapper..... ;-)

[mutabeatz]

thanks for help ill take all these in consideration

[mutabeatz]

I did a little play aorund with the levels of my mix here is a before and after

Before

http://soundcloud.com/mutabeatz/september-30th2

after

http://soundcloud.com/mutabeatz/january-31

I was working on it while was reading the forum, its the same kick

[KT1]

Originally Posted by Karloff70

Or if you like the way the kick is in the mix, apart from the fact that the distortion has taken the attack away so it doesn't cut through, you could just drop a suitable kick attack portion in there on top of it to reclaim the 'corner' and still keep the body of your previous chosen kick. Like a Slapper..... ;-)

Also a good tip muta ^^ I have a folder of attacks and tails for sub and crack. You layer them.

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[mutabeatz]

ohh okay i'll play around with that

[mutabeatz]

thank you very much you guys are so helpful

[JoeyThomas]

If your sampler has attack/decay/sustain/release you can try the following to tighten up kick samples:

1. Set attack to 0, as fast as possible.
2. Set sustain and release to 0.
3. Bring the decay down real low, close to 0.
4. Play the sample while slowly bringing the decay up.

As you do this you'll hear the "shape" of the kick changing, getting longer and looser. Envelope picture and sound example attached.

[Karloff70]

Envelopes is something you need to have become totally second nature on ALL your sounds, especially the more important groove placeholders. Turns out to get both a good cutting attack AND the right shape for the body of a kick it is much easier to use two samples. One old trick is to envelope or transient design the shite out of your present kick to the point of only leaving a sharp (to taste, depending how it needs to drop) click of attack, printing that as a separate sample/track and putting the original back to normal. Then put the sharp attack in on top to taste. Or have a set of generally useful attack and tone body samples handy to drop in when needed. Like the Slappers&Fluffers kick tool kit. Excuse the shameless plug....... ;-)

[beat you down]

Originally Posted by Karloff70

Or if you like the way the kick is in the mix, apart from the fact that the distortion has taken the attack away so it doesn't cut through, you could just drop a suitable kick attack portion in there on top of it to reclaim the 'corner' and still keep the body of your previous chosen kick. Like a Slapper..... ;-)

give him some free slappers and fluffers

[Karloff70]

Hell, why not. OP, if you pm me your email address I'll send you the Slappers and Fluffers free of charge.

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[beat you down]

Originally Posted by Karloff70

Hell, why not. OP, if you pm me your email address I'll send you the Slappers and Fluffers free of charge.

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just some! don't go overboard lol

[KT1]

Originally Posted by Karloff70

Hell, why not. OP, if you pm me your email address I'll send you the Slappers and Fluffers free of charge.

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Maybe we should swap. I have shed loads! agree envelope is expected step in sound design.

[teceem]

Originally Posted by mutabeatz

And i think am using digital guessing analogue is hardware.

Nope. Digital is ones and zeros. Analogue is not ones and zeros.
Hardware can be digital OR analogue.
Software can only be digital (duh!)

[KT1]

Originally Posted by teceem

Nope. Digital is ones and zeros. Analogue is not ones and zeros.
Hardware can be digital OR analogue.
Software can only be digital (duh!)

No need for the 'Duh!' He never claimed to know the answer. His statement was that he 'assumed' analogue was hardware. It actually is - but digital as you stated can also be hardware.

For example Muta a motif keyboard is a digital board. There is no analogue components like in an analogue board such as a MOOG.

You have analogue EQ's comps pre's etc.

[teceem]

Originally Posted by KT1

No need for the 'Duh!' He never claimed to know the answer.

It's as logical as "a bird is an animal and not a tree".
edit: the 'duh' was only for software = digital

[KT1]

Originally Posted by teceem

It's as logical as "a bird is an animal and not a tree".
edit: the 'duh' was only for software = digital

I understand buddy but muta seems to be a talented young cat that just wants to learn like all of us. His comments appear genuine and sincere. He also appears to be personable and appreciative. So no need for the hostility right?

Anyways all.good.

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[Tausif]

Create your own drum sounds? look into Waldorf Attack
and yes there is EQing and gating