Kick drum EQ

[Jason Poulin]

I usually like to boost anywhere around 50-100hz for boom

cut from 250-300-800hz for boxyness


for a spike, I'll boost anywhere from 3k to 7k.....

mostly it's been 3.3k and 5-6k on my Great River EQ which sounds absolutely fantastic on kicks.


then maybe a little shine on 10k... if need for a particular style.




And I usually follow the EQ while tracking with a Distressor on dist3 mode with the HP filter engaged taking about 1-2-3db's max.
(I like this because it really bring's it up in your face... and then parallel compression in the mix with an OCL-2 for super punch)

I'll usually HP the kick's EQ too at around 25-30 db to clean up the low end.



Jason

[andychamp]

Originally Posted by Rednose

Thanks, I'm using Cubase SX as well. So eq one track, and leave the other flat, then mix acordingly?

Not just EQ, gate & comp. as well.

Works for me...

[Guidotoons]

Try this:

Take a Shure Beta 52 and stick it inside the drum...pointed DOWN.... and see if you need ANY EQ.

Guido

[redddog]

Down to the floor or at the beater?

[thenoiseflower]

Originally Posted by Guidotoons

Try this:

Take a Shure Beta 52 and stick it inside the drum...pointed DOWN.... and see if you need ANY EQ.

Guido

Agreed.

[Guidotoons]

Originally Posted by redddog

Down to the floor or at the beater?

Inside the drum pointed at the floor. KILLER.

Try it...you'll love it!

I use a 24" '69 Slingerland kick at it rules. I stick it in front of pointed towards the head if it is a double headed kick.

My too sense.....

Guido

[adamaudio]

Perhaps there could be another thread for this titled, "Turn key sounds that are great and really difficult to eq."

In this I'd include dedicated kick drum mics and acoustic guitar DI's.

In my experience I've always found the D112 to be a great mic that I couldn't get to sound any better than what I got out of it in the first place. Super squished 421 is a great sound on kick too - more paw.

[studiohero2010]

Originally Posted by rems

I am always interested in knowing how wide are people boosting or cutting, so as not to affect important frequencies nearby.

as for the Q, or the bandwidth, I have found that playing the track in solo and sweeping the bandwidth to find the point at which our cut/boost begins to bleed into other frequencies (being handled in other ways). Stop there, and dial backwards just a hair to compensate for the difference between our kinestetic reaction time and our auditory reaction time. (i.e. we never stop moving our hands exactly when we're supposed to. compensate for that.)

[MickeyMassacre]

If the kick is playing fast boosting 60 would sound terrible. For Metal, I usually cut around 60hz, boost between 80-120hz, and scoop starting around 200-220 up til it sounds right for the song.

[robertshaw]

Originally Posted by Rednose

Boost 60 hz
cut 300 hz
boost 3.2 kz
boost top end

this all depends on the tuning/size of the drum and mic/mic placement you can't always just cut at 300...or automatically boost at 3.2

sometimes the cardboard its a little higher or a little lower if you use the same mic and kick drum sure it could always be 300 but it all depends? The harder the guy hits the frequency varies also. Same with the beater,
wood or plastic? all depends....all different sounds. there is no set frequency for drums you have to take into account the tuning, the player and the the mic/mic placement. All this depends on the the given situation
What you have listed can only be considered a starting point. But even then it's really not.