DanDnB
Bass and Drums
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2009
- Location
- Miami, Florida, USA
Hi guys,
I know this is probably a very broad topic, so i want my questions to be as specific as possible. Although some of the answers are subjective (like 'this' sounds better than 'that') type of thing, I'm sure there are basic guidelines when analyzing spectrums.
So here is my first question,
When I start out making a beat, I go with the basic
BOOM---CHACK--BOOM-CHACK
1-5-11-13 if you know what i mean.
From there the skies the limit, sometimes i layer in hats and short cymbals. Ill throwstuff in between to make it sound faster, ghost snares, ghost kicks or whatever.
Sometimes I feel like I dont layer enough, so when i add another layer of instrument, I have to be real careful because im running out of audible room. And this is the problem.
When I listen to a good DnB track i notice how all the percussions are easily discerned. I can pick out every layer and say 'this layer goes like this, and that layer goes like that' etc...
For example, the song Sun King by State of Mind. (This song has lots of layers)
The hats, kicks, snares, etc... sit perfectly.
I have an analyzer and assuming i chose a basic snare that hits at 230, i will cut all frequencies that are unused except the harmonics, probably in the 460 range ill leave. The rest i roll off, not cut totally.
Sometimes i leave a little high end for the main CHACK snare.
The problem is when I layer, a lot of sounds are in the same frequency range. For instance lets say i have some bright cymbals going on 8th notes, those are hitting 7khz. But my Hihats happen to sound sweet at 3500 with a harmonic at 7khz. And if i cut the Hats 7khz than it sounds like shit.
If i dont cut the hats at 7khz, the cymbals will be interfered badly by the hats. Thus lies my problem, which frequencies do I keep, and which do i cut?
Sometimes i wish i could keep them all, they all sound good. Granted a kick drum doesnt need a 7khz band, but even a little high end on a kick drum sounds good. So where does it end?
Am I the only one getting frustrated with audible placement? I need some hope that there is more to this than just 20-20khz.
Thanks!
I know this is probably a very broad topic, so i want my questions to be as specific as possible. Although some of the answers are subjective (like 'this' sounds better than 'that') type of thing, I'm sure there are basic guidelines when analyzing spectrums.
So here is my first question,
When I start out making a beat, I go with the basic
BOOM---CHACK--BOOM-CHACK
1-5-11-13 if you know what i mean.
From there the skies the limit, sometimes i layer in hats and short cymbals. Ill throwstuff in between to make it sound faster, ghost snares, ghost kicks or whatever.
Sometimes I feel like I dont layer enough, so when i add another layer of instrument, I have to be real careful because im running out of audible room. And this is the problem.
When I listen to a good DnB track i notice how all the percussions are easily discerned. I can pick out every layer and say 'this layer goes like this, and that layer goes like that' etc...
For example, the song Sun King by State of Mind. (This song has lots of layers)
The hats, kicks, snares, etc... sit perfectly.
I have an analyzer and assuming i chose a basic snare that hits at 230, i will cut all frequencies that are unused except the harmonics, probably in the 460 range ill leave. The rest i roll off, not cut totally.
Sometimes i leave a little high end for the main CHACK snare.
The problem is when I layer, a lot of sounds are in the same frequency range. For instance lets say i have some bright cymbals going on 8th notes, those are hitting 7khz. But my Hihats happen to sound sweet at 3500 with a harmonic at 7khz. And if i cut the Hats 7khz than it sounds like shit.
If i dont cut the hats at 7khz, the cymbals will be interfered badly by the hats. Thus lies my problem, which frequencies do I keep, and which do i cut?
Sometimes i wish i could keep them all, they all sound good. Granted a kick drum doesnt need a 7khz band, but even a little high end on a kick drum sounds good. So where does it end?
Am I the only one getting frustrated with audible placement? I need some hope that there is more to this than just 20-20khz.
Thanks!