break advice...

[sotalex]

ey guys,

I just made 2 breaks (which I uploaded to Z-share), but they both just sounds so stiff. I'm having a lil problem at the moment with making breaks.

Is there a way to spicy these breaks up, and give it a nice warmy feel?

break 1
http://www.zshare.net/audio/606384687a57b891/

break 2
http://www.zshare.net/audio/60638635b33c85c1/

cheers for the advice...

 

[KEMZ]

do you mean swing as opposed to warmth>?

warmth implies your sound is brittle and thin and lacking body....
what are you creating these breaks, Audio in the sequencer or a drum machine / midi?

 

[sotalex]

using audio in a sequencer

and I mean warmth like in having a full punchy break, mine is has the right percussion samples and all (I think) but it is just so thin and indeed lacking body, if you know where I'm going...

any tips on this?

 

[chromey]

EQ/compression?

 

[*State]

using audio in a sequencer

and I mean warmth like in having a full punchy break, mine is has the right percussion samples and all (I think) but it is just so thin and indeed lacking body, if you know where I'm going...

any tips on this?

yeah, 1st download loads of old breaks, funk breaks...EG; amen,funky mule etc etc(there are loads mate!).

2. chop your break up in your favorate chopper.

3. Get some quality single drum hits for the body/punch of the drum sound, eq 'till satisfaction emerges. ie. kick sits nicely with the bass etc etc.

3.high pass the break for optimum freaquency-age lol.

4. mix the two together, you want the break kinda shuffling away discreatly in the backround (or whatever really).

maybe add the odd bongo or two here and there. im saure there's more but cant remember atm

 

[subprime]

Layers and eq.
If you think you need more snap in the kick, find a sample with a fast attack, envelope the body/tail out of it and layer it with your kick.
If your snare needs body find a rattley acoustic snare sample or a clap or some white noise and layer that with your snare, again using an envelope to isolate the bit you want.
Overall layer some filtered breaks, cymbally/hatty sounds in the background to flesh out the whole break.
Lots more to do, but just search for tutorials. There's plenty

 

[sati]

boost 250hz on the snare
look up parallel compression on google, do this to your DRUM BUS
BUS your DRUMS to a channel where you have a natural reverb (and only the WET signal)
use sidechain compression on the bassline (using your drums as the sidechain source) [look that up on google too]
make sure your EQ follows a gradual curve down (in amplitude) from around 300-18K
layer drum sounds, but make sure things are in tune or you get drum soup
start researching dynamics, transients, compression, limiting, equalizing, etc. if you really want to get into it


P.S. *State's post had two #3s in the list

 

[sook]

gate your hits to make more room
in your mix.. .
you can shape the envelope by adjusting
the hold and release...
compressing as group is good... Waves API 2500
is a great compressor... my current choice for drums..

by yeah layer, EQ, distort...

listen to your mix... what does it need...??
there are no gloden rules or absoltue way
to achieve perfect drums (or indeed any element in your mix)
if your in a good room with decent monitors...
trust your ears...

but most of all use good samples...

cant polish a turd...

 

[sotalex]

yeah I've got loads of breaks and samples with high quality, and did about everything what y'all been saying...
I also used a drum buss on both breaks with a lil bit of reverb, some compression(I'll try to use the Waves API 2500 next time thnx mate) and dynamics... they maybe could indeed use a lil bit of distortion tho...

I'm not a big fan of layering a lot of kick drums or snares because you can take out a lot of room in the mix...

thnx for the advice tho'...

 

[KEMZ]

what sort of monitors are you listening back to this drum beat on? hopefully something substantial enough to hear it properly

you should be able to get the right punch and loudness by first selecting the correct sounds to layer together, eg 2 or 3 kicks with good characteristics that compliment - and careful EQ'ing of those individual parts should get you nearer to where you want to go. you dont have to layer alot of them, just the right ones.

 

[*State]

boost 250hz on the snare
look up parallel compression on google, do this to your DRUM BUS
BUS your DRUMS to a channel where you have a natural reverb (and only the WET signal)
use sidechain compression on the bassline (using your drums as the sidechain source) [look that up on google too]
make sure your EQ follows a gradual curve down (in amplitude) from around 300-18K
layer drum sounds, but make sure things are in tune or you get drum soup
start researching dynamics, transients, compression, limiting, equalizing, etc. if you really want to get into it


P.S. *State's post had two #3s in the list

You bastard! LOL!