EQ'ing Drums

J

jack2290

Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2011
Location
Bristol
Major novice question here , but i was wandering do you guys change/alter the eq on your kick drum once more elements like the bassline are introduced?

If i have my kick drum sounding quite prominent and punchy, once the bassline comes in the levels start clipping. Whereas if i EQ them so it fits well with the bass, the drums on the intro sound weak and flat.
 
Good question.

You'll definitely want to EQ your kick within the context of the whole mix, bass included. If you find that no matter what process(e)s you throw at the kick (EQ, sidechain compression, etc.) it's still not sitting properly with the bass, you may need to either try tuning the kick (toss it in a sampler and audition using different keys) or simply finding a new kick to use.

I know it may not be the answer you wanted, but I assure you it will save you many wasted hours trying to EQ the hell out of a kick that may just not "fit" in the mix due to its timbre.

Cheers.
 
Notch out the bass with eq where the fundamental of the kick is hitting. Or as lostnthesound mentioned, if the fundamental of kick is close to the sub's, you might need a different kick or eq the kick rather severely to have a different dominant frequency.
That said I have had patterns where the bassline hits at the same time as the kick, so I eq just those kicks (since they hit at the same time it is still a punchy downbeat) but maybe only done this twice and it is a bit of a pain to set up and keep track of.
 
Most of the time you'll want to eq the sub out of your kick. The snare is important too, cut out everything below the 'punch' point, probably a good idea to put a final highpass eq on your drums bus also.
 
You could also automate the kicks LP cut off so let's say during the intro it's cut off is low, or even off completely, sounding big and heavy. Then when the sub hits set the LP filter to pass at say 80hz.

I know this isn't the answer your after but a handy tip to give the impression your kick is HUGE as once other elements hit your ear "should" be distracted to them and not so much the weight of your kick.
 
Prideinyouride said:
You could also automate the kicks LP cut off so let's say during the intro it's cut off is low, or even off completely, sounding big and heavy. Then when the sub hits set the LP filter to pass at say 80hz.

I know this isn't the answer your after but a handy tip to give the impression your kick is HUGE as once other elements hit your ear "should" be distracted to them and not so much the weight of your kick.
Click to expand...

Great tip!
 
I usually sidechain the bassline with the EQed kick drum to avoid clipping. It sounds a bit of wobbly though... but well that's how I do it to avoid clipping... :)
 
A simple enveloper on the kick attack can make it cut thru aswell. Also learn about perceived loudness of kicks, it doesnt have to be subby to be heard.
 
You can split your basslines into sub and low-mid/mid frequencies. Filter out around 100hz and let the Kick come through. Side chaining can do it also, but can sound a bit "pumpy".
Eq or filter your kick, roll off the sub a bit and check for errant high frequencies. Ditto with your snare, but highlight around 200hz to let it snap.
It's just a case of letting each element have it's own frequency space.
 
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