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Posted by Ian Vanderson on Aug-10-2004 12:56:

Making cool percussion sets

I'm pretty despair of making some well fitting percussion sounds. It's a pitty, cause my melodies are good enough to really get some people excited.

There are some basics, I know yet,i.e. how to set bassdrums, claps and those short "its-its"-sounding short hihats.

But there's always the problem, that my percussions sound lackadaisical or to high or simply to boring. Maybe I choose the wrong instrument settings, maybe the wrong instrument samples, I don't know.

Do you guys know something about a percussion tutorial, where I can learn some more about the basics or is this part of music making just talent and not to learn? Perhaps a good source of percussion samples could help me also. A bassdrum, I sampled from Vadim Zhukov is at the moment my favourite perc. instrument. Thank ya, Vadim

And another question: Is it normal, that I always have to boost high frequencies to actually hear my percussions? Don't like boosting because of the noise, that arised at this.

Posted by Sebraa on Aug-10-2004 13:02:

Add some not standard percussion loops in your project. And DELAY effect makes percussion parts more intelligence! (not use with KICKdrum)
Trance is not only KICK, OPENHAT, CLAP, CLOSED HAT , RIDE <- they are basics, plus few more layers of different percussion effects, loops etc.

Posted by Ian Vanderson on Aug-10-2004 13:16:

Thanx for ya reply, Sebraa. The problem is, that professsionals got some standard percussions, which sound good, even when they are played alone. I wish, I could also have such cool samples. But if I would sample those percussions, I had to "steal" the complete perc set or they won't fit together.

I'm somehow not able to evaluate, wh�re which percussion instrument needs which support, boost or cut. But if anyone else makes some changes to my percussions, I hear the difference and why it is better.

Stupid, isn't it?

Posted by DJ-Igloo on Aug-10-2004 17:16:

As sebraa said loops work wonders but some times even adding in a Sound fx loop with reverb works great even adding some hi hats with the volume cut to abot 40% with reverb and delay work wonders same for things like toms and all other types of insturements like wood block shakers etc make trance tracks great sometimes.

Posted by Subtle on Aug-10-2004 18:09:

cool percussions is all about how all the samples, patterns, FX and sounds fit together... experiencing.. loops often is a great fundamental for a good percussion set