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Making Phat Beats

I want to know how to make some really heavy kicks. I've tried so many times without success, so i thought i'd ask here. I want to make a good solid basskick, writing hard trance. When ever i distort it, it gets all distorted, even with the slightest bit of distortion. All i want is a decent hard beat that doesn't sound fuzzy. Any help would be nice. I have reason and Rebirth to use it with.




p.s. I don't need any comments on the stupidity of my "it gets distorted when i distort it" sentance. I'm aware of how it sounds, but I'm sure you get what i mean.

Are you talking about synthesizing one from scratch? A lot of people sample, but I'm trying to synthesize my own kicks... it's just that they come out mediocre, so I'm stuck layering sampled kicks.

So you think i should just sample one from another track and change it a little. Good idea, I use to do this, but that was before i had any decent software. Thanks, I try this next time.

I'd still like to synthesize them myself though...

I sample scot project kick drums if I want a really hard sounding drum and eq it...

The secret to a great kick drum is compression. Or you can always go sample one (that's what 70% of the pro's do).

I use the graphical EQ in soundforge to play around with my kicks
I find that my kicks are usually too clicky and not bassy enough. I push up the lows, lower the mids and leave the highs alone. I find this solves my problem 80% of the time

btw how do you sample a kick drum from another track?
most tracks dont start off just with a kick drum, there are always hats in there..

I just get one of my drumstation

I usually only use 909 kicks (my drumstation) for trance.. they are good enough for me

quote:

Originally posted by D.Edge one word...Predatohm. go find

Explain please

There are some good tutorials/articles on this subject at www.trancesystem.com
The "fat bottom blues" article by Eufex for example..

Thanks Treo, looks like a pretty good article.

quote:

Or you can always go sample one (that's what 70% of the pro's do

hmmm...70%??? *LOL*
...but nevermind, you're right this is the best way for a newbie to get a quite good sound...

ever listened to Cosmic Gate - The Drums ( I think you have ), this bassdrum can be also be found in an old ATB mix ( 9pm or the follow up , extended version ) you recognize it because it got some hihat...

conclusion: either they got the same sampling CD or one just stole it from the other...

Trancevision

Okay, well the basic gist of that article that trao posted (i haven't read it all yet, just had a quick glimpse) was to sample every bass drum you have. Everytime you get a track, sample the bass drum, and make sure you save any you get from other places. The, alter these samples... filter, eq, compress, etc. Then save them all again. Next, you layer them all over the top of each other, creating combonations. So lyer 2 or 3 or however many and you will get an original sounding, good solid kick. Then do the same with the bass line. I guess it all depends on what kinda bass line you're creating though. Since i'm looking for that Hennes & Cold style eat shit on Scot Project wimpy ass basslines, then this will work. Layering over basslines that have a rythem won't really work (although i might be wring there. I'll never admit to it though). Then put it all together, I imagine using a sequencer. Acid pro would do the job here.

Now, I guess you're all laughing at me cos you already know this, but it should help someone. And if you want to know more, read that article.

I always add distortion to my beats, when they have to be really fat. But you have to be carefull, otherwise with to much distortion, you get hardcore beats...and that's not the intension I suppose.

quote:

Next, you layer them all over the top of each other, creating combonations. So lyer 2 or 3 or however many and you will get an original sounding, good solid kick

Hi hey cheggy,

Layering synthesized bassdrums with acoustic ones works well. Acoustic bassdrums adds some caracter to the sound. You could also layer a synthesized bassdrum with percussion. I haven't got Reason and Rebirth so I could be wrong, but maybe you can make your own 909 bassdrum with Rebirth, then sample it, and then layer it in the Sampler of Reason with an acoustic bassdrum or so. But I think most people just buy sample cd's that have ready to use bassdrums. (and a lot of other drumsamples.) Like the Dance Mega Drums 1&2 cd's.

quote:

When ever i distort it, it gets all distorted, even with the slightest bit of distortion.

I'll guess it's the distortion plug-in that just doesn't work good. I use the Walorf Attack to make my bassdrums and the distortion effect from the Attack works well on it.

Musicmaker

Cool, what i've been doing today was sampling various bass drums off tracks and using the eq's to bring out certain parts of them. Then, using sound forge, cutting them up so the file is just one beat, and using redrum to play them as a drum machine, then export the loop as audio file. Does exactly what i want it to do.

Cheggy.

LAYERING BASSDRUMS...

gotta be careful so that you don't get a stereo bassdrum, this could cause vinyl to jump (...ok..if you get signed )

sometimes layering also sounds shitty if you hear that there are 2 two bassrum ( sounds like a DJ crossfading two tracks )...


Trancevision

record it in mono?

quote:

Originally posted by hey cheggy record it in mono?

lol
...and stop using filter sweeps

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