I've tried everything to get that thundering BOOOOOOOOO000000000oooooooo.....mmm out of Reason and some homemade kicks, but whenever I try to mix it into a song the audio ALWAYS clips.

Thus, when mastering, the parts of the song that are supposed to be epic and powerful are normalized to a really low, unimpressive volume.

I've got the kick on its own Redrum with (in order) a ParaEQ, RV-7 reverb and a compressor, following standard procedure with small EQ boosts at ~20-50 and ~4k (to make it punchier). The compressor is at a 4:1 ratio, with low threshold, no attack, and middle release. The reverb is fine.

Anyone have any problems with this before? Any tips?
And if you have a sec, a little explanation on the Vocoder-as-EQ/Compressor would be helpful too...

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ummm open up a bd sample in soundforge and add some reverb?


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(1) Perhaps a simple rns file would help so that we could check it out. Btw. the compressor in Reason isn't actually very good. You should consider mastering your mix with another software.

(2) The Vocoder can't be used as a compressor ( however there are some routing possibilities in connection with spiders and compressor to create a multiband compressor in Reason ). If you just switch from Vocode mode to eq mode, you can use it as an equalizer by changing the bands ( yellow ) on it.


Tranceivision

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ill make u a rns if i get time mate

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Thanks for the replies guys.

I tried applying reverb in Soundforge a la the first post; It didn't really accomplish much in terms of the sample, and just made it more difficult to arrange the song (unknown reverb length, unable to change, etc.)

I just can't get that boom to be the center of attention without compromizing the overall volume of the song

And it's gotta be loud! I've heard this booooom before a breakdown accomplished before but i'd like to get it done so I can continue on with my song without worry.

EDIT: Here's an .RPS that focuses on the breakdown; don't worry about the saws as it's just a placeholder until i can grab some other noises.

Click for RPS

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Last edited by TonyZ on Nov-21-2004 at 15:26

I think what you're looking for is a synth bass with a downwards pitchbend, not a kick with reverb.

use soundforge and make your own kick, infected mushroom had a tutorol on their website on how to make it, im trying to find it if i cant find the link ill run through and tell you how from memory if i can. ok i cant so ill try to do this from memory so work with me.
Step 1. goto tool->synthesis->FM->
step 2. Select FM Bass Preset
step 3. select current operator 1
Step 4. Change the operation shape to square
Step 5. Put frequency at 20.00Hz
Step 6. Select Operator 2
Step 7. Change Operation Shape to Square
Step 8. Set Frequency to 75.00Hz
Step 9. Click OK
Step 10. Trim Excess Sound on the from of wave form and on back
Step 11. goto Processes->EQ->Graphic
Step 12. raise the Lower shelf and then curve it downward at 75Hz and kill it by 76Hz
Step 13. goto processes->Pitch->Bend
Step 14. it will default or should default to look like its slowly growing amplfy this by creating more modulation on the front of the wave spectrum then hit ok.
Step 15. Then Apply a Compression to this using the wave hammer tool in processes menu, select the drums default and tweak it as needed.
Step 16. i dont think this is right but hey give it a shot maybe you cnat ake what ive explained and figure it out i dont rember exactly how to do this in soundforge. as i use a vsti drum synth called cm-505 which allows me to synthsises all my percussion.

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Last edited by ZxZDeViLZxZ on Nov-25-2004 at 12:39

yeah I think I know what you want... a big reverb kick to accentuate your breakdown... It may be clipping because you have not tried the following things:

Most importantly check the EQ in your track... is there a lot of lows already? Maybe your track's lows with the reverbed kick's lows are conflicting or doubling causing major damage on the meters. Try auxing your reverb with a highpass filter and then turn up the aux knob on the kick track (or EQ some lows out if your reverb has an EQ [I believe the advanced reverb in Reason does]).

If you're using a big bassy reverb on the kick, be sure to make the reverb mono. There's nothing more annoying on headphones than lows that are too wide in stereo, and it could also cause the vynil to skip if it ever gets signed or printed on vynil. This can also prevent clipping since it's mono, the levels are even and easier to mix.

Try a sidechain gate, so that everytime it does boom, the rest of whatever is playing, will duck it and go down in volume...still giving you that big boom impact, and lessening the chance of clipping. This is common technique used in booms of all sorts anyway... especially in hiphop when they want a real phat 808 kick boom, or want real punchy mix peircing drums. Trance uses it too when it does the low triangle-wave bass drop. House uses it a lot too, to have the kick duck the rest of the music. (example artist: Daftpunk)

Don't be discouraged by comments like "that sound can't be done"... or "you'll never get it.. try something else" Where ever there is a will, there is a way to getting that sound. Be sure to keep trying new things. You will amaze yourself at the sounds you come up with.

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Use a compressor first on your mix and afterwards a limiter to remove those peaks at the breakdown would give the track an overall good volume level IMO.

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yeah true... I do that all the time but it could still get muddy if the kick with reverb isn't treated properly

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63-100 is the really boomy bottom end frequencies of kick try boosting those also compressors + kicks = thanks

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I really suck at making music

Thanks for all the great hints guys

I've been busy with school, but when I get a chance I'll upload the song with a fixed breakdown

And a google search turned up the infected mushroom bass tutorial, yours was quite close

Steps I used:
1) Create a FM Bass Synthesizer in Soundforge with a full modulation and only 1 operator at 60Hz
2) Pitch bend it with a 2+/2- semitone range, and a top@0%/bottom@100% straight line
3) Pitch bend it again with a 5+/5- semitone range, and a top/bottom@50% line
4) Delete useless parts
5) Use Wave hammer with Drum preset
6) Delete useless parts, again
7) Finished! It's a really soft kick, more like a whump than a punchy pow, so I repeated the process and made a higher-semitone whomp to the start of the kick to give it that punch and mixed the two together.

Much appreciated!

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Last edited by TonyZ on Nov-26-2004 at 01:03