Hi guys,

as a relatively new producer i would like some help from the more experienced ones on the forum with regards to clap sounds. What im trying to do is layer a couple of claps, maybe even three, in order to achieve the desired sounds as i find that one sample alone very rarely has enough presence in the mix. The problem im having is that as soon as i layer a second clap, the output on the mixer tends to peak way into the red. In order to compensate i have to turn the volume of each sample down, which results in the finished layered sound being much quieter than even the original. My question therefore is how do i achieve a loud, layered clap sound, but at the same time avoid the output clipping? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

You can try EQing the claps so that their peak frequencies don't add up as drastically. Or you can compress them so that the volume jump isn't so large. Or you can look for different samples that don't clash so much.

volume wont change the ''tonal'' characteristics of the sound, unless its so loud it clips


however, if you like the sound then it is actually clipping, consider lowering the volume, then putting distortion on your layered clap

i have also found that with certain snares and claps, even though I like their sound, they always tend to sit behind the mix even when near clipping and compressed. Not entirely sure how to overcome this...

quote:

Originally posted by ClearWater i have also found that with certain snares and claps, even though I like their sound, they always tend to sit behind the mix even when near clipping and compressed. Not entirely sure how to overcome this...

Yeah, sometimes when that happens to me it's because the sample has reverb already in it or too much stereo width.

quote:

Originally posted by paa1605 Hi guys, as a relatively new producer i would like some help from the more experienced ones on the forum with regards to clap sounds. What im trying to do is layer a couple of claps, maybe even three, in order to achieve the desired sounds as i find that one sample alone very rarely has enough presence in the mix. The problem im having is that as soon as i layer a second clap, the output on the mixer tends to peak way into the red. In order to compensate i have to turn the volume of each sample down, which results in the finished layered sound being much quieter than even the original. My question therefore is how do i achieve a loud, layered clap sound, but at the same time avoid the output clipping? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Can you post a sample of a clap that is clipping and a clap that isn't loud enough. Because, when I layer my claps, they never clip, even when the clap is way to loud compared to the rest of the track.

Do you have a limiter or compressor on your masterbus which is set too high?

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Clap is so 90s

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quote:

Originally posted by Subtle Clap is so 90s

Ah, we got ourself a snareboy

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Yeah, compression and EQ should do the trick, as well as panning. Try panning them slightly apart (e.g., 10-15% L/R) so they aren't completely stacked on top of each other.

Regarding EQ - try to isolate/emphasize the portion of each sample that you like using peak and hi/lo-pass filters and EQ the rest out.

Also, consider the quality of your samples. Many samples come pre-clipped (i.e., transients chopped off by over-limiting). For example, the Thomas Penton samples (as much as I love them so far) are terribly over-limited, which makes them work fine on their own, but makes it difficult to get good results by layering. When layering, you often only want the transients to pop through, but if the transients have been chopped off, then all you're left with is the "meat" of the waveform and layering thick sounds don't usually work all that well in my experience.

One last consideration is whether your samples are stereo or mono - I find that I often get pretty bad results (including clipping) when layering stereo kick and snare samples, so I generally tend to bounce them to mono.

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Try taking a small section out of a clap from the very beginning so you have a glitch type of sound. You can use a few instances of this sound. Add it just before your clap sounds. You could pan them a bit if you like. Keep the volume lower on these "pre-claps" though.

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i think a big point missed here is timing. Most of the big snare/clap combos you hear in really good dance records have the clap just before the beat the snare on it and possibly a 3rd one with a bigger tail. They're really just using the best of all 3 samples (1 for the transient, one for the quanitization and one for the tail). When i get in the studio tonight i'll list some good snare/clap examples and showcase how i stacked 'em

^^^very good point^^^

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