Getting the perfect kick drum sound

In this video, Atlanta Institute of Music recording instructor Randy Hoexter teaches us how to effectively isolate and remove unwanted tones from a prerecorded kick drum audio track. Using subtractive EQ concepts, Randy shows us how to quickly and easily reveal the true fundamental sound of the kick drum in our recordings.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• AIM
• Atlanta Institute of Music
• Randy Hoexter
• engineering
• mixing
• music
• production
• producer
• recording
• drums
• kick drum
• bass drum
• Logic
• ProTools
• Digital Performer

[patriciasmokes]

Am I the only one who thinks that the EQ'd kick sounds very thin?

[AbstractMatter]

You totally sound like House.

[bugeyedmudafuka2]

@patriciasmokes Bit of compression would fatten it up

[JEDSaje15]

@jrhager84 i totally agree!! you can hear a home recording a mile away even if they have good quality instruments and recording gear because they dont know how to mix, eq, pan, compress, ect.

[frankrizzo442]

Even though I'm not using the same software you are, this was helpful. At least I know what I'm looking for now. Thank you.



[guitartricky]

Awesome video!!! Thanks for the tips!

[guitartricky]

@patriciasmokes Hmm...sounds like it's totally cleaned up to me by his EQ-ing. Thin is subjective. And you'd be surprised how thin certain things need to sound "solo" so that they fit in a mix. You also have to remember that you are listening to a completely dry, non-mastered recording other than the EQ. It's clear this guy is good at what he does.

[randyhoexter]

Thanks for viewing this everyone!

A couple points: first, though triggering might be a good idea, that's not what this video is about... it's about cleaning up shell resonance, which is a result of internal kick mics in general; it would happen without much regard to mic choice.

Also, the "fat" quality of the kick is more a matter of fundamental pitch, which I am not touching here... probably best to adjust that when the bass is in the mix with lower eq bands or outside mics.

[jrhager84]

@randyhoexter

That's why I would supplement with either a tunnel, or a subkick. A good pair of 414's as room mics wouldn't hurt in a good-sounding room either! lol

[jrhager84]

@KushAudio

I don't know of any engineer that would demand that a tracking engineer fly/drive in the drummer to reset and retrack a 'boxy' kick drum mic... If the mic sound was *that* bad, they'd just layer samples in there that match the fundamental tones, and scoop all the mud outta the source track. Practicality goes a loooooong way in this business. Nothing is *ever* perfect, and to chase that windmill is foolish, to me at least.