Drum Tweaking Techniques

LMNO

ILLIEN
ill o.g.
I know the usual EQ, compression, filter, pitch, layering etc. Are those what most artists use to create drums? Are there any other techniques?

I have this drum sample that DJ Premier uses and I'm trying to see how he flipped it. I use EQ, compression, filters, pitch, I can't get it. I'm wondering if I'm missing something here. It sounds similar to the original sample, but there's a significant twist to it.
 
T

TuTone

Guest
probably a little bit of reverb, chorus, and pitch shift. expiriment with it, maybe you'll get somethin better.
 

Architect

ILLIEN
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 3
LMNO said:
I know the usual EQ, compression, filter, pitch, layering etc. Are those what most artists use to create drums? Are there any other techniques?

I have this drum sample that DJ Premier uses and I'm trying to see how he flipped it. I use EQ, compression, filters, pitch, I can't get it. I'm wondering if I'm missing something here. It sounds similar to the original sample, but there's a significant twist to it.

You have to listen very closely to try and emulate whatever drum sample your referring too, but also remember he's had that sample/track mastered in the end so your forgetting about what the mastering engineer may have done to it. Your ears are your best friend though, depending on the equipment Premier used, techniques and your skill level and what equipment you have available to do it like he did it may be tough to get it exact but it should be a good exercise for you.

Regards,
 

LMNO

ILLIEN
ill o.g.
It's the "You Know My Steez" from Ganstarr's Album. It uses the Grand Master Flash drums on "Flash Is On The Beat Box"

Is that layering? All I know is that it sounds like he sampled it on low bit rate to make it gritty. Other than that it just sounds slightly different, I dont' know.
 
A

Absoul Diggs

Guest
I try to emulate preem's drums - not cause I wanna bite or anything like that - just 'cause some of his drums are so simple and hard. And I'm getting there, actually.

I layered and eq'ed my way to a basic hard, mid-heavy snare, which in it self is cool, but not interesting enough for a whole beat. So what I do is take that basic snare and layer even more shit on it, so that it will fit whatever beat I'm doing. This way, I can get loads of different sounds and punches to my drums, all having a definitely hard edge.

As far as kicks, my routine is as follows: layer, layer, layer, eq, truncate, repeat. I don't really fuck with the pitch (this goes for my snares as well), cause changing it sometimes makes the sound really dull - the low-pitched sound can -and will be- archieved through proper layering anyway.

Those were the words, hope you can use it

Peace

Absoul

absouldiggs.mymusic.dk
 

Rhythmikal

Beat's Disciple
ill o.g.
Preemo uses an MPC 60, so you will probably never get the same sound. (unless u got a 60...)

sAfE.
 

JPeg

ILLIEN
ill o.g.
Rhythmikal said:
Preemo uses an MPC 60, so you will probably never get the same sound. (unless u got a 60...)

sAfE.


that is very true u can get knocking drums without an mp but if ur trying to get the exact same sound u may be hard pressed to do so.

mainly due to the unique circuits used in the mpc 60, those A/D's do add something to the sound that is hard to explain but is definately noticable
 

bigdmakintrax

BeatKreatoR
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 123
Ok here is a Hint.....I use Envelopes when snatching snares....or any sound I want to isolate...you know how you get a snare you like but you don't really like all of the air or FX they used in the mix around it?.....I experimented with this and actually had a snare that had a sound that hit at the same time I worked with it enuff to completely lift the other sound out of the snare so I have the exact snare......I haven't really used it for other sounds but you can almost extract any sound from the surrounding mix .......I just recently found this out completely on my own......once you isolate any sound you can then equ that isolated sound then layer it and then recombine it with the original sample to make it fatter.......but I am listening to the Drumz in you know my Steez right now...those drumz remind me of either some 12 bit drums from the sp12 or sp1200 with some compression.....you experiment with compression and some fat samples.......bangin beats has some drum samples like that though.....
 

nas2000xl

The Ripper
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 1
i read an article on Premier a while back and Premier stated that he layer his kicks with 6 or 7 different kicks to make them stand out. and his favorite sampler is the mpc60. but he do sample with the sp1200 and mpc3000..
 

erkl

Funky Walker Dirty Talker
ill o.g.
if u cant afford an mpc 60, s950, or s900, download a copy of abelton live and use the bit reduction effect, also cubase/nuendo comes with a bitcrusher, drop it down to 12 bit, or however low u wanna go. i find its best to resample your drums through these fx dry, before u start adding verbs or any shit, cuz otherwise your drumtrack is gonna sound like its commin from a commadore 64.
which is cool if thats what your goin for.....
 
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