Are we not tellin or is this a Industry Secret?

[dacalion]

After reading several threads about producers having problems finding tight beats, I decided to start a new thread and ask you guys this...Why aren't you making your own sounds by processing your drum kits? It kinda seems that I'm the only one doing this or either its an industry secret that nobody is sharing...lol. I've heard so many people say that the program they are using has either corny beats or only a few that they like. The thing is, I agree with you and I feel the same way but I started processing beats and it works well for me. As producers we all strive to find PHAT beats but I know that theres a better way than pulling your hair out trying to find new drum kits or downloads on the net. Even something as simple as an EQ and a reverb can help change a beat into something special for a beginner. For the Novice and Pros, I'm sure you guys already do this with more complex hardware/software processors but I haven't seen anyone suggest it yet. So I'm wondering what the deal is? To me its just like taking a well known sample and making something totally different out of it but doing it with drums. Give me your input on this.

holla,--dacal

 

[Cold Truth]

well, i feel you here dac.... some of us do not have the gear to really alter the drums that we have.... i often run my drums through the cheap compressor in my korg pxr4 before samling into the mpc, and i will layer my "hip hop" sounding drums with the acoustic ones from my motif rack, and i have really taken to using a percussion section in my tracks, and creating snares from various things (on your mpc, put a sidestick at the 1.90 and 2.10, and put, say, a clap on the 2..... run that sound into your mixer and add whatever effects you want and sample it into the mpc... you now have a very nice snare!!!) it always helps to have a good assortment of drums on hand for those days that you dont want to, or simply cant come up with a created set...

plus, when you start doing things in the stereo realm, you are opened up to various pan settings and options, putting three sounds together at different pan marks, and this effect will vary depending on what you use and how you do it, but by these types of methods, you can make mediocre sounding drums into very "pro" sounding drums...

i suggest experimenting with time signatures with hi hats, shakers, etc., and resampling short sequences to give this section of your tracks a different feel.................. another things drum roles!!!! they really are not hard to simulate on an mpc, although most tend to think that they are.... start at the .75 mark, hit the snare at a velocity of .10, go to .85 at v.20, and hit your snare on the 2 (or wherever it is..) and you have a pretty good roll now. anyways, dont really know how much this would help some of you but i thought i would offer some things that i use to add character, depth, and "realness" to my tracks....... sometimes if you go about using what you have in a different way, you can extend the life of that sound, and find that while your current drum selection isnt the greatest, your beats now have much more pesonality than the next guys, and a lot of times, the artist will choose the creative mind over the guy with the $20,000 setup, because the guy with the creative mind will explode when he finally obtains worthy resorces to display his talent with.

 

[Copenhagen]

The reason I always suggest expanding their catalogues of drums/sounds first is because that's the way I started out and I found it easier to start out with some drums/sounds that at least got me going and inspired me to do something.
Later, when everything was on a roll, then I started to e.g. layer 10 snares on top of eachother, panning, compressing, reverbing, pitching stuff etc.

 

[Qwerty]

Originally posted by dacalion
After reading several threads about producers having problems finding tight beats, I decided to start a new thread and ask you guys this...Why aren't you making your own sounds by processing your drum kits? It kinda seems that I'm the only one doing this or either its an industry secret that nobody is sharing...lol. I've heard so many people say that the program they are using has either corny beats or only a few that they like. The thing is, I agree with you and I feel the same way but I started processing beats and it works well for me. As producers we all strive to find PHAT beats but I know that theres a better way than pulling your hair out trying to find new drum kits or downloads on the net. Even something as simple as an EQ and a reverb can help change a beat into something special for a beginner. For the Novice and Pros, I'm sure you guys already do this with more complex hardware/software processors but I haven't seen anyone suggest it yet. So I'm wondering what the deal is? To me its just like taking a well known sample and making something totally different out of it but doing it with drums. Give me your input on this.

holla,--dacal

What do you mean? like sampling a drum loop or just a snare?

 

[dacalion]

Qwerty,
I've seen a bunch of threads saying that producers are having problems finding some good drum beats { i.e. Reason, Fruity Loops, blah blah blah }. These programs don't have the hottest beats, they are pretty generic in my opinion. I've seen a ton of replies to this problem but none suggesting to do your own processing rather than searching all over the world for that special sounding beat whether its a snare hit, bass hit or anything in between. All I'm asking is..."why are we keeping this a secret?" and I'm suggesting that we { producers } explore another option, make our own sounds.

Truth,
I feel you on the affordability issue and just by running it thru your KORG's compressor you've already taking the next step towards putting your own flavor on it eventhough it may not be the most high tech way of processing, you have crossed that line of taking something and making it original.

Cope,
I'm feeling what you're saying too. I started out with a BOSS DR-202...{ stop laughing...lol} but even with that I still ran it thru a $50 EQ and a $ 25 reverb just to attempt at making it more original....hahaha. But on the real, I feel what you're saying.

The main point of this thread was to help those suffering with "CFPB syndrome" { Can't Find Phat Beats }.

 

[JPeg]

i aint bothered with all that take a wack sound and fuck with it for 7 days till it bangs.
I rather start with a dope sound than layer it up if i feel to and just make tracks i aint no sound engineer im still an artist so i wanna express an idea or make a song 1st and foremost

 

[Cold Truth]

hmmmm.......... if thats the case, then this thread wasnt for you!!! it really is just pointers for those who are having a hard time getting good drums... and its basically just suggestions that apply to any situation, regardless of quality, that go a long way towards making you a better producer. who doesnt want the best sounds to work with? we all want that... but sometimes having the best makes one spoiled! i started out with that dr 202 dac... i hate that thing, it sounds awful.... it does have its merits, and you can edit your drums for days, and it did have its own effects for each sound (although limited) but the step recorder was a nightmare... maybe the sounds are better than i remember, because i had it for a few years....

 

[fame_keyz]

i buy drum sounds....i dont think nothing is wrong with it cause if you could see what i do to them once i get them then you might want to buy them off me. but i have a shyt load of pluggins (thanks to my girl) i run drums in and out off anything i dont care if its auto tune or the mic mod. i just cant dig for sounds...to build a collect that somebody else has will cost me a lot of time and money but if if i buy sounds i got the blue print but its still up to me to build the house and paint it so thats where changing the sounds up comes in. I really neve ask the question how do this big name producer get this drum cause the more money and equipment you have the harder it really is to answer that question...i would feel more better asking "How do Truth Told, Jpeg,dacalion, ect get there drums o do this or that." at lease ill get a answer from the horse mouth instead of what people think this or that producer do....We all coming up, like it or not together we are so if we share a lil info here and there and one of us making then we should know we have sounds or what not cause we know for a fact. one!

 

[inrctyhoodmusic]

Originally posted by fame_keyz
i buy drum sounds....i dont think nothing is wrong with it cause if you could see what i do to them once i get them then you might want to buy them off me. but i have a shyt load of pluggins (thanks to my girl) i run drums in and out off anything i dont care if its auto tune or the mic mod. i just cant dig for sounds...to build a collect that somebody else has will cost me a lot of time and money but if if i buy sounds i got the blue print but its still up to me to build the house and paint it so thats where changing the sounds up comes in. I really neve ask the question how do this big name producer get this drum cause the more money and equipment you have the harder it really is to answer that question...i would feel more better asking "How do Truth Told, Jpeg,dacalion, ect get there drums o do this or that." at lease ill get a answer from the horse mouth instead of what people think this or that producer do....We all coming up, like it or not together we are so if we share a lil info here and there and one of us making then we should know we have sounds or what not cause we know for a fact. one!

Yo Fame I'm not trying to call you out or anything me and you had our little beef at one point then we ironed it out but I never heard one of your joints...Would you be willing to post in the next showcase??I am not trying to call you out in anyway and I don't doubt you skills I just want to hear a beat to put to the name

 

[fame_keyz]

i wouldnt have a prob with that but other than finding out whats wrong with my daw's or tweaking xp or just downloading the next update for this or that...i dont know how to put up a beat on anyweb site. but yea intercity you want to catch a ear of the upstate flav. maybe if i drop a bomb i could come out to nyc and hang out with ya. help get a beat up as far as what i need to to and i ll do it.

 

[inrctyhoodmusic]

I might be coming that way in a couple of months ..How far is Syracuse from Arburn cf..


WWW.MusicMatch.Com

You download the musicmatc juke box it can turn wav files to mp3..If you have a cd with beats on it you can record the whole thing into your pc as mp3's....

www.soundclick.com

You join soundclick as a band after that's done you go to add new songs click on robust upload ..it uploads straight from your pc..click browse find the mp3 you want to upload and then you copy the band page and paste it in the showcase

 

[fame_keyz]

The Burn is about 25 minutes from the Cuse...i use to be up there getting money. but im gona have to check all that what you wrote down later...i got a t moblie side kick and i cant be doing all of that on it. but thanks....

 

[God]

I believe there needs to be an effective assessment of the utilisation of processing via pre or post sets in the creation of chain to change the sound of a preset drum sound.

No, it is not an industry secret that processing is used as a method of formulating different colours and characteristics of base drum kit samples utilised. Rather, it is a positive epiphany that you have come to this conclusion.

The most effective way of gaining a head start versus other individuals not aware of this yet, is the utilisation of FX and other processing characteristics inherent in DAW solutions. Programs like ProTools, Logic, Cubase, Sonar, Wavelab, and Cool Edit, all contain dynamics, FX, and other sophisticated processing mechanisms which may enhance your drum sound to get that stated "phat beat."

An expansive drum sample library is always a potent arsenal, however the effective methodology of colouring and creating different processing textures that the base sample is subject to are all possible with current and rather cheap DAW solutions to the most expensive.

Sincerely,
God

 

[KIRK T]

nope

"all possible with current and rather cheap DAW solutions to the most expensive"..

I couldnt disagree more. You can't duplicate the flavor of an SP1200 with software. In fact, from my experience even the best plug ins pale in comparison to the real thing like a Urei 1176 compressor, or a pultec eq, or droppin drums on analog tape & resampling.

These things can't be reproduced with the same flavor. I've been doing sound design for over 10 years now, professionally for over 7..

 

[Cold Truth]

he didnt say anything about RE-creating anything; he said that you can create different textures using the base sound with the current software. if you have been doing sound design for 10 years, i am sure you have great knowledge regarding this topic, but your argument is a bit out of place. we do not have to recreate a particular sound, or even imitate. using software is cheaper, more convenient, and all in all we can do different things than we could in the past, and so new things can be created.

 

[egokilla]

I process each one-shot that I use. (I sell sample cd's: 10 gigs of one-shots for 30.00) allot of artists process their own one-shots, I think less people do it in Hip-Hop as most of the beat poducers I have read talk about running their drumloop through a SansAmp or a similar compressor. PLus, alot of hip-hop cats still beat juggle, thus making processing each drum sound a hassle. (although it can be done)

I take some sounds from my drum series, run them in SoundForge with a very specific processing technique to create my signature sound.

Every sound you hear in this beat was processed externally before being pounded out in the MPC.. (I like it dirty)

http://www.godarchy.com/pollard/eGo/redrum_hiphop02.mp3

http://www.godarchy.com/pollard/eGo/redrum_hiphop02x.mp3

 

[dacalion]

egokilla, im feelin you on processing each one shot that you use. That is helpful info to those that are new to the game and its good info for those that are bangin their heads tryin to figure out how to get new drum sounds. Thats the kinda info that will help. Thanks for the response and welcome to the ILLEST!

Oh, and nice beats, good job...

peace,--dacalion

 

[Ash Holmz]

its weird ....i can't just use a sound without doing anything to it. I just cant. i got to alter it layer it..sumthin.. even if the sound is bangin ill add a lil somthin to it, a compressor, reverb....to make it my own

 

[dacalion]

Im feeling that Holmzini, I do the same thing...I just don't get that satisfaction when I use a sample drum and NOT process it. I feel as if I have to modify it and make it have my own personal touch. There are alot of cats who sample drums and leave them as they are and I'm not knocking them but I like playing and testing with my ish. thanks for the input...

--dacalion