How to layer actually PHAT kicks
(🎧Use a system that produces proper lows for hearing this one. Phone speaker won't do it any justice 🔊)
If this doesn't help you layer your kicks a little better in terms of their lows, I'll give you your money back.
When I was younger and I was layering kicks for weight, a lot of times the result was much less or worse than I expected. Once I understood their phase relationship, I've been able to layer kicks and make them really fat and weighty.
I wanted to share this nugget that helps you get actually phat layered kicks.
Once again, we're at grassroots level in understanding basic audio principles.
This can help so much more than a magical EQ will.
No expensive third party enhancers needed.
In this video, you will hear what a huge difference a small correction can make.
I will also visually show you why.
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📁⬇️ You can of course download one of the fattest kicks I've ever created.
No bait - I mean it!
DOWNLOAD Fanu's XXL KICK (+ extra thought on what may help) 👇🏻
If you remember the lesson on kick/bass polarity, the very same technique could help here: if the phase relationship between the elements is poor, what may help is simply inverting the polarity (that is, ø, of the track).
Comments (7)
I know I'm being nosy here, but what is the book on the turn tables and are you using the sound boards as a bass trap. Awesome vid as per.
love how simple yet effective this is
often, simple stuff and the right choices in audio go a long way!
Let's say you have two kicks that phase align nicely in a natural way for the "bass" part. What do you do with the tranisents? Isn't a problem if the two transients hit toghether causing a huge spike on the signal? I would apply a volume curve on one of the two to cancel or smooth it. Do you agree?
Yes, I'd be fine rounding the attack on the other kick if it's too punchy and if it's there just for weight. Two competing transients often means less punch than you'd expect. Often when layering breakbeats too, you may find that rounding one lets the other breathe and dominate better.
Question, when you layer kicks do they need to be tuned to the same key or does it not matter?
I’d say yes tuning can definitely help, even with a single kick! Theres been many times over the years that I spend 15 mins EQing a kick in a mix and then try tuning it and it sits better immediately. So yes, always worth trying it in layering, because it does affect the phase relationship.