Getting a really tight thud out of a kick? - not typical metal kick (w/ examples)

[Morgan C]

Hey
I'm using a few samples from here at the moment, pretty typical metal kicks, which isn't bad, but I prefer a more realistic kick. I've experimented a bit but I can't get the sound.. I'm thinking its in the compression and somewhere in the high mids of EQ and having some OH/room ambience and perhaps snare buzz even in there, but I haven't had any luck so far.

http://www.mediafire.com/?f3kju0mtim8

Two songs (three clips - first 2 clips are the same song, different mixes). The second song, third clip, probly wouldn't cut enough in metal, but I think that could be easily altered if you managed to achieve that sound. The first song is by Opeth, so it DOES work in a metal context, I just put it in a soft bit to hear it better. Second song by Porcupine Tree. Hopefully no legal issues here, they're only like 5 second samples.

On a side note, the second sample is from the new 5.1 remix of Still Life by Opeth. Mastered SO much softer than usual mixes and it simply sounds godly.. and I'm only listening in stereo. The snare on that is easily the best I have ever heard, no exaggerations. If you haven't got this record, get it now! ;p

 

[JonWormwood]

Are you recording or using some drum sim like EZ or AD? AD can get fucking awesome 'rock' kicks quite easily over EZ.

 

[Morgan C]

I can record, have a Beta52 and a 22" Export kick, but ultimately I'm using samples... midi drum parts > Sonar's drumming program as triggers > drumagog (there's probably an easier way but this way works well enough. So I can either record my kick and process it and use it as a sample, or use a sample from somewhere else, but I'm not fussed which.

 

[schust]

Hey
I'm using a few samples from here at the moment, pretty typical metal kicks, which isn't bad, but I prefer a more realistic kick. I've experimented a bit but I can't get the sound.. I'm thinking its in the compression and somewhere in the high mids of EQ and having some OH/room ambience and perhaps snare buzz even in there, but I haven't had any luck so far.

yes, i think all those things are a part of it.

for whatever it's worth - i use a combiniation of a few different things to get a little more 'thud' in addition to the 'click'. i like a little of both.

first off - i always stick my BlockFish compressor on the kick. it has a 'saturation' knob that really adds some nice "fatness" in addition to the compression. that's on a "clicky" sample over my mic'd kick. i then sidechain that over to another track that uses a subSynth VST that provides some low-end thud (~50hz). thud to me means low-end with very little ring. i think between tweaking the sample, compressor and EQ (dipping in the boxy area ~400hz), all of this provides that for me.