# Any tips on creating punchy "trailer" drums?



## Guffy (Feb 23, 2015)

For a while i've been trying to improve my hybrid tracks, and there seems to be one component i never become satisfied with. The drums.

I'm gonna post a few examples of the type of sound i wanna create.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnRf6mXTjDE#t=32
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62E4FJTwSuc#t=118
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-XQzp8IQeE#t=68
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLrZh8PKS4I#t=59 (1:03)
http://open.spotify.com/track/77XaZc3sGXLJzJPxVp6GLk 

I guess some of the problems i'm having is that my drums sound sounds too harsh and doesn't ring out as much. I can't seem to get that smooth, yet really powerful big sound.

I've tried layering everything from 8Dio Epic perc to Stormdrum to Damage, compressing, EQing, adding reverb in different stages of the signal chain, but still, not getting the results i want.

With the libraries i mentioned, i think i already have everything i need to be able to do it, no?
Maybe i just need to generally improve my mixing skills? 
If this is the case, does anyone know of any books/tutorials that is relevant?


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## AR (Feb 23, 2015)

Transient designer and/or twintube.


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## Jason_D (Feb 23, 2015)

Try running parallel compression and distortion on the drums and/or side-chaining. I like using surdos and toms with different pitches and multiple recordings for that sort of sound.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Feb 23, 2015)

What Jason says. The New York drum sound.

In case you don't follow what parallel compression is, he's saying to put a compressor on a send, just like a reverb, and squash the holy crap out of the drums - fast attack and release.

Then mix in some of the compressed drums with the direct ones. That gives you the dynamics of the uncompressed drums with the crunch of the squashed ones.


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## Guffy (Feb 23, 2015)

Wow.

Used both parallel compression, a transient designer and a little bit of distortion, it already sounds ALOT better!

Thank you guys so much! :D

Blending many different drums and creating my own custom patches now. Everything is going to be alot easier from now on. I should've asked this question ages ago


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## Black Light Recordings (Mar 31, 2015)

Whoa!
Feels like a door just opened up. I'm going to be working some hybrid tracks just for fun for a while.


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