With my mock ups Id like to work out a nice solid sounding orchestral bass drum that cuts through a mix, has plenty of punch and body, but isn't muddy. The best example is the bass drum in any of Telarc's recordings (those specifically) of Star Wars. I have the bass drums from EWSO, the orchestral kit from Impact Soundworks, and APE Elements. I also got that bass drum from Drums of the Deep. Is it just a matter of parallel compression and mixing with what I have, or is there a bass drum out there with more goose that I don't realize? I've only been able to achieve the desired effect by mixing ablions epic drums, toms, and one of those bass drums but still not there. Thoughts?
Orchestral Bass Drum
- Thread starter Daisser
- Start date
AlexanderSchiborr
Senior Member
Hi Daisser,
Can you maybe provide a short sample of your work so that I can evulate better where the problem is? Thank you. I don´t step into those problems that much, maybe it could be a choice of mix or orchestration? Remeber the orchestral bassdrum is very powerful and one of the loudest instruments in the orchestra.
What I do sometimes is to atenuate a little bit the boxiness of the bassdrum around 300 Hz - 350 Hz with a multiband compression, but aside from that I don´t do much with the bassdrum. Another point or trick is: Don´t put the bassdrum exactly on the point where the cliffhanger reaches its peak, put the BD a bit before or short after, as it helps the sound cut through better.
Can you maybe provide a short sample of your work so that I can evulate better where the problem is? Thank you. I don´t step into those problems that much, maybe it could be a choice of mix or orchestration? Remeber the orchestral bassdrum is very powerful and one of the loudest instruments in the orchestra.
What I do sometimes is to atenuate a little bit the boxiness of the bassdrum around 300 Hz - 350 Hz with a multiband compression, but aside from that I don´t do much with the bassdrum. Another point or trick is: Don´t put the bassdrum exactly on the point where the cliffhanger reaches its peak, put the BD a bit before or short after, as it helps the sound cut through better.
Slide the midi note forward or back a bit and see how that changes the sound in the mix, often a little bit will make it pop through.Moving the note around is a good idea, plus I'll consider the Comp points you noted Alex. I found I get closest to what I want when I use the 'sloppy' articulations on some of the spitfire drums (it's not what its called but I think you get what I mean). On Sunday I will provide an example with a direct comparison of what I'm looking for but I'm away from my studio now.
P.N.
Senior Member
Hi, Daisser.
Besides the advices you've already received, maybe you could also try other bass drums and/or articulations.
Soft and hard mallets produce a very different sound.
Also, while i'm not sure you own these products, Damage and Kontakt Factory Library also have bass drums.
The Kontakt Factory Library actually comes with 2.
Cheers
Besides the advices you've already received, maybe you could also try other bass drums and/or articulations.
Soft and hard mallets produce a very different sound.
Also, while i'm not sure you own these products, Damage and Kontakt Factory Library also have bass drums.
The Kontakt Factory Library actually comes with 2.
Cheers
afterlight82
Active Member
HZ Perc, Alan Meyerson's stereo mix, the big low boom (not the gallery version), use lower velocities for weight and higher for punch, turn it up high. Really great.
Layer if needsbe (a great trick is to layer a very softly hit bass drum, like the bottom velocity and turn the volume up a bunch, and mix it with the same drum hit hard). The reality is if you hit a bass drum really hard it'll have good smack but less weight, and soft, no smack but great weight, so a marriage of the two is great. Or for a single orch hit one, well, you have to find one where the tuning works best with the track, the room sound vs. close is good...there is no universal right option. The biggest thing is people often hit it too hard then turn it down so the "crack" of the sound balances....and then wonder why there's no bottom end.
Layer if needsbe (a great trick is to layer a very softly hit bass drum, like the bottom velocity and turn the volume up a bunch, and mix it with the same drum hit hard). The reality is if you hit a bass drum really hard it'll have good smack but less weight, and soft, no smack but great weight, so a marriage of the two is great. Or for a single orch hit one, well, you have to find one where the tuning works best with the track, the room sound vs. close is good...there is no universal right option. The biggest thing is people often hit it too hard then turn it down so the "crack" of the sound balances....and then wonder why there's no bottom end.
Those are all good suggestions, thank you! I posted a piece, an orchestral mock up of Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C-sharp minor, in the composers forum which has bass drums I'm trying to improve. I posted it there as I'm looking for overall feedback, and hopefully for people to enjoy.
