12. Cyclick’s pseudo-random method for generating samples

1 The raw source samples need to be collated and loaded, preferably into a sampler for easy auditioning and layout on the arrange page. I’m using Steinberg Nuendo 5.5 and Native Instruments Kontakt 5. All 62 kick drums from a Cyclick Samples collection have been dropped into Kontakt, with one sample per note from C1 to C#6. 2 I draw one MIDI trigger note per bar, rising from C1. Note length isn’t important for this exercise – I just want all of the samples to play at this stage. As reverb and delay will be added, the onebar gap will be too small for the final bounce, but it allows me to audition the processing chains. 3 Eight group channels are created, and the source channel (Kontakt) is routed to all of these in parallel. In Nuendo, I can route the channel itself – aux sends can be used in the same way in other DAWs. The groups are named to provide a descriptive guide to their processing purpose – this helps keep me focused. 4 The process groups are now shaped with EQ and dynamic control. For the ‘Boom’ channel, a Neve 1081 trims out lowmids to emphasise bass. The highs are shaped with an overall boost, then a cut at 5.6kHz removes harshness. A dbx160 compressor emulation provides weight and low-frequency energy. 5 Now to colour and shape in a more radical way. Soundtoys’ Little AlterBoy adds a pitchshifted layer; Decapitator distorts the signal; and reFuse Lowender (a bass synthesis plugin) gives the sound a gigantic ‘boom’ effect. The highs are then rolled off with EQ to prevent excessive crackle and fuzz. 6 The distorted and pitch-mangled kicks now need space and movement. The latter is provided by the pitchshifting Valhalla FreqEcho delay. Its short delay time extends the kick without creating audible echoes, and also pitches down to move the bass around. Eventide’s Blackhole reverb is a sound design essential. Maximum ‘boom’ is achieved by rolling off the highs and boosting the lows.

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By this stage, the distorted kick has gained a rather clean space around it, so it needs blending into a melded, explosive ‘whole’. iZotope Trash 2 turns the lush reverb-delay pairing into something more aggressive. The lowfrequency rumble generates a mass of inharmonic material that brings the drum and the space around it together.

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Having set up the eight parallel processing groups to achieve different explosive results, I check levels. Generally, keeping the peaks around -6dBFS is good practice, though lower is fine, considering that ‘noise floor’ seems a redundant concept when generating this much noise! This peak level will also be loud enough when I load the final hits into a sampler.

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Once the eight groups have been bounced to individual stems, it’s time to edit out the good stuff. Using group edit tools, it’s easy to chop the audio. Relatively consistent reverb and delay tails make the tracks easy to fade out and trim as one. With this much material, it’s best to loop playback on each hit, solo tracks in turn, and delete anything that doesn’t pass muster.