>Step by step
Creating and mixing your own kick drums
1 The first step here is to create three blank audio channels in your DAW. One for each of the kick drum layers. Let’s label these Top Kick, Middle Kick and Sub Kick at the bottom. For quick reference within the arrangement, we will colour each channel individually.
2 We can now pick the right sample for each layer. For the Sub Kick layer, choose a sample with a solid sub frequency. Middle Kick needs to be punchy and tight. Don’t worry if the lowend is not ideal on this layer, we will be cutting this area with EQ. Top layer is the identity of the kick and helps it cut through the mix.
3 At this stage, we will isolate each layer with its own frequency band. The EQ crossover points can vary depending on the samples used. However a good starting point for each band would be: Sub Kick – low pass at 120Hz. Middle Kick – band pass 120Hz to 400Hz. Top Kick – high pass at 400Hz.
4 Energy level of the sub layer can be adjusted by shortening sample length. You don’t want the Sub Kick to be too long, as there’ll be a reverb mixed in at a later stage, for the authentic techno kick sound. Around half of the beat should be a nice balance between impact and tightness.
5 Start by setting the level of Sub Kick around -8dB and then mix in the Middle and Top Kick until you get a natural -sounding cohesive drum sound. You can always re-adjust the balance later, to fit in with the rest of the elements of the track.
6 Next, it’s a good idea to group all three layers together so they can be processed as one single entity. Once the layers are grouped, we will now be able to adjust the overall volume of the kick drum with one simple fader.
7 Saturation can be a key mixing tool to inject some unique character to your kick drum. A small amount can go a long way. Not only pushing the sound upfront, furthermore making the three layers more unified. In this example we used the Saturation Knob by Softube. Its Keep Low setting does exactly what it suggests, keeping the low-end of the sound intact.
8 A reverb is an integral part of the anatomy of an authentic techno kick. Different artists have their own ways of mixing reverb within their kicks. Here is one way of achieving it. Use a send/return FX in your DAW to send the Kick Group to a dedicated reverb channel.
9 It’s good mixing practice to keep the low-end elements in mono, therefore we can apply a simple utility tool to make the reverb mono. Next step is to insert an equaliser and apply a low-pass filter around 120-150Hz. This way we get rid of any unnecessary frequencies that would otherwise interfere with other elements in the mix.
10 The level of reverb needs to be fairly moderate. However, you may still notice the reverb overlapping the kick. To sort this, we can use a classic compression sidechain technique. The setup varies from DAW to DAW, but the concept stays the same. Apply the compressor to the reverb return channel and set the Kick Group as the sidechain input.
11 Final mixing. Apply a few gentle EQ cuts to remove unnecessary frequencies within the kick group. Most common areas are often within a range of 130-250Hz and 700-1000Hz. Opposite to the cuts, we can apply sweetening boosts to add extra roundness to the kick body. You can’t go wrong with a classic Pultecstyle EQ, boosting 60 or 100Hz.
12 There are two main mixing objectives when applying compression to a techno kick. First is to make it punchier and this requires a fairly medium-slow setting on the attack of the compressor, letting the transient poke through. Reason two is to increase the loudness of the kick drum sustain. For this, use fast attack and release settings on the compressor.