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7. Building a three-layered kick drum with D16 Group PunchBox

1 Let’s make a rugged hip-hop kick using D16’s PunchBox bass drum synth. First, Ctrl/Cmd-click the Init/Prev button (top centre) to get the default preset. Next, open the Click browser, and preview the included sounds.

2 The Tools section lets you mix in another high-mid layer. Let’s find one that works. Open the browser, then cycle through the sounds to see which layers cut through best. Angry Guy 1 suits our needs – load it up, then dial in some High Cut to make the two layers gel.

3 PunchBox’s synthesis section can add weight. Select 909 mode, then reduce Attack and Decay to 0%. This turns the 909 layer into a ‘thud’ that suits the rest. Tuning Pitch to 25% makes the layer fill a more low-frequency area; setting Limiter Threshold to -30dB glues things together.