Layering drum samples
This is a technique that goes back to the advent of drum sampling itself
The majority of beatmakers and producers not only use drum samples in some capacity, but also layer one or more on top of another in order to achieve a specific effect. It’s a technique that goes back to the advent of drum sampling itself, in fact.
In the world of rock production, for example, fastidious engineers have long been known to replace the occasional badly played, close-miked kick or snare with a recording of a more suitable one, or even layer up more solid drum samples underneath the main drum recording for extra weight and power.
In the hip-hop realm, meanwhile, you rarely hear a sampled breakbeat without some kind of drum machine-sourced snare or kick sample in the mix, whether for subtle supplementary attack or overt 808-driven power. Then there’s the modern ‘anything goes’ universe of drum & bass, where producers design futuristic drum sounds by combining multiple layers into one.
It’s just a phase
As discussed in FM340’s Explainer feature, the topic of phase is important when layering more than one drum sample with another at the same point in time, especially when those two sounds are similar in frequency content. It’s good practice when you’re layering, therefore, to flip the phase of one of your layers and observe any changes in timbre. Listen out for when the overall combined sound becomes ‘weaker’ due to phase cancellation, then flip the phase back to the other way round for positive reinforcement.
However, when layering sampled drums, you shouldn’t encounter massive phase issues very often – done properly, that is. Usually, the combining of two complementary hits, when executed with precision and purpose, should simply result in a bolstering of similar characteristics in a way that just sounds ‘right’. Is your punchy snare lacking a bright tail element? Then layer what’s missing over the top with a new sample, and tweak it to fit. How about a kick with a lacklustre transient? Just blend a new ‘click’ sample over the top, and EQ its frequencies so it doesn’t clash with the main kick. Easy.
Aside from basic sound selection, EQ/filtering and enveloping, there are a few more considerations when layering beats. For one, the pitch of each layer – both in comparison to the other layers and other parts in the track – can make or break the effect. Often, it’s a case of transposing the hits around by a semitone or two up or down until they fit with each other, and are in key with the track. Think of the individual parts like a rudimentary ‘chord’ and get them working at sympathetic frequencies – always in context of the composition as a whole.
When it’s time to get creative, drum layering can also be used to inject flavour and vibe into vanilla samples. The only limit is your imagination: mix high-passed vocal or breath noises alongside plain sounds to help them subliminally ‘talk’; make a modern drum sample sound more old-school by blending a gated segment of noise crackle or vinyl hum underneath; or bury synth stabs – tuned to the key of your track, of course – over the top of your backbeat to impart tonal character into the track.
The layering of multiple drum samples is all well and good, but these static sounds will still remain… well, static. This is where synthesised layers can come in useful if you want a bit of movement, as synths can often exhibit a degree of random fluctuation from note to note.
When designing kick drums, for example, take advantage of this by running a synthesised noise ‘click’ live from a synth, then layering that ever-evolving sound over a consistent sampled bass drum. This way, you’ll get the solid, consistent power from the sampled kick, but with the fluidity and fluctuation of the synthetic component. To exaggerate this effect, compress the two layers together to give the pair a sense of ‘bounce’ and glue.