Processing samples

> Building a library of appropriate samples is half the battle, but applying some simple processing can go a long way too. For one-shot drums in particular, it’s worth doing a bit of prep to make sure your beats hit the mark when it comes time to sequence. For weaker-sounding samples, layering is often a good idea – try adding high-mid ‘clicks’ to help kicks cut through. Alternatively, cutting unnecessary low or sub frequencies from elements that don’t need them can help prevent muddiness later on. For percussive sounds, applying some light compression, transient shaping and a touch of room reverb to individual hits can make the difference between a beat that jumps out of the speakers and one that needs a lot of work at the mixdown stage.