Getting that Kick

[Faux-Real]

I have so much trouble making a kick drum tone that really hits. I usually just grab a logic sample, eq up at 130hz with a low cut at 30 hz, use a direction mixer to make it mono, and compress. It just doesn't have that umph.
Thoughts, suggestions, stories?

[Rexx]

What genre are you going for?

[Faux-Real]

electro, complextro, acid, progressive house. The usual sub-genres.

[Coldfuzion]

Have you tried layering different kicks together (i've done with this claps to make the clap stick out - so I'm guessing kicks wouldn't be too different)? Maybe adding a few FX to it to make it stick out? Or even just a different kick in general? There are so many out there!

[StefanoMDj]

it's a good tips, try to sum 2 or 3 kicks on the same layer and listen to the sound

[Maezmusic]

compression and eq-ing might be the key ;-)
find mroe info here:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov0...logicnotes.htm

[xyloft]

I've had luck layering a short crisp kick for the initial hit with a long bassy kick with a longer tail.

[Faux-Real]

I've layered snares but never kicks. I'll give it a try though. thanks for the help guys! and thanks for the link on comprssion too.

[Nephew]

I'm personally not a big fan of layering kicks, just way too much that can go wrong. Instead of EQing your kick like that, why not just keep searching until you find the right sample instead of trying to make it the right one?

A lot of it could be your mixdown as well as far as everything around it. If you have a subby bassline with a subby kick then of course there's going to be issues, even more so once you start throwing in low freq percs like toms and so on.

Another issue might be you're compressing it and losing those dynamics that give it that "thump/punch" you're looking for.

And then the final piece of the puzzle might be the final mastering process as well. If you're trying to compare your stuff to released tracks then of course it's going to pale because not only did they mix it down but also sent it off to get mastered.

Right now I would focus on just making the best sounding mixdown you can and stop trying to compare it to what's out there, otherwise you'll never accomplish anything.

[Rexx]

Hmmm.... Tough to make a suggestion without hearing what you've got.

What I've done in the past is go back to sampling real instruments and tweeking it the way I'd like. Sometimes the first sample wasn't that great to begin with. I found it alot easier and less time consuming than trial an error.

I do agree with layering suggestions if that's all you have for sources. But again...time concuming.

Your kick just might be pitched higher than you like.

Like I said... it's hard to really make a suggestion without hearing.

Sorry if this doesn't help anyone in any way.