Types of Kick Drum Samples

Posted by | Posted on 12:24 AM

By John Gellei

Right now there are many different types of kick drum samples out there, delivered in programs like Reason and FL Studio and also ones that can be downloaded via the internet. Because the kick drum is such an essential part of every genre from dance to rhythm and blues to hip hop, having a diverse selection to pick from is really a requirement if you never want the sound selection to sap your creativity.

There are a few different sound stages (or phases) in every sample, including the ever-present kick drum. The first, and at the starting line, is called the attack. This first phase really determines the 'shine' factor of the kick, and whether it can be heard with a whole bunch of other sounds competing for attention. A slow attack (which means a weak starting point) will need to be compensated for by the other phases of the drum sample.

The sustained sound of the kick is very different depending on the type of drum sample that is chosen. One of the more famous sustains can be found in the sounds made by the famous TR-808 sampler and synthesizer by Roland. It has a very long booming sound that degrades in volume with time and yet keeps everything moving. The TR-808 actually has kicks of varying lengths for different applications, too.

Adjusting the volume of a kick is extremely simple on both Macintosh computers and PCs, and also with hardware samplers and drum machines. Most tools have envelopes and volume filters, and if your equipment or software does not permit this (although this is very unlikely in this day and age) then there are free tools available all over the net for you to use and download. Most of them will have unlimited functionality, so you can get started and import them right away.

If you don't want to use a volume envelope or volume filter to adjust the volume, there are other programs that can help you crop and tighten a drum sample. An audio editor would be a good start, as the cropping feature in most of these is truly excellent and requires little pre-developed knowledge in audio. Simply crop and then fade out the last few seconds, and you will have an adjusted sample with the volume you want.

Different programs and libraries contain different drum samples for your personal and professional use. If you're serious about audio and music production, then getting a varied selection is your best bet. Combine the samples contained in programs like FL Studio with others you can get off the internet and in different programs, and you will soon have your own choice of go-to samples that you have developed yourself.

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