How do the kicks and 808 sound on this to you guys?

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dude7691

New member
Hey guys :) I'm new here, just finished working on this track and spent a good few hours mixing and mastering it (attempting to at least haha). I'm trying to get the kicks to come through better, I've lowered the attack, have tried using other kick samples and I can't get them to go any higher otherwise they distort. I've tried using multiband compression and that didn't work (or I'm not using it properly, not sure). I also layered the kick with another kick and EQ'ed them both, removing the sub bass and high end from them. Also sidechained both kicks to the 808 so in theory there shouldn't be any distortion. Just wanna see what you guys think?

P.S. this is not my main sc account hence why it looks so empty xD

Link: Testing kick and 808 by Donald Thomas | Free Listening on SoundCloud
 
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I like the main key riff, gives a lot of room to play with. I hear what you're saying about the kick drums(s), they seem to be gobbling up all in their wake while at the same time not really making impact. My first thought is that the kick sound needs some slap, more attack not less. Also confusing because there are several elements i hear working as kicks, a descending sound, tuned kick, and even a third which is hitting the most beats, it's that third one that needs the slap and attack imo and make the other sounds fall off of that one...The mix sounds good otherwise, balance seems good and plenty loud. I might not have thought twice about kick drums had you not mentioned it, but i think the effect is subliminal you expect something in this style to give you more head bobbing type of groove and more pulse. I also think this could use another element, something high and sustaining like a flute (pan flute?), mysterious sounding...Not sure if it's a bed for vocals? but instrumentally i think you could add more to it. Sounds promising in any case.

p.s. This might be a good kik drums sound to aim for?

YouTube
 
If you're using both a kick and an 808 in tandem, you probably need less low-end on the kick. That's what the 808 is accomplishing. The kick sample would provide attack (and some thump), and the 808 provides the low-end resonance.

The 808 also sounds like it may be tuned a little high.
 
Hi Strato, thank you for your feedback it is very much appreciated. Thanks for that info I will try that out. Thank you, I boosted up the frequencies I wanted heard the most in the mid highs and tried to boost the bass too, as I've heard tracks such as xo tour life by lil uzi vert and they sound like they have much louder low end and that's the sort of sound I want. Thank you, yeah I'll try adding some more instrumentation to it. I'm releasing an EP on the 11th and I've got a bunch of beats and I'm trying to get a chill vibe but also a hard sound, and it's a lot harder to get that vibe than I expected. I listened to that song you linked, I hear what you're saying definitely. If I take the 808's out I can get a similar volume to that. But listen to something like DNA by kendrick lamar and he manages to get really punchy kicks while using an obscenely loud 808, the guy is a genius :D Thank you for your feedback and sorry for the late reply.
 
Hi Steve, Yeah I get you, I already EQ'ed the low end out of the kick, which is why I am confused as to why even with side chaining it still isn't giving me the thump I want, I'm assuming it's because of the sample because I'm currently producing another track, used a different kick and got no problems now. Yeah I thought so too, I need my monitors up to be able to hear stuff like that, my headphones are wack xD Thank you for your feedback.
 
I don't know if this is what you're going for, but I'm hearing a lot of distortion. I think it's the kick 'cause you hear it for the first time around 0:34.
 
Hi Thier. I've put the beat to one side for now and am working on a much better one, less focused on sub bass and more on the kicks. I think that 808 and those kicks just aren't meant to work together haha, got myself a better sample and now it's a lot cleaner (which is what I was going for). Thank you for your ongoing support.
 
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