| There are many different types of kick drum samples | | | | varying lengths for different applications, too. |
| available for music producers today. Beat making is | | | | Adjusting the volume envelope of a kick drum sample |
| such an involved activity that having to use the same | | | | is very easy with the right tools. Most samplers will |
| samples over and over can really kill your creativity. | | | | include an envelope modifier for the volume or can be |
| This is especially true with kick drum sounds as these | | | | modified to do this very easily. If your drum sampler or |
| are an elemental ingredient to just about every rhythm | | | | sequencer does not permit this, look for some free |
| and blues, hip hop, rap, pop and rock song on the | | | | tools that will help you; there are literally thousands of |
| charts and underground today. | | | | free virtual sound generators and effects plug-ins |
| A kick drum sample has a few phases, the first being | | | | available on the internet for free personal use. |
| the start or attack. If the attack is very strong, you will | | | | If you still don't want to use an envelope to modify the |
| be able to hear the introduction of the kick through | | | | volume, it's very easy to do it with an audio editor. Just |
| many other instruments and sound layers, and if it is | | | | select the part of the drum sample wave that fades |
| not that strong, you will still feel it but not be made | | | | out or stops (the end of it) and trim to your liking. To |
| aware to its presence immediately every time. Rap | | | | blend everything in after a crop, use a fade on the last |
| music producers (and others, too) often use | | | | few milliseconds to ensure that the drum samples are |
| compressor tools to really spike up the start of kick | | | | free of clipping. |
| and snare drums, and this can be a powerful choice | | | | Lastly, you should know that different programs include |
| for drum-centric tracks. | | | | different drum samples. The libraries that ship with |
| The sustained sound of the kick is very different | | | | Reason and FL Studio, for example, are vastly |
| depending on the type of sound that is chosen. One of | | | | different. They are both good, but if you find yourself |
| the more famous sustains can be found in the sounds | | | | making beats with the same drum samples over and |
| made by the famous TR-808 sampler and synthesizer | | | | over, look for some expansion packs or third party |
| by Roland. It has a very long booming sound that | | | | sounds to expand your choice, or modify the samples |
| degrades in volume with time and yet keeps | | | | yourself if you have the time and skill. |
| everything moving. The TR-808 actually has kicks of | | | | |