the kick EQ in Sasha's Mongoose track

[Bitfiend]

anyone know/have an idea how his EQ is set on the kick?

[admin]

Nothing too out of the ordinary here, the key is that it's a tight 808 type sample (or directly from the 808). These types of kicks are fairly pure with not much going on besides the transient and a descending since tone body.
I'd generally just eq it to the key of the track.

[Bitfiend]

hmm, i think i've just been bitch-slapped....................ha-ha.

[NuEra]

I'd generally just eq it to the key of the track.

Can you clarify eqing the kick to the key of the track vs tuning the sample by semi-tones within the sampler?

I've always wondered about kick drum frequencies in relation to key. Like if we are working on a tune in B, should be aiming to get the balance of the kick drum energy around 30.87hz?

[admin]

NuEra,

I try to avoid tuning kicks, well samples at least, as this can kill the transients. What I do is eq to the key as you said, although B would be too low, well 30hz is. And it doesnt have to be the root, sometimes Ill use other notes in the scale.

Jesse

[NuEra]

Thanks Jesse! So when the kick is tuned with an eq, we try and cut the offending frequencies that are out of key and emphasize the frequencies that relate to the key of the song, be it the root, the 4th, the 5th,...?

[admin]

Basically yes. What I do is often use an analog kick that's already tuned properly, then I can just use eq to further emphasize that. Which sampled kicks you've got to watch out for resonances that can muddy them.