The way I like to process a kick. Lets say you've got Kick In and Kick Out mic's... I'll assume you're either using software, or have got your micing technique down - this thread isn't for how to mic a kick-drum, but how to process it once you have mic'd it.
Here's what I do; it may be obvious, and it may even be wrong but it's the way I do it. I use it with BFD2, but also real kicks when I get the chance.
Take the signals two mic signals, and bus them - KickGrp. Then send them to another two busses - KickDist and KickComp.
With KickGrp; I like to do a little general EQ work and light compression. The compression is really just to tame the peaks - find your loudest peak in your kick track, and squash it all by about 3db. This just helps to even out everything. With the EQ, I'll usually put a little resonant bump around 3khz, to help bring out the click. Using more of the KickIn mic also helps with this.
With KickDist... I like to use some distortion; but only on the higher frequencies. I will use the built in BFD2 distortion module to distort freqs above 1khz; but not too much.. you only want a light crunch, as opposed to all out insane gain amounts. Think of it as putting a blues overdrive tone on a kick drum.
I'll then put a low-pass filter on this. Just to bring down some of the harshness of the distortion - not too much though. Try a 24pole, rather than a 48 pole.. and set it to where you can just hear it making an impact.. and then move it back up a touch.
With KickComp... I like to have some extreme parallel compression. Since this is a send bus, not an insert, I sometimes like to feed in just a touch of KickDist as well...
But I'll have some really snappy BusComp in BFD2. With the attack high, and the release fast... with the threshold basically always triggering; even on soft hits. I'll then use some make-up gain to bring it back to an audible level.
This gives you three signals; the original bus. A distorted kick. And a compressed kick. Mix to taste.
Anyway... that's roughly the process I follow. It might inspire something for you... or it might just bore you. Thought I'd type it up since I'm bored!
Here's what I do; it may be obvious, and it may even be wrong but it's the way I do it. I use it with BFD2, but also real kicks when I get the chance.
Take the signals two mic signals, and bus them - KickGrp. Then send them to another two busses - KickDist and KickComp.
With KickGrp; I like to do a little general EQ work and light compression. The compression is really just to tame the peaks - find your loudest peak in your kick track, and squash it all by about 3db. This just helps to even out everything. With the EQ, I'll usually put a little resonant bump around 3khz, to help bring out the click. Using more of the KickIn mic also helps with this.
With KickDist... I like to use some distortion; but only on the higher frequencies. I will use the built in BFD2 distortion module to distort freqs above 1khz; but not too much.. you only want a light crunch, as opposed to all out insane gain amounts. Think of it as putting a blues overdrive tone on a kick drum.
I'll then put a low-pass filter on this. Just to bring down some of the harshness of the distortion - not too much though. Try a 24pole, rather than a 48 pole.. and set it to where you can just hear it making an impact.. and then move it back up a touch.
With KickComp... I like to have some extreme parallel compression. Since this is a send bus, not an insert, I sometimes like to feed in just a touch of KickDist as well...
But I'll have some really snappy BusComp in BFD2. With the attack high, and the release fast... with the threshold basically always triggering; even on soft hits. I'll then use some make-up gain to bring it back to an audible level.
This gives you three signals; the original bus. A distorted kick. And a compressed kick. Mix to taste.
Anyway... that's roughly the process I follow. It might inspire something for you... or it might just bore you. Thought I'd type it up since I'm bored!
