What are you doing to your kicks?

[Charles J]

this is a crazy question to ask IMO.

it's totally project dependent.... there may be certain types of compressors/eq's i like to use, but as far as processing it's ALWAYS going to be different based on the band and how everything else is reacting.

tuning, arrangement, vocals, how shitty the bass player is, etc.... =D

transient designing and tape compression is GREAT.

i always send an already processed kick to our drawmer and absolutely smash the fuck out of it, print it to another track, further EQ it and clip it, slip it around until the phase differences make the kick sound MURDEROUS and Go!

 

[nwright]

I just use the SSL Echannel and do all of the treatment there, EQ, comp, gate, and filter if necessary. I blend samples in Trigger first and then into the E Channel. The only compression I use is generally to lift a bit of the sub low stuff on fast double kick passages, slow enough attack to tame the fall off after the transient where the sub lows can dominate and set the release to match the material.

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

high pass at around 20. pretty steep
boost at 80 ish. cut at round 120 ish - or whereever the bass is.
more scoopage maybe at around 200-500.
boost 5 k
maybe lo pass as well at around 12 k or higher.
Compress 4:1 medium attack fast release.

This is for samples as well as mics;
of course it differs on the source material.
If im using samples ive made. ill process through outboard i.e api 550 and 1176 and so wont need to do much after that

This is pretty much what I do.

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

this is a crazy question to ask IMO.

it's totally project dependent.... there may be certain types of compressors/eq's i like to use, but as far as processing it's ALWAYS going to be different based on the band and how everything else is reacting.

I agree with you, but even though we might not to admit it I'm pretty sure everyone has stuff they always go to. When I'm EQing a kick, I don't use trial and error anymore I try my usual shit and if it doesn't sound good, I start over and figure something out. But if I've recorded it, chances are it's pretty similar to me other work and I can use my standard procedure as a basic setup to be tweaked later. I'm pretty sure this is what most people mean when they say "I boost X cut Y etc etc"