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Make Kick Drum More Distorted


Christopher11

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For a film score like piece I have, drums mostly shaker, some crash cymbal and strong, constant, 4 on the floor kick. I like the kick sound I've got but it's a bit too clean and polite. I mean i can up the volume but I want a more aggressive, somewhat degraded sound. What do you do when you want this kind of effect? Are there any 3rd party plug-ins you really like? Looking forward to any suggestions. Thank you.
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There are TONS of 3rd party plug-ins to do exactly what you're asking (and just about everything and anything else as well), made by TONS of companies that would be too eager to take your money to sell you a dream.

 

But before you throw $$$ at the problem, do spend some time exploring what's already in your arsenal of tools. Namely Logic plug-ins.

 

You could experiment with Logic's various distortion plug-ins. I'm a fan of using the Overdrive plug-in even with ultra-low gain values. But do spend time exploring the other plug-ins from that category, tons of possiblities there.

 

In the Multi-FX category you have Phat FX wich was originally an amazing 3rd party distortion plug-in made by Camel Audio which Apple bought, it's now built-in. TONS of possibilities there. There are even some Drums presets, some tailored specifically for Kick drums (Kick destroyer, Kick fattener). Don't thick that's all that plug-in can do, it can do much much more - but maybe those can inspire you or get you started.

 

You also have guitar amps and bass amps, and a pedalboard, which you could experiment with in series or in parallel processing for more subtle results.

 

You could also experiment with the different models in the Compressor plug-ins. Try pushing some of the models other than the clean "Platinum" model, they can all create all sorts of distortion. If you have to push too much compression in order to get the sound you want and end up killing the kick in the process, well that's what parallel processing is for. Blend in a bit of dry kick with the distorted one.

 

TONS of things to try in Logic! Have fun, report back, let us know, ask questions... I would be curious to hear what you try and what you end up with.

 

One last tip: try the Exciter plug-in in the Specialized category. It can work magic in regenerating higher harmonics that may end up missing from muddying up a sound with too much processing. In some cases.

 

Have fun! :D

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  • 2 weeks later...
That's extremely useful advice, and thorough. Thank you so much David. I agree about Phat FX. I love to use it for LFO / slicer type effects on various instruments. I know it's hard to say, but I wonder, if this was you would you reach for one in particular first? Bitcrusher and Overdrive maybe?

It depends on the type of distortion I want. For something soft and barely noticeable for example, I would reach for a Compressor, or the Overdrive plug-in. Bitcrusher I reserve mostly for gnarly industrial-like disorted sounds. Or for a kick drum if I wanted to add some kind of crackling. It's really all about experimenting and getting familiar with the sound produced by each type of distortion in the process, then deciding what to go for depending on the song, the end goal for your kick etc. It's nearly impossible to answer blindly in the dark without knowing what your kick sounds like, what the song sounds like, what the mix sounds like, and what your intentions are.

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