Hi would you please tell me which
are the best techniques you prefer to use to get more sounds in phase? i use ableton. i tried use re-pitch sometimes a little bit (1 pitch max) but i don't want to worsts the sound more. If you can quote me any plugins it helps. i use a scope to get track of the phase with a simple oscilloscope.

I am trying to layer more kicks together. also sometimes i have been cutting some samples length (but sometimes that result in creating unwanted clicks). i don't like to use the eq (high pass/low pass etc.) because i think it change drastically the sounds.

what you think is that very important to get extremmly perfect allignment or sometimes it can go off a little bit?

big thanks for the helps.

 

Depend on the context, but I often use Eventide Precision Time Align if I need just some movement of the sound (Voxengo got an equivalent called Sound Delay), if it's more in the stereo I'll use Voxengo PHA-979, and for low end (like kick layers or kick/bass) I something use Native X Phase from SSL (but an all pass filter can do the same, I think Pro-Q 4 got this option now, Saturn 2 also).

If is it for a kick layer (or any sound that will play the same note as audio) it's best to ressample, to avoid any sort of pre-ringing effect (and also delete latency).

I try Drum Align but it wasn't smooth to use but it probably do the job right once you are familiar with it, also I saw that iZotope got a Phase thing in the Neutron suite, but I didn't try it yet (but maybe it's good too). I still prefer the "manual method" using plugin listed above and an oscilloscope (Psyscope in general and Sub Ninja when it's for sub/bass).

Not sure if it's always important to align, it depend on the genre, but if you got different note that play with your bass, it's not always possible to align everything, so sidechain could be best. It is more important for exemple when using different mic for a drum kit, but for sound design it's more a matter of sound, some part of the sound can cancel each other and be accentuate on another frequency part, and it can be part of what's good in the sound (for exemple a snare layer can sound less bassy that the snare without the 2nd layer, but it doesn't mean it's bad, it's more a matter of taste and "does this effect serve the song's purpose".

 

What you mean by ressample? Can you explain please?

 

Sound Radix Auto align with phase invert for multitrack recording.

 

how about using a stretch trough warp mode?

 

“Phase” can be a complex.

If you want to layer kicks, then I suggest you take the easy route and use Sound Radix Auto Align, as noise.maker is suggesting, or something similar.

 

If you need sub-sample granularity, Eventide Precision Time Alignment can do the job. If by-sample alignment is good enough for you, your DAW might already have a tool for that. Plenty options otherwise. Voxengo Sound Delay, MPhase, faSampleDelay, socalabs Compensated Delay.

(Are you sure you need sub-sample granularity?)

 

You export your layer of kicks (or other sample) as one sample so you can cut the pre ringing (and use it in other projects)

 

If you want to phase align sounds manually by phase rotation, VOXENGO PHA979 is the best way to do it because it's a full range rotator and not frequency specific like standard allpass filters. (tip: shift+right click on the phase knob will rotate both at the same time, which is the most common scenario)

If you want to manually phase rotate a certain part of the spectrum (or frequency) of a sound in order to have it better fit your mix, then an allpass filter is the shizz (SSL X-phase or Kilohearts Disperser (slightly more comprehensive)).

If you want to manually time-align phase of two different sounds, then your DAW's track delay (or the abovementioned Eventide tool) is a great way to do it (PHA979 has time alignment too).

If you want to semi-automatically phase align layered sounds, Izotope Neutron's phase tool (works via sidechain) is the best way to do it. (Alternatively, MTM Fuser)

If you want to automatically phase align all the tracks in your mix, then Sound Radix Pi is the best, but it can produce wobbly artifacts for static sounds like pads, organs etc, depending on how out of phase they are, so you'll have to carefully adjust its Weight parameter.

If you want to automatically align the multi-mic recordings of the same take, then Melda Mautoalign (or Sound Radix Auto align) will do the trick.
(I prefer Melda).

 

Last edited: Feb 27, 2025

There's just one golden rule in sound design - if it sounds good it's good .

And what is "extremmly perfect allignment"? You either out of phase or you in phase. There's no perfect or imperfect alignment, it depends on context. Phase issue becomes an issue when you record real instruments, like a real drum kit with different mikes and mike positions. You are overthinking it with sample kick layering. +1 semitone, or +12, warp, stretch, who cares? If it works it works.