I see different opinions of selecting Kick Drums for tracks and whether they should be tuned to the key of the track or not.
I produce House & Disco House music.

Just wondering what you guys thoughts are on this? Be interested to hear other thoughts on this process.

JB

 

If I've a strong bassline then I do try to tune it, my way is tuning it way down then pitching it up until it "pumps". Also sidechaining the bass with a subtle compression can help to make the bass area more alive.

Sometimes distorting the kick can make it's tonality more obvious when tuning, so slapping a saturation on the kick and bass can make the process easier. Sometimes works better as well.

 

Cool read about kick bass relationship https://www.masteringthemix.com/blogs/learn/62370629-how-to-mix-kick-and-bass

I try to have the basic note of the bass 5 seminotes ‚away‘ from fundamental kick note (fabfilter pro q 3 is a fast way to check for fundamental note).
I haven’t implemented tuning the kick to the rest, just the bass. But pitching percussive sounds to fit into track is a big difference in perception

 

Tuning the kick to the rest of what? You're not tuning individual elements to each other the point of tuning is to keep it in key with the track.

But to answer your question no you don't have to tune your kick drum or any of the drums except for maybe toms. Have you ever saw a drummer tune his kick drum in between songs? Can you even do that? Listeners usually just want the drums to slap not harmonize.

 

It isn't generally common, practical, or useful but jazz guys do sometimes. Jack Dejonette likes tuning a majORmin7 from the bd up and Ari Hoenig plays jazz tunes by changing the pitch of the drum head in real time by pressing on it. They are both pretty influential so other jazz drummers follow those examples sometimes and tune in such a way, but it's pretty uncommon esp in the last 5-10 years as most people use electronics if they want pitched perc now i.e. Ian Chang or Marcus Gilmore.

 

First of all, it would be helpful if every user would have a tag about his preferred genre, cause there are different approaches for dif genres i think. With electronic music, if u start a project with some chords or sequences, u could choose to use a kick that fits with the tune of the mentioned melodic sounds.
I never did that consciously yet, just threw something up that seems to fit.
When i start a project with a kickdrum, i tend to tune the fundamental bass note about 5th seminotes above the kick, so the lowend freq have there own space more, for lowend clarity.
And tuning stuff like hats & claps def is fun, and makes stuff sounding more in-line.
But that is for electronic stuff, in other genres different approaches.

 

I always tune my kicks. I make house music. It definitely sits and sounds better.

 

U start with the kick, and tune it after u got melodicas goin, or bring in kick lateron?

 

I'll always have a kick in as it's my loudest peak and I mix as I go. Tuning can go either way start with a kick of they key I'm going for or tune it after.

 

Hi,
I compose/play tekno music so drums are really important in my compositions
I used to never tune my drums because I thought it was useless. Now I always do it, even when I'm synthesizing hi hats, I filter them to "fit" with the key of the song. Eveything just sits so much better together.

My way is starting with a "click" kick if I have a melodic idea or something, just to have the rythm going when I compose. Then I synthesize a tuned kick that sits well with everything else. Or I can start with the kick, tune it, and then start doing other elements of the track.

Totally depends on the kind of music you play. Yes for acoustic classic genres. No for electronic genres. OP says he composes house / disco house music, in this case it really is important

 

1.Tuning is particularly important when replacing drums, otherwise serious interference effects will occur.
2.Keeping Kick In and Kick Out synchronized helps tighten Kick.

Ps.
This is for acoustic drums, but sometimes experienced engineers can record musical drums (tuned drums), and tuning by mixing engineer is not necessary.

 

Severall times i read that people tend to change the kick in the end of gettin a tune together. Which could make sense when a track is developed, u build layer by layer, and the starting kick (which i always thought shouldnt be changed, cause everything was build freq wise, maybe tuning upon that kick) is to be changed with a new one fitting into the track. Could work, gotta try it.This is obviously with Electronic-related Music only (techno, hiphop) cant speak for nonelectronic genre

 

Just try it.
Make a straight four four loop with a kick in F and a keyboard playing an F chord on each kick then move the kick to G.
You might find you get an off feeling. Then move the kick back to F.

 

Yup, i will check that out. I use pro q 3 for getting to know the fundamental note of the kick quick, plus scaler 2 for chord stuff, def will try that approach!

 

Depending on DAW there are possibly quick ways to find key of kick drum and shift it without having to use Q3.

 

I often use kick 2, and the kick is totally pitchable, so i‘ll try that instead of samples. Although a kick sample pitched down directly with Studio One 2 semihalftones while retaining the lengh (can change transients dramatically, but could sound even better)

 

Someone tell this guy how a 5th works...you are doing it wrong mate. Bass tuned to the kick with a 4th.. bleah

 

Cool u r that someone, thx for taking the time! I‘m good by ear, but with notes & stuff, ahhhh, unfortunately not mine. So 4 semi-tones up? Or possible in both directions?

 

Tuning electronic kicks with a pronounced fundamental is typically good practice. Tuning acoustic kicks is just as important, but the fundamental is often not as pronounced as the attack unless it’s unmuffled & the front head is on. A standard acoustic jazz kick will often be tuned wide open & tuned higher than a typical rock floor tom. Jazz kicks definitely have a pronounced fundamental.... When it comes to tuning, you don’t have to shoot for the root note of the song key either. If your song is in A minor & your kick fundamental is at a D#, my suggestion would be to tune to the closest note in the order of harmonic series of your song key. So that means you should try tuning your D# kick to an E if your song is in A minor. You could also try C, but the third is further up in the harmonic series.