why do all the kicks not look the same?

Discussion in 'Lounge' started by funkman, Mar 31, 2026 at 7:54 PM.

  1. funkman

    funkman Ultrasonic

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    hi, i followed a walkthrough from cm 211 magazine,page 77.
    i have attached screenshot of the 4/4 kick. from looking at it does anyone have any suggestions why all the kick waveforms dont look the same?
     

    Attached Files:

    funkman, Mar 31, 2026 at 7:54 PM
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  2. Ads Master

    Ads Master

     
  3. ArticStorm

    ArticStorm Moderator Staff Member

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    at some point people started layering kicks with hats, snares, noise, they added distortion.
    because the standard 808, 909, 707, 606 and 505 and all the other drum achine drums kinda lacked punch uniquenes.
    So why they maybe sound good, they look ugly in the wave editor.

    Then you can also EQ kicks, to make them hollow, more bass or more air, this will also change the waveform in the end.

    Lots of possibilities.

    It even went so far that you can build kicks with 4 layers or you layered kicks, which where already layered and so on.
     
    ArticStorm, Mar 31, 2026 at 8:06 PM
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  4. Gre89

    Gre89 Member

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    I don't think that's the answer. It has nothing to do with layering. How is he supposed to get any drum samples in his substractive synthesizer?

    I don't know the synth you used ( i hope YOU do, 'coz that's essential to find the cause).
    However: Every note different might be a result from:
    - Phase reset/phase shifting between each trigger
    - free running LFOs doing somethin (pitch, filter, whatever)
    - pitch randomisation/analog emulations
    - effects: distortion, compressor, chorus
    - (pitch) envelopes being sloppy/unprecise

    - None of the above and the kicks are identical and just look different, because the waveform display in Cubase is inaccurate. :dunno:
     
    Gre89, Mar 31, 2026 at 9:05 PM
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  5. clone

    clone Audiosexual

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    Do you mean the kicks from DS Diversion, showing the waveform in orange?

    They do look the same to me anyway. But if all you want is them to be identical, chop the waveform into one quarter note in length. Delete the other 3 you didn't pick. Copy and repeat the one you did, or use the Loop function in your DAW. Leave the tail and the blank space for now, so the one slice you picked can loop cleanly. Doesn't get much easier....
     
    clone, Mar 31, 2026 at 9:05 PM
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  6. funkman

    funkman Ultrasonic

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    yes the kicks showing the waveform. i just looked at the attachment,i dont think you guys can zoom in on it can u? its hard to see that they arent identical if not zoomed in ,
     
    funkman, Mar 31, 2026 at 9:23 PM
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