Been dying to know how these guys are synthesizing it. there's a ton of variations ive heard. In this case its repeating once every bar, in the beginning, its got some sort of funky resonance, yet extremely driving. any insight?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZrkpwubOGI

 

Might be an acoustic guitar synth with a customized appregiator or some modulation, i could be terribly wrong aswell. Sound designing isnt exactly my specialty

 

You could make something like that easily with IL Harmor.

Or get an (electronic) tom (world perc) and filter/detune/chorus/flanger it.

Example: https://www.firedrive.com/file/D0287E7D67B9579E

 

CR 78 or 808 Congas with some processing

 

You talking bout the kinda 'whoosh' sound on the "1 &" beat?

 

Start by making a low conga, which is the simplest drum to make, pitch sine wave appropriately, adjust envelope, a bit of pitch modulation to follow the same envelope.
But the trick is, I can hear it, FM. Let white noise modulate your sine, by 0,15%, thats all. Now the sine becomes thicker and its pitch is not as easily distinguished, kinda more like a real drum.

 

Sine wave.
Amp envelope: very fast attack, a little decay, no sustain.
Throw in some pitch (going down) envelope. Adjust pitch envelope range and envelope decay to taste. Add another noise oscillator with very short decay, in order to get a nice transient.
One of the simplest sounds to make, yet very effective (especially when automated/modulated over time). Perfect "starting to learn sound design" project.
edit: D'oh! Didn't read don_questo's post above. Great minds think alike though...

 

THANKS GUYS! take in all your input, been having some fun with operator and fx and samples. found interestingly enough Frequency shifter and flange and chorus do a prety nice job, still trying to figure out that sweet punch

specify ring modulation ;)