Question about that kick drum trick in D11-04

So I've been listening to your album D11-04 nonstop since it dropped. I'm a bedroom producer in San Miguel and I'm trying to get that punchy kick you have on track 3. Someone in the local studio told me to sidechain compress the bass to the kick at a 4:1 ratio with a fast attack. I tried it for two weeks straight and my mix sounded like garbage. Then I saw your IG story where you said you use a slow attack around 10ms with a 2:1 ratio. Switched to that yesterday and my kick finally cuts through without losing the sub. Why does everyone give opposite advice on this? Has anyone else found that fast attack kills your low end?

2 comments

2 Comments

jaken233d ago

Fast attack is one of those rules people repeat without actually testing it in their own room. A 1ms or 2ms attack kills the transient of the kick, which is what gives it that punch and bite in the first place. Your slow attack at 10ms lets the initial smack through before the compressor grabs the sustain, which is why it works so much better for keeping the low end intact.

thomas1053d ago

Jaken's right about the transient thing though the real issue is attack starting from zero vs threshold.