For this edition I’m going to reveal some compression methods that the real heavy weights use to get their kick drums knocking. All you need is your favorite compressor and drum sample and I will guide you through the rest.

Ratio & Threshold: Now this is the section dictates the amount of the kick. Ratio settings between 4:1 to 7:1 are what most pros use for hip-hop productions. Higher ratios are mostly used for limiting which is a totally different chapter. For the threshold settings you use anywhere from 10db to 15db of gain reduction. Use your ears to get it just right!
Now we get to the part where you get to regulate the actual power of the kick, your attack and release settings.

Attack time: This is what gives your kick the punch it needs. Alright, first you should set your attack to the slowest setting possible, then increase the time of the attack until the kicks timbre dulls a little. When you hear the timbre dulling out decrease the attack time to reduce the dullness and leave it with that setting.

Release time: The release time is to make sure your drums can breathe. Meaning that once you have added compression to your kick the compressor will need to be reset after each kick pulse to recover before the second kick pulse. So this is what you need to do, decrease the release time of the kick until you hear that your compression has fully recovered before the next kick pulse begins.

Ok, that pretty much covers or should I say uncovers the secrets behind the “Just blaze kick”.
So until next time, may the wind be at your back when you piss, I’m out!