Menu
Carvin Audio
0
  • Audio
    • TRC Column Array Systems
    • Subwoofers
    • Loudspeakers
    • Power Amplifiers
    • In-Ear Monitor Systems
    • Wireless Guitar/Bass Systems
    • Wireless Microphone Systems
    • Power Conditioners
    • Microphones / Direct Box
    • Speaker Parts
  • Guitar
    • KOA Acoustic Guitar Preamp
    • X1
    • Legacy Drive- VLD1
    • MACH100 100W Pedal Amplifier
    • WG5 Wireless Guitar System
    • V112E Extension Cab
  • Bass
  • International
  • Blog
    • Audio Info & Education
    • Guitar/Bass Amp Info & Education
    • News and Events
  • SALE
    • On Sale Now
    • Gift Cards
    • Newsletter
  • Rewards
  • Financing
  • SINCE 1946
  • Sign in
  • Your Cart is Empty
Carvin Audio
Carvin Audio
  • Audio
    • TRC Column Array Systems
    • Subwoofers
    • Loudspeakers
    • Power Amplifiers
    • In-Ear Monitor Systems
    • Wireless Guitar/Bass Systems
    • Wireless Microphone Systems
    • Power Conditioners
    • Microphones / Direct Box
    • Speaker Parts
  • Guitar
    • KOA Acoustic Guitar Preamp
    • X1
    • Legacy Drive- VLD1
    • MACH100 100W Pedal Amplifier
    • WG5 Wireless Guitar System
    • V112E Extension Cab
  • Bass
  • International
  • Blog
    • Audio Info & Education
    • Guitar/Bass Amp Info & Education
    • News and Events
  • SALE
    • On Sale Now
    • Gift Cards
    • Newsletter
  • Rewards
  • Financing
  • SINCE 1946
  • 0 0

Getting Punchy Kick Drums on Stage

May 13, 2022

In a typical live setting with a full drum kit, the drums dominate the room – but without a little strategy that often means crushing snare and cymbals, and not much kick drum punch. Especially for louder genres like rock or hip-hop, that good solid kick sound is important, so here are a few tips on getting punchy kick drums on stage.

First Things First

First things first: tune the drums. Before you set up any mics or other gear, tune the drums – kick especially – to the room. This could also mean using dampening or other techniques to keep the drums tight and making sure the kick sounds good in the room. This step is too often skipped, but when done it can make the rest of the journey easy.

Mic Positioning

Typical mic positioning for a live kick drum is the standard, just inside the hole on the rear head. To get a punchier sound with better attack, try deeper in the drum (closer to the beater). To get a warmer sound, try just outside the sound hole. Placing the kick drum mic at the front head may yield great attack, but it’s not generally the best idea, as it can easily get kicked and/or pick up squeaking from the pedal.

EQ

It’s typical to start with the kick drum once sound check starts (but don’t forget to check in the context of the whole mix). Once you’ve set a good gain, bring the fader up to a reasonable level and listen to the kick on its own. In many cases, you’ll want to scoop it out a bit somewhere between 200 and 400Hz, to reduce boxiness and/or mud. Depending on the venue’s resonances, you might need a little cut around 100 Hz too – or not! A bit of a boost somewhere between 2 and 6kHz might help emphasize the clicky attack, and a small midrange boost might help gain smack. For that, try boosting the mids a bunch and sweeping the frequency selector until you find the right area, then back off the boost. Be careful with boosting in general, as you can get into a feedback nightmare. In rare situations, you might need a bit of a low shelf boost to emphasize the woomph, but in many others, you may need a small cut there.

Noise Gates

If you’ve got the opportunity, setting a noise gate on your kick drum can help clean up noise and spill, and help you tailor the decay. If your gate has a key filter (AKA side-chain filter), you can use that to key the gate to open when the beater hits, rather than in response to any stray low-end bleed from drums, bass, etc.  Use a fast attack and set the decay so that the drum doesn’t sound cut off. Finally, you might want to set your attenuation amount to something other than infinity – say 20 or 30dB. This way, the kit’s overall sound isn’t drastically altered every time the gate opens.

Compression

Just as in mixing recorded drums, compression is a key tool for shaping your live kick drum. It may be even more important in a live setting, as drummers can hit the kick with wildly varying levels. As a starting point, try a slower attack time – say 30ms – to let the beater attack come through. Set a fast enough release time that the compressor disengages before the next hit. Start with 200ms or so and adjust from there. A good starting place for your ratio is about 4:1 with a hard knee. You may not end up with exactly these settings, but they represent a great place to start, and you can listen and tweak as needed.

 

Getting a fat, punchy kick drum can turn an ok band mix into a smashing success, so it’s worth it to do a little work in sound check to get the kick right. Just be sure to listen closely, as there are so many variables from player to drum to venue and keep an eye on the mix as the room fills with people. The effort will be worth it!
  • Share:


Also in Audio Info & Education

The Difference Between Gain and Volume
The Difference Between Gain and Volume

February 01, 2023

One of the most misunderstood concepts in all of audio is the difference between gain and volume. It’s easy to misunderstand this distinction – after all in one sense they are the same basic thing. But there are key differences that are important to understand, especially when it comes to getting the tone you want. This is true whether we’re talking about guitar amps, studio recording, or mixing. Let’s clear it up here.

Read More

Do You Need a Sub in Your Stage Rig?
Do You Need a Sub in Your Stage Rig?

January 13, 2023

There’s no substitute for that chest-pounding low end, especially if your music is any kind of rock or electronica that seeks to get people moving. Whether you’re playing heavy metal, groove rock, or old-school techno, the combo of kick and bass is crucial for real impact.

Read More

Playing Along with Pre-Recorded Tracks
Playing Along with Pre-Recorded Tracks

September 30, 2022

Modern recordings can be complex and hard to duplicate on stage. Whether it’s because you’ve layered four guitars and only have one guitar player, you’re using loops and sampling creatively, or the sounds you make in the studio are impossible to create with live instruments, you may find yourself struggling to figure out how to recreate a beloved recording on stage.

Read More

Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more…

Contact Us    858-751-4884

International Sales

Warranty and Trial Period

Shipping

Manuals

Frequently Asked Questions

Thiele/Small Parameters

Schematics

Firmware Download

Become a Dealer

About Us

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all of the earth; make a loud noise and rejoice and sing praises. Sing to the Lord with the harp and the voice of the psalm." - Psalm 98:4-5

© 2023 Carvin Audio. Carvin Corp.
POS and Ecommerce by Shopify

American Express Apple Pay Diners Club Discover Google Pay Mastercard PayPal Shop Pay Venmo Visa