Anatomy Of The Techno Kick

It’s the first in a new series of production techniques from the experts at Audiotent, with a special guide to producing perfect kicks

- Ed Strazdas and Neil Crockett

1 The first step here is to create three blank audio channels in your DAW. One for each of the kick drum layers. Let’s label these Top Kick, Middle Kick, and Sub Kick at the bottom. For quick reference within the arrangement, we will color each channel individually.

If you find yourself browsing through your drum library in the search for the perfect kick, it can often be very time consuming and inefficient. The solution is to craft your own iconic kick using a variety of samples, each targeting distinct frequencies. Here, we will get into setting up the channels, applying the correct EQ crossover points, and mixing the final sound to perfection. All sounds we use are sourced from the Audiotent Pure Kicks library.

A big part of techno production and mixing is the use of reverbs for the kick drum. Surely, it’s not a textbook technique for any other genre, however, it’s a signature stamp for techno. Different producers have their own take on this method as it’s not as simple as just applying a reverb. There is a fair amount of processing in order to fit it in the mix.

Once the layers are carefully selected, we can further enhance the sound by applying additional processing. Saturation for the extra harmonic content and cohesiveness of the layers. Final mixing processes are being taken care of with the help of EQ. Compression is the last step to give that extra punch and definition to your new kick drum.

If you haven’t tried making your own kicks before, you’re in for a treat! Follow along and you will be quickly making and mixing your own kicks in no time…

Creating and mixing your own kick drums