Kick drum samples sound muddy, poorly defined

JJOS2XL on MPC1000.

I have observed that after assigning a kick sample to a pad and using it on a track, it becomes muddy, dim, dull and doesn't stand out anymore in the mix. Even though when I "auditioned" it separately before assignment to a pad the kick sample by itself , sounded loud, clean, distinct.
Basically this is the set up:
track 1: kick
track 2: snare
track 3: hhat
etc.
I have seem this happen with all my kick samples (about 20) so it doesn't seem due to a particular sample.
This doesn't happen with the other drum samples (snare, hhat, percussions, etc.) which do not lose their definition and stay "crisp" and clear in the mix.
I tried to change the JJOS2XL equalization and compression settings but without much results.
The kick seems to largely "disappear" in the mix.

Why is this ? What could be done ?

well your mixing for starters, so other frequencies can add up. Also your using EQ so it wont be the same. Also your gain stage after the MPC will also effect the sound. So turn off compressor and EQs, set your gain structure and also check your output attenuation to and set that appropriately.

converter wrote:What could be done ?

hard to say, but make sure attack is set to 0 and eventually cut lows with HPF and turn volume up on kick.

Imagine that your Kick sample is going to only be 20% of its apparent volume in a mix. If you imagine the "smile" shape of an even-sounding graphic E.Q., the sounds that live on the edges of the "smile" are more on the edge of our hearing. Kick has alot of its oomph on those smile edges. If your kick is disappearing, tweak the sample alone and make it smile more. Mess with the sample (edit it in a wave editor), carve out some, boost others of its mids maybe. Alot of times the kick that shines through a mix doesnt sound completely "right" by itself.
Second part to this - are you doing all of this inside the MPC, and listening to the stereo out? An outboard mixer, and some outboard gear, are how many of us approach this. Route your Kick, snare, and possibly other elements of your drumkit, to individual outs. Process the individual outs, (Compress, E.Q., Gate etc. as needed/desired) and monitor from the 'board.

thanks to all for the replies

When you add a sample to a program the volume is at 80% default, when auditioned its at 100. Turn the kicks up. I often have my kicks dissapear as I add more layers, then gotta turn em up, fletcher-munsen curve and all that, mids and highs will be more present. Why dub music is minimal to allow the bass the room.