my thoughts on dilla style kicks

objektivone wrote:I can't say I am %100 sure, but I have done enough mixing to be able to tell somewhat. I don't think it is that hard to tell. Because if you have a compressor on half your instruments and you run it through a mastering chain it sound completely different from just something run through a mastering chain dry. Dilla's drums always sound dry and somewhat unmixed even though they are up to level and spread across the stereo very nice.

Plus, I was just relaying something I heard. Can I say that again?
I was relaying something I heard from a reliable source. It was more or less up for discussion, not something I stated as fact. The discussion wasn't find all of my flaws to prove I am a dumbass. If that's the case we can start a new topic.

Please know that I WAS not trying to call you a liar or a dumb ass. I was just interested in how you would differentiate something like that. I'm pretty sure if you do ANYTHING long enough, you can hear some shit that regular folk who've never done it could ever discern.

For example, since I've been making beats, I can almost break down ANY track into it's respective tracks upon first listen. I'll be standing there telling my girlfriend shit like "Can you hear that faint triangle sound in the background? That's really what's driving the rhythm of that beat." At first, she used to look at me like I was crazy, but, now she can hear stuff like that too.

I guess it's just seeing the trees from the forest.

were dilla's nuts really honey roasted?

bicedidit wrote:were dilla's nuts really honey roasted?

Nope, I heard they were caramel coated...

anyone tried the tip yet? Any good results?

Ben.H wrote:anyone tried the tip yet? Any good results?

Nah. It just came out sounding hollow.

Probably have more luck baking some Goldbaby stuff or whatever.

alot of speculation he may of just found breaks off a record that had already been compressed and layered drums with something else then lpf so could well be all in the box but obviously when tracking out he'll add some more to sweeten

All this talk about what Dilla did, or didn't do. Bottom line is no one knows. Just use what you got to make some hot shizz.
I will say one thing though, if you learn your equipment, you will be surprised with how much extra stuff you DON'T need.

peeps know like madlib worked with dude, also kareem riggins and other dudes he was around quest love from the roots so they all exchanged ideas.

there are many ways to get the type of sound dilla had so speculating on the perices method used is worthless

Damn, with all this talk about how did so and so do this or that, you could be learning and experimenting just like other peeps did BEFORE THE INTERNET. Network, talk to people in studios, get yourself into the scene. Record your own drums.

It's funny, so many people talk about how did dude get drums like this, they think purely of just the sample itself and not how it originally was recorded. Most don't even know how to mic a drum kit, nor do they know about drums in general (tuning, sizes, materials).

Read read read and learn learn learn. You're not gonna get a quick tip to make your drums sound like someone else's.

all im gonna say is that yall way caught up on that sound and DONT WORRY HOW HE SOUNDS HEHE i know we all need motivational idols but damn JUST MAKE FUKIN BEATS ALL THE TIME AND YOU WILL GET BETTER AND BETTER.

AND SORRY ALSO GOOD TIP AT THE BEGGINING AND COMPRESSION IS ONLY GOOD FOR CERTAIN INSTANCES LIKE WHAT HES SAYIN . IT TAKES SOUND DESIGN UNDERSTANDING TO COME UP WITH WHAT THE GREATS MADE.....

objektivone wrote:

Ldizzy wrote:I remember reading somewhere that he knew pro tools very well and he ended up doing less and less stuff on the mp... although he always used it as the ''heart'' of his ****

I believe it. I had heard that he never mixed, etc. I only heard that. It is believable to me, but at the same time Dilla seems like the kind of guy who wouldn't be limited by anything, and knowing everything about everything he touched seemed to be his style.

i can see him not mixing, but i mean, what do you mean by "mixing" some of us (well me) mix and tweak my shit as im making the beat, then once its mainly done, i tweak the fck out of it in the mpc........then i just 2 track my shit to my daw, so techinically, its not mixing, its just making the beat.but i could call itmixing because im conscious of freq and levels inside the mpc as im sampling ..........no doubt, i could do some mixing in my daw, but seriously.......

i can get it to bang hard out the mpc; now im not saying i can get it to sound like dilla, but im just saying if i can get it to sound good in the mpc, someone like dilla (genius) can do it...................plus i definately, definately think sample choices is the most important part.

if you have an ear for mixing or in otherwords an ear for "what sounds good", that goes hand in hand with making the beat and picking the right samples-samples that dont have to be analyzed and fixed, figuring out how to chp the sample, and picking the right kicks that go with the particular bass/sample/key of the beat.

i mean think about it, how can you just make a beat without being concious of things like "this kick doesnt sit right with the bassline i just put down, lets switch it, or layer it", or "this sample has some uneccesary low end freq, lets filter it a bit so the bass doesnt compete", or "so far me beat has some hi end, some low end, but i need to fill the middle abit so it sound balanced" ......... if you aint saying shit like that when you are making the beat, then your shit got to sound like doo doo and i can see why everyone is in a **** fight.

good sample choices makes for better beats and less mixing - it aint that hard, if the kick dont sound right, get a differant one, if the bass is mushy, use a differant bass, or if in reason you can eq it, do it.....but dont waste time and dont think.......thats the thing folks......

i doubt dilla fckn got all tech and puzzie bout the shit, he did what felt good and what sounded good....if you got an ear for chopping samples and picking sounds off the record, then you should have an ear for realizing what samples sound good with other samples.........that where dillas genius was...

how do you all define a good kick? you fckn cant! until you hear it with the other shit in the beat, it dont matter if its the most bangin kick, its got to fit with the other shit in the beat, you pick the right kick when you puttin the rest of the beat together

its like a painter, you dont fckn go back and mix your paint after its put on the canvas and done.....you mix your paint as you go. you make necceary sound choices as you go.

finally,put together the right sounds, and if you dont have the right one, find it, and if you cant find it, make it, but dont save that shit for later. it dont matter hwo you got there, but if it sounds good and feels good, it is good.

percisely again nerd want intellectualise everything and make a formula process they can use to get a sound but ur prolly over complicating the process of choosing dope sounds and simple shit like just tunning and filters.

alot of them shits like the original version of ruff draft and those beat tapes volume had the dilla sound and they came right out of the mpc now mixer dilla said he was a big fan of two tracking so go figure

mr.pleasant wrote:hahahaha,....... its quite funny how every 1 of us is to catch sum type of feelins over some others opinion....
no 1 will every know how JAMES YANCEY ever did whut he did...... u can keep on tryin, but then u become
THEE SHARK....... DILLA + HIP-HOP= 4 LIFE, DON'T EVER DUPLICATE IT... APPREICATE IT

He just gave his opinion on how to get that "boomph" kick..

whats goin on with everyone on this thread?

I started reading it thinkin it was gonna share some techniques and ideas and discuss how things may or may not work better but it seems beyond the initial post which to be fair is a nice technique, (maybe a bit long winded but non the less nice) everyone else seems to be bitchin bout stuff.

Its all well n good you lot spoutin sh*t and thinkin ur better than others or more hip hop or whatever dillusions of grandure you have, but when it comes down to it your hatin which isnt what hip hop is about, so its unlikely dilla would give 2 sh*ts what ur opinion was.