my thoughts on dilla style kicks

i've just been doing this in ableton with pretty good results:

1. start with a nice fat kick with body and punch already
2. split it into two seperate tracks, on one compress heavily to create a really smacking clicky sound, on the other filter heavily to leave a more resonant boomph, possibly tune down a bit for lower freqs.
3. Lightly to medium ratio sidechain compress to the main sample
4. Layer with a deep warm sub-bass

And there you go, a lovely compression pumping mix with those massive smacking kicks.

Hope this is helpful to someone out there!
Ben

Great idea. Dilla didn't do much mixing though. Although he would have done something similar but I think it had to do with using different samples and layering. So getting a deep sound and tuning it to a smacking sounds. Then layer it... I think both techniques would sound about the same though.

I believe Dilla didn't mix though. From what I have heard he made it sound dope on his MPC and then mastered.

Ben.H wrote:........boomph........

objektivone wrote:I believe Dilla didn't mix though. From what I have heard he made it sound dope on his MPC and then mastered.

thats a load of abosolute bullsh!t if you ask me.

The mpc doesn't have compression at all and listen to dilla's stuff - its pumping all over the place.
Just because on this site he is idolised for his use of the mpc, it doesn't mean thats ALL he used

The mpc doesn't have compression

poundaproblem wrote:

The mpc doesn't have compression

dude normal gain compression as well as sidechain compression, and a whole heap of other shit that he appears to have used. anyway screw this argument, you can take my tip or leave it i really dont care

ha ha ha you catching feelings....You wanna tell objektivone that what he's saying is b*llshit but then when I point out a statement thats wrong you get all emo ****. Bottom line the tip is cool...Im sure someone can use it....but dont dish sh*t out if you cant take it....

Dilla used compresion, just fukin listen to donuts and tell me again he didnt use it lol.

Tons of it, Mash especially.

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

Time out. I said he didn't mix but on his MPC, but he mastered.... mastering chains include compression, limiting, eqing, etc. So I never said he didn't use compression. I meant on individual instruments. That is just what I heard, and it is from pretty reliable established people who have known people who were close to Dilla, but that doesnt mean its true.

I have listened to a lot of his stuff and I really believe this could be true. His snares and stuff don't sound compressed except through the mastering chain...

Now... his post-mortem stuff you can hear the difference. Like The Shining, because other people mixed that.

I would also appreciate it if everyone didn't talk (type?) to me like I was stupid.
I was making an observation based on what I heard from reliable sources.

thanks for sharing

objektivone wrote:Great idea. Dilla didn't do much mixing though. Although he would have done something similar but I think it had to do with using different samples and layering. So getting a deep sound and tuning it to a smacking sounds. Then layer it... I think both techniques would sound about the same though.

I believe Dilla didn't mix though. From what I have heard he made it sound dope on his MPC and then mastered.

Let's be real here. The magic of Dilla's kicks definitely was accomplished outside of the MPC. And, if you listen to a lot of his kicks, it's obviously layered with a bass note.

Let's try to remember that, after getting his advance from MCA for his unreleased album, he built a full studio in his house basement. So, access to the kind of tools that would allow him to create amazing kicks was right downstairs after rolling out of bed.

Dilla was great and arguably a genius, but he wasn't a sorcerer or magician.

objektivone wrote:I have listened to a lot of his stuff and I really believe this could be true. His snares and stuff don't sound compressed except through the mastering chain...

So, without any disrespect intended at all, you can tell the difference between a song that was only compressed at the mastering phase and one that was also compressed at the mixing phase?