Dj Khayos wrote:Yes that is correct, lowpass filter only.
Dre and Dilla would probly have external analog filter boxes
and SSL or Neve mixers in the studio to fix all their filter needs.
1. This is one of the most (if not the most) understated facts in Hip-Hop history. It's huge.
2. You have no idea what these guys were doing. Since I now know that in fact the 3k has no EQ settings and no highpass filter... You dont know if they were using external filter boxes, pitching up drums, or using frequency sliders on an audio receiver. Nobody knows. This is so huge to me and a giant hole has been blown open in my eyes.
I thought I had J DIllas sound cornered and trapped (for research purposes, not to copy). Now I have literally no idea what is going on. If he was using other external analog highpass filters.... I feel like it would've been more stated. Its fairly well documented that J dilla would listen the record and let it marinade, figure out what he wanted to do.... and then be sitting at his 3k for about 10 minutes. The end. I feel like it wouldve been more of a nuanced discussion if he was doing heavy EQ lifting on other machines. And all signs point to heavy lifting of some kind going on... I would be FLOORED to learn that he was only doing things like pitch shift, envelope attacks, and low pass filtering. There has to be more to the story.
I believe i've read that Dre used the 3k for the drum programming for most if not all of chronic 2001. I believe they said they did instrumentation and mixing on the big SSL's.... which makes perfect sense because thats exactly how it sounds. The drums sound like they were done on the 3k but all of the other sounds on that album are way too pristine to be ran through the 3k. But then again... did dre bring in already designed and processed sounds into the 3k to do the drum programming? That seems against the grain. Did he bang out the drums on the 3k and the drums were mundane on the 3k before he brought them to the ssl? that also seems unlikely. Seems like he used the 3k for the drums because it was obvious... they were gonna smack. Doesnt feel like its a "lets make some fire drums and then maybe sprinkle some of the 3k sound on there".... that doesnt feel how the story was told in my eyes. He used the 3k because it was the 3k.
I know for a fact they were all touching the envelopes and attacks of their drums. But how in the hell were they designing their sound? I dont think I have a choice at this point then to buy one..... need to get in there and get my hands dirty.
Black Milk has a similar sound to Dilla and I believe Dilla could've put him onto some cheats at some point. They were kin like that and I think if he would've gave anything to any producer, it wouldve been black milk.
In this video they dont really show his drum process.... you hear the drums just appear in the video when he's banging out. But we do catch a glimpse of him playing with some EQ filter sliders on a receiver or something.