Here’s the ultimate technique for turning flat, lifeless drums into punchy, full-bodied hits that cut through the mix with power and clarity.
By using parallel processing, this method adds warmth and energy to your drums while keeping the original transients intact, resulting in a crisp, dynamic sound.
Start by sending your drum bus to an aux channel and apply saturation with Saturn 2, setting the drive to 25% and selecting Warm Tape mode for that analog feel. Then, use Pro-Q 3 to cut below 120Hz, ensuring the kick stays unaffected. Add an 1176 compressor with a 4:1 ratio, fast release, and medium attack, driving it to -10dB gain reduction for that punchy, compressed tone.
Blend the processed aux back into the main channel, and get ready to hear your drums come alive in the mix.
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