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I'm not sure if describing this sound as "tighter" suffices enough but, I basically want my snares to sound somewhat like this



Right now, I use logic's Ultrabeat where I load up 2/3 snare samples which I all route to their own auxiliary channel and then into a 'shared' bus. Eq the snares for high, low, mid and maybe some bitcrushing them separately for some clarity or volume reduction. Then in the shared bus I might do some slight distortion, reverb and compression. Never have I gotten such a tight or snappy sound as these 2 examples.
I mainly use vengeance(don't worry, I avoid the white noise ones), meanbeat and sometimes this J dilla kit or something called "LM Disco Snares". I highly doubt the samples are the problem but, maybe some new sample packs are in order?

Obviously, I'm no expert. Else I wouldn't venture into the unhospitable grounds of DSF but I could use some help

Cheers
Nightman (nemesis of the Dayman)

you don't need that much processing well that isn't too much but you don't have to split the high mids and lows as I recall you saying that, correct? And, worry about sample quality maybe the samples you are using just don't cut it mate or at least for the type of snare you are looking for (I can't tell because flash player is disabled at school). And make sure you don't layer the same snare twice. layer snares that have almost opposite values as in one that is snappy and one that is more bottom sounding, you don't want clusters of frequencies of the same snare it won't sound good. sorry if my info is what you already may know.

Its all about the initial sample. I used to layer 2/3 snares to get a nice punch but then i done a quick search on google and found some nice original ones. I think if you start with a nice sample in the beginning you dont really need much procesing or layers. Try the DOA sample pack or the sample swap on here, definately worth getting all of it!

it sounds like you're on the right track

1. get a really chunky snare sample with something happening in the midrange, and then maybe layer that with something with high frequency stuff to give it some snap (EQ out overlaying frequencies and anything you don't need)

2. drop a hard limiter on that shit. get a decent amount of limiting on the snare channel but with a short release time. limiting will make the snare sound really big if you're using the right samples, but only if your limiting stays the hell away from the tail end of your drum hits

you should be able to get satisfactory results with just a) solid sample choice b) utterly ruthless eqing and c) properly set up compression so i'd work on that stuff before fooling around too much with any other fancy effects

buy Shaack Audio Transient Shaper. its £40 but its AMAZING. makes everything sound better. really simple to use as well, just adjust attack and release to taste.

Trainrek wrote:buy Shaack Audio Transient Shaper. its £40 but its AMAZING. makes everything sound better. really simple to use as well, just adjust attack and release to taste.

this.

Also - Reso goes over his technique in his masterclass - I highly recommend watching it and listening hard, as you'll learn a fuckton

Trainrek wrote:buy Shaack Audio Transient Shaper. its £40 but its AMAZING. makes everything sound better. really simple to use as well, just adjust attack and release to taste.

somebodies been watching reso. I use it too, but personally dont like its saturation

If anything I want to make my snares sound looser and more splashy

Definitly getting that transient shaper after watching Reso

Pitch up your snares. And use transient shapers, but try not to overdo it because when you get too punchy with those, drums lose their fatness quick. Also when boosting EQ on them use small Qs.

I had been messing around with the limiter in Logic a couple of times now without pleasing results, I guess I'll give that another go then. Reso uses the ad limiter though, I have Logic Express and it doesn't come with that one. Should'nt be to big of a problem, I hope.

As for that transient shaper, it does look pretty sweet. Especially if you see Reso himself fucking around with it. Maybe I should shell out some money for it then, right now I sometimes use Flux Bittersweet 2 for that purpose but it doesn't really do the trick as that Shaack apperently one does. I'm not particularly wealthy though and it had been thinking about upgrading Logic as well. Too bad the first thing you learn when you start out with music is that it's a hobby that costs shitloads of money haha.
Anyway thanks for the replies, they'll be put to good use!

+1 for the transient shaper also boost bring up an eq and see where the snare really punches around 200hzish and boost that shit!

and yes the actual sample needs to be decent (you cant polish a turd))

For the second tune some old vinyl snare samples or mpc samples would work well. Get a hip hop pack.

It's honestly all about the original sample. I'd spent months trying to get a hard hitting snare similiar to Skreams banger style, but couldn't come close no matter what i tried. Found the right sample in the end, crank a nice hall reverb up on it aswell as EQing out the bottom and sorting out the middle frequencies, bit of NY compression on all the drums and that's it.

www.theproducerschoice.com

Nice free samples there. run thro analogue desks by pro engineers apparently.

Also use logics enveloper for transient attack

As others have said, I find it's ALL about the samples. I tend to layer 2 snares, sometimes 3. I'll take one that really punches the mid and a high snare (often a clap) to give it the snappy sound. EQ them out properly. Put your effects on the clap (reverb, transient shapers etc) so you get the nice effects without taking the main "hit" or "gut" out of your snare. After this, you should be half way there. Add effects to taste. I'll most often run them into 1 single bus or track and then comrpess them and EQ them again.

1 oscillator > sine wave > fixed around 200-250hz >fast attack, short sustain,decay and release & make your midi notes short > layer with natural sounding snares/claps > voila

...and for something different layer with field recordings of filtered knocks, clicks and bumps.

You're going the right way about it trying to get a Reso drum sound.