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How to Make Drum Effects

Typical digital audio workstations feature a range of generic audio effects, such as delay, reverb, compression and distortion. These effects enhance and modify the sound of the audio recording. Because the effects are designed for a broad range of audio applications, it can take some time to hit on the right combination of parameter settings for your drum recordings --- especially since drumming style, recording equipment and mixing practices combine to make every drum recording sound different. However, by storing your effects combinations and configurations to make ready-to-use drum effect you can save time in future recording sessions.

Things You'll Need

  • Computer with minimum 2GB RAM
  • Digital audio workstation
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Instructions

    • 1
      Digital audio workstations let you treat your computer like a virtual studio.

      Launch your preferred digital audio workstation, for example Logic, Pro Tools or Soundbooth.

    • 2

      Open a work-in-progress from the "Open" sub-menu in the file menu.

    • 3

      Click the "S" icon on the kick drum channel. By soloing the drum tracks, you mute all other recorded audio and can hear the drums in isolation.

    • 4
      Reverb gives an illusion of space to tom tom drums.

      Open the effects menu. The specific steps for doing this varies according to which program you use, but typically you click the "Effects" tab and top of the interface and browse by category, such as "Delay, "Dynamics" or "Modulation."

    • 5

      Select "Compression." This effect limits the dynamic range of a recording by cutting the volume spikes. The consequence of compression is that the audio takes up less space in the sound spectrum and has a punchier, more immediate impact.

    • 6

      Tweak the "Threshold" parameter so the kick drum has impact but doesn't "boom." Setting it to 80 percent, for example, configures the compressor to reduce only the loudest 20 percent of the sound.

    • 7

      Tweak the "Ratio" parameter. This governs the degree to which the threshold-breaching audio is reduced. For example, a ratio of 2:1 cuts the original sound by half. Experiment with this setting to find an effect that suits the sound of your particular kick drum.

    • 8

      Store the selected parameter settings as a preset. The method for doing so varies slightly according to the program you use, but you typically store the settings via the "Options" tab. Click on the "Save Preset" or "Make Default" depending on your intended use of the effect.

    • 9

      Name the effect when prompted. Give it a name that clearly, but succinctly denotes the function and purpose of the effect, for example, "Heavy compression for acoustic kick, close mic."

    • 10

      Solo the snare drum and reopen the compressor interface. The compression parameters for snare are different than those required for bass, so tweak the settings again to suit the audio recording. Once done, store as "Snare Compression." Repeat this process for all drum instruments. Then go back to the kick drum and create a preset for a different effect, such as "Distortion" or "EQ." and store each. Some effects don't work well with certain drums. For example, putting a phase effect on a kick drum will reduce the instrument's impact and power.

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