Unlocking the ideal kick drum for deep house music production isn’t just about flipping through sample libraries. It’s an intricate blend of science and intuition, a seemingly endless journey of tweaking and tuning to find that elusive, punchy sound that’ll elevate your tracks. In this interview, we chat with mredrollo, a maestro in the field and a professional music production instructor. From insights on frequency ranges to breakthrough moments that shaped his art, mredrollo’s expertise promises to redefine your understanding of what makes a kick drum truly perfect for deep house.
Why bother with average-sounding kicks when you can achieve the extraordinary? mredrollo’s unwavering commitment to finding the ultimate kick drum is a lesson in the relentless pursuit of perfection. With years of experience and custom designs, his pointers offer an unfiltered view into achieving the defining factor in any deep house track—the kick drum. And don’t forget, his signature 808 Kick Rack and other game-changing production tools are just a click away on his website. Ready to dive in?
Stream his latest release, “Follower,” below before you continue reading to get schooled by one of the best in the business.
What are the essential characteristics of a “perfect” kick drum in deep house music?
Well, I think “perfect” is subjective, but ultimately, when designing a kick drum or selecting the right samples, I’m looking for something tight and snappy, with a good amount of punch and thump. For years, I used an 808 kick as it seemed to have all the qualities I needed in a kick with just a little tweaking. I’ve since evolved my sound to be slightly more unique by designing my kicks.
This is a seemingly never-ending process for me. But kicks are so essential to get right. I’ve heard a lot of great tracks with pretty average-sounding kicks, which puts me off instantly. I might like to listen to the track, but I know I’d never play it out. That sounds harsh, but it is a defining factor for me. It’s the foundation of a soundtrack.
Snag mredrollo’s signature 808 Kick Rack and Other Game-Changing production tools on his website here
Do you prioritize specific frequency ranges when selecting or layering kicks?
No, not really.
I ensure the kick’s low end is thumping around that 50hz mark. I’ll usually layer a kick transient over my primary kick to give my track more punch. When EQ’ing my kicks, though, usually, I’ll boost the highs to give it a little more snap and boost the lows to give it a little more thump and potentially dip the mid-range frequencies if things sound slightly “woody.”
Are there go-to plugins or processing techniques for shaping your kick drum?
Honestly no. I’m not a plug-in guy. Most of my production tools are straight out of Ableton Live. I will almost always EQ my kick and occasionally compress it to give it just that extra punch. But this could also be done by automating the volume or clip gain. Compressors are overrated, in my opinion. Most people don’t even know what they are using them for. Or even how to use them. They just read it somewhere online that they “need” compression.
My best advice here is to get good at reading waveforms of kicks in a track that you love. What visual aspects of the kick can you pick up from that? How long is it? What does the transient look like? What does the tail look like? How do the transient and the tail look compared to each other and the rest of the musical/rhythmical elements? So much of “production” can be picked up from reading waveforms. Don’t purely rely on your ears.
How do you adjust the envelope settings like attack, decay, sustain, and release for the kick drum?
Using Clip Gain Automation in Ableton Live is best for this. It allows me to see what’s going on. I’ve found that 3/32’s is the perfect length for my kicks and will generally trim the waveforms with automation to suit this. Clip Gain Automation also allows for shaping the transient or rounding out the kick so the waveforms look smoother.
I’ve gone through a long iteration process with my kicks. All of them are custom-made. They start with a sample, and then I experiment with splicing different transients to the start of the kick. Or even splicing tiny waveforms to the mid-range of the kick. Then I resample my kick repeatedly, making minor volume automation adjustments until I come up with something I’m thrilled with. Since first releasing music, I’ve been through 10 different custom kicks. Recently I’ve been using my 9th and 10th kick, both of which I’m pretty damn happy with. Neither of which is in any of my released tracks, though… yet
How do you ensure that the kick drum remains impactful on both small speakers and large sound systems?
It’s funny, but I don’t intend on my music being played on small speakers . Perhaps I should think more about the listener’s experience. I make my music for DJs, honestly. I want DJs trawling through Beatport, landing on my track, and going, “Oh, yes!”. Or knowing they can rely on one of my tracks when they are wondering what to play next to a full dance floor. I know the feeling of “not knowing what to play next,” so I always hope for my music to fill that gap.
I do sometimes layer my kicks with a transient kick to add a little extra punch if I feel it’s needed. Or it is even layering some noise/crackle. This can add another layer of texture to your music so it doesn’t sound too much like a typical kick sample.
Can you share a breakthrough moment you had when it came to mastering the art of the kick drum in house music?
I was once told by a well-established house producer, “You MUST tune your kick to the key of your song”. This I have found to be complete garbage and one of the worst pieces of advice I’ve ever received. It’s a shame we can be led down rabbit holes like this because “we don’t know what we don’t know.”
Experimenting, analyzing, adjusting, and getting real-world feedback is the only way to reach a level of confidence to know that what we are doing is enough. The more we do, the more we build up that self-reliance.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
