6 Magic Frequencies for Mixing KICK DRUMS

Learn exactly where you need to cut and boost your EQ to get crisp, pro-sounding kick drums in the mix.
☛ Learn the go-to starting points for EQ and compression in heavy mixes with my FREE Mixing Cheatsheet: mixcheatsheet.com
Watch this next: 4 Magic Frequencies for Mixing Snares • 4 Magic Frequencies fo...
Music I’ve Worked On: open.spotify.com/playlist/6I7...
Website: hardcoremusicstudio.com
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MY FAVORITE GEAR:
Computer / Interface:
Mac M1 Studio Max sweetwater.sjv.io/anOMOo
Avid Carbon sweetwater.sjv.io/ZQ6M6g
Apogee Duet 3 sweetwater.sjv.io/y2qXqb
Monitors / Headphones:
Avantone CLA-10a sweetwater.sjv.io/WqyMyZ
Audio Technica ATH-M50 sweetwater.sjv.io/PyOMON
Microphones:
Shure SM57 sweetwater.sjv.io/daOMy7
AKG D112 sweetwater.sjv.io/Kj0MBy
Sennheiser e604 sweetwater.sjv.io/DKyvWa
Shure SM7b sweetwater.sjv.io/5g5vk3
AKG C451b sweetwater.sjv.io/jre9Rv
Shure SM81 sweetwater.sjv.io/eK1LnD
Audio Technica AT4050 sweetwater.sjv.io/JzKMqr
Preamps/Outboard:
API 3124 sweetwater.sjv.io/eK1LRD
EL8 Distressor sweetwater.sjv.io/XYmMd4
Favorite Plugins:
BSA Clipper blacksaltaudio.com/clipper
Escalator blacksaltaudio.com/escalator
Low Control blacksaltaudio.com/low-control
Waves SSL Bundle waves.alzt.net/dMd4q
Waves CLA Compressors waves.alzt.net/0va0P
Waves Platinum waves.alzt.net/jxz2M
Slate Trigger 2 sweetwater.sjv.io/MmAM53
SoundToys Rack sweetwater.sjv.io/xkLgyd
Auto-tune Pro sweetwater.sjv.io/OreMYr
Vocalign Project sweetwater.sjv.io/xkLgyA
Cranesong Phoenix II sweetwater.sjv.io/PyOMrz
Instruments / Amps:
Ludwig Black Beauty Snare sweetwater.sjv.io/1r9vDR
Gibson Les Paul sweetwater.sjv.io/B0nvz1
Evertune Guitars sweetwater.sjv.io/WqyM6P
Fender Jazz Bass sweetwater.sjv.io/nLX5R6
Sansamp Bass Driver DI sweetwater.sjv.io/OreM9Q
EVH 5150 sweetwater.sjv.io/4PGvr9
Mesa 2x12 cab sweetwater.sjv.io/75avGA

[@ardypangihutan3653]

I just apply this in my RnB mix. Nowhere near metal/rock stuff, yet still works. The kick is more present and less loud. This is what cheat sheet really is! Thanks man!

[@mpsounddesign]

I love your "Magic Frequencies" series, so very helpful 😎

[@beatsbyrejae5593]

Dude I love your channel I’ve been watching your videos for years and you have taught me so much I’m very great full for your channel bro thank you 🙏🏾

[@LoreAccurateHusky]

This instantly helped me a lot. I've been mixing with the GGD Invasion kit and noticing that my kick was having a lot of that "basketball" problem a lot. That 900hz thing really helped a lot.

[@matrixv01]

As a drummer who is starting my home recording journey this, and the magic frequencies for snares is the most useful thing I've seen. EQ'ing with your ears over your eyes.

[@correametal]

Simply amazing! Thanks Jordan!

[@milanpolak]

Love this series! Thanks so much, Jordan!

[@ZackZweifel]

I just went back into my last drum cover and redid the bass drum using your method and I love it sooo much more than what I was doing by just ear... can't wait for my next drum cover to try this again!

[@zachglover386]

I usually don't comment on videos but I just had to say how awesome this video was! Keep up the good work

[@mastermind199]

Half way through the video, I was asking myself "why does this sound familiar?". I looked on the wall next to my monitor and saw my EQ cheat sheet with your logo. Didn't realize the cheat sheet was from you until this moment. It's a real lifesaver!

[@poorhouz5051]

Mannnnnn you have come a long way. I remember when you 1st started.... You have gotten 20 TIMES BETTER... Stay Up SALUTE

[@ich_paulenze]

Wish this was the first video i saw about mixing the kick. Took me too long to realise not every kick's magic frequencies are the same: they are different for each kick, but this video actually describes well how to tell if you are hitting the right magic frequency, even if the frequency isn't quite the same as in the video. Big thanks 👍👍

[@MrWezr]

Thank you! Really high level of mixing

[@jaredepstein5478]

Interesting take on 900hz. I saw another guy who really enjoys it, cause he likes "knocking" noise, like someone is knocking to get your attention. But this video is very helpful! I realize I haven't been cutting ENOUGH!

[@Platens]

I really thank you for these videos!!!

[@khalilroukoz]

These are dead on, awesome Thank you sir!

[@john-acellera]

Great tutorial. Thanks a lot. Have a good one 🤘

[@music-collective]

Excellent video. Great tips... 👏

[@michaelanddenisafoster3328]

This video literally saved one of my tracks! Thank you!

[@famigeratox2277]

I would LOVE a Toms video like this man, you are such a good teacher!

[@Damo_Drummer]

Try: - Cutting heavily at 400Hz (bell) - Adding at 4-5KHz (bell) for attack - Adding at 100Hz (bell) for punch/thump

[@louistotalcontrol]

Excellent advice - thank you

[@tonystef3983]

Great one, subbed immediately, waiting for more magic :)

[@bokolioo]

If You are Recording a Kick this type of sound it is easier just to put a Shure Beta 91A in the kickdrum or just put a trigger on the head for trigging a sample. But I use to cut cut and cut in the first moment then I maybe boost the volume instead. Less is more😊

[@brandonbisson]

Could you do a lesson on how and where compressors are used in drums? which parts of the drum should be compressed? individual shells? rooms? also do i need compressors on Shell busses and the overall drum bus?

[@rauslitz2]

Helped me a lot! thank you

[@joa1232]

From my experience I would say if you use programmed drums or drum samples they are usually preeqed and need less eq... also I think the 100 Hz area is very interesting in the mix, doesnt necessarily needs a boost or a cut, but adjusting it in the context of a full mix really helps to even out the overall sound of the kick

[@jimmyowenmusic]

This is really great! thank you so much for this =)

[@Yurkinz]

Great video!

[@1shannonleggette]

Very cool. Thank you.

[@reynaldorivera809]

Thanks. That helped a lot!

[@JoaquinGonzalez2014]

Talk about magic formulas and ... this really works !!! 👍

[@stevenneufeld3791]

another stellar video from Jordan/HMS! thanks for posting!

[@colineastwood1357]

Very useful ideas.

[@gradyshawver7643]

Thank you! I am sure getting some great tips from this channel.

[@gradyshawver7643]

@@HardcoreMusicStudio0 What’s with the double birds ✨😲✨ (middle fingers)?

[@MrSeattleshaun]

Just found your channel, do hip hop production this is gold thanks!

[@orlandocarlock6362]

This was really helpfull 🤘

[@PatrickObiang]

Awesome 👊🏿

[@JeserNoob]

Instantly made my kick sound so much better! thank you!!!!!!!

[@edvardweiss6589]

Great video as usual :) Do you remember/know what snare was used in the second drum track? Sounds killer !

[@jirehjames871]

Thank you again, Jordan! God bless you.

[@morbidmanmusic]

Nobody asked for a "gods" blessing.

[@jirehjames871]

@@morbidmanmusic God bless you as well.

[@AlexandreSoma]

BIG THUMBS UP!

[@hordurhalldorsson]

thank you very much!!

[@sdx2r]

Thank you 🙏

[@billyhughes9776]

Awesome!

[@HugoBanyCastilloCh]

Awesome 🎉🎉

[@dandelay8377]

Fantastic! Also- I think you need a solid 70’s style mustache.

[@LambertDriveStudios]

I love to use my Pulteq eq for the 60hz boost, for some some reason that thing just adds major beef compared to anything else I have in my tool kit. Another Great video Jordan !!

[@hotrodstudio151]

I agree, it does. If you run it through plugin Doctor you'll find out why.You're actually boosting a lot more than 60. You're boosting from 40 all the way to 200

[@LambertDriveStudios]

@@hotrodstudio151 that’s why you can use attenuator beside boost to tighten it back up

[@hotrodstudio151]

it was really interesting for me to find this out.

[@CostaKalogiros]

Usually a move in 35 or 60 and 4.8 in scheps 73 is more than enough .

[@martinczerwinski5478]

Verry good

[@WiredDrummer]

Thanks man! Gotta try this. My kick sounds ok alone but just isn’t cutting the mix

[@albertbatchelor5882]

Does that 900hz really depend on the mixer.. I've heard alot of kick drums in rock and pop country that actually excentuate that basketball sound. I found it interesting why they chose to excentuate when most don't. I don't particularly like the sound. But have heard it on hit records. Your vids are fantastic. Always love your channel. It was amazing to see how your channel and you have grown over the years. Now your making plugins. Very smart venture. That plugin was well designed and seems very easy to use. Love the simple interface. Keep Rocking!!! 🙂👍👍👍

[@RoseDagger-dz1nn]

I agree with most of these choices.But when i'm doing genres like deep house or liquid dnb I'm more so cutting out the 8k area to fit the deeper arrangment of the songs.But I will for sure boost the mid ranges in those genres .This guide helps me alot for genres like pop,hip hop,metal.Really good tutorial just thought id add my two cents

[@andrewkaiser7203]

But I LIKE the basketball bounce sound on a kick. So I boost the hell out of that frequency, but use a multi-band compressor targeting only that same frequency (compressor 2nd in the chain), obviously with a fast attack and fast release. Try it. Go extreme, but use wet/dry or parallel mix. Choose compression ratio by ear, and not by any preconceived guideline.

[@LCRLive687]

Im not sure about boosting anything below 60 hz on a kick tho. Unless it's sweetspot peaks that low. Kick isnt about trying to introduce too much sub-lows. Its just meant to have tight lows.

[@zeclomal2265]

Jordan I'd love a video about how to EQ bass and another one guitars. And it would be nice that they are not so heavy or so poppy. Maybe something in between, like modern radio rock.

[@maxyoshimoto]

love the cheatsheet, wondering if the OH mix is dialed more for just cymbals? I'd like an OH mix that includes toms! Thanks

[@francobuzzetti9424]

meanwhile me looking for a kick that sounds like a basketball

[@vivanmusicmaker]

😂

[@vivanmusicmaker]

Sample a basketball itself rather

[@AviraasMusic]

😂

[@psychoticchemist]

I wonder what it would sound like if you used a match EQ feature to frequency-match a kick drum to the frequency of a close up recording of a basketball hitting the ground lol

[@N8oRMusic]

I'm looking for a snare that sound like a wet tennis ball hitting the back of someone's head.

[@zokankesi3653]

Your are the Best

[@Skoora]

Something I was shown a long time ago that can be effective is boosting very high below the fundamental. So more like around 30Hz instead of 80-100. It creates a size and warmth to the low end that doesn’t make the fundamental get too obnoxious from boosting it directly. Whether you use a shelf or wide Q setting is personal preference.

[@sgfdancecompany]

with the ssl is also great to hicut at around 30hz and a bit of snap with the comp

[@VincentVegardSvart]

It's right to use double compression, one in SSL E Channel and after with a 1176? On SSL channel do you use the same settings? Slow attack and fast release? 2:1/4:1 ratio?

[@spookie3000]

Maybe good to add: kick is really hard to translate to devices without the ability to reproduce low end. Adding the highs makes the kick suddenly appear on lets say phone speakers or small bluetooth speakers.

[@AyeFrknSn4pper]

Where can I find that Solid State Logic E-Channel plugin? I'm not too sure where to purchase it safely. Amazing video, very helpful!

[@dominikdudek16]

Great video! I don't think is bad to say "look here and there". I've got another thing in minds. Those first drums souded amazing even before you started mixing. Please tell me what drums, microphone setup etc Please. And od course awesome drummer. Great stuff🙂 Cheers from Poland

[@martinczerwinski5478]

bery good video

[@CraigFlowersMusic]

That second drum track sounded exactly like the intro song for, if I remember correctly, Drum Center of Portsmouth's channel.

[@shaunsrossi]

Hey this is really cool , ive just finished recording and now referencing, even though m using EZ drummer 3 my kick just didn't fit my reference track! So I'm a little confused in the sense is easy drummer pre Eqed/compressed? Only what I've just learnt has got me the result's I wanted so......thankyou this really has been helpful

[@olifriedrich5844]

Nice Video, thank you! Do you prefer to use a pre-eq-ed mic like the Audix D6, as it is close to have alle the magic boosts and cuts already in it? Or do you prefer a more linear mic? Thanks!

[@aeonic_drums]

He primarily uses the AKG D112. His reasoning is that it takes EQ very well and gives him more control of the sound.

[@olifriedrich5844]

@@aeonic_drums thank you!

[@SantiagoIzaguirre_potenciar]

Hola! Qué conviene hacer primero. Ecualizar o comprimir?

[@backwoodmenace]

you have saved my kick drums

[@victorbesedinsky1935]

Thank you so much! But will it work with a live kick during live show? Thanks!

[@BobCorey]

Pretty sure it will...

[@harrykmr6669]

Signed up, got your other video and other advertising bits, thanks but NO cheatsheet download. am I doing something wrong?

[@ButeSound]

Nice that you note the ns10 dont reveal all the low end. Always need a 2rd or 3 rd opinion. I have one ns-10 as a mono reference i made up from a genuine new replacement woofer. It shows all the bumps in the road like a sports car. (My goto analogy)

[@largeuselessness]

for kick's click I tends to split kick;s signal around 1.4k~2k, and use a overdrive pedal on higher frequency, then mix two together as a kick bus for later process..

[@emmanuelozil5654]

Great video!!! Just curious to know what mic positions are able to achieve this sound as well as what mixing is like with 2 kick mics

[@aeonic_drums]

He primarily has the mic a fair amount inside pointed at the beater. Only 1 mic with a sample layered underneath for added consistency and top end.

[@rondeangelis7384]

Any recommendations for the kick and a subkick or kick mic’d inside and outside?

[@DoctorStonerMusic]

What headphones are you using? I have trouble hearing low frequencies on the headphones I use, honestly I can hear subs better on my monitors. I was thinking about picking up DT990 Pros if you have any insight.

[@andrewarbogast1]

If you end up bringing a sample in after this, do you send it to the same kick bus your other kicks are being sent to?

[@OldNewPP739]

yours bright me up to prove

[@LucasMichalski]

I was always thinking that in rock/sometimes metal music kick needs low mids around 200-300, in electronic music EDM idmt doesn't indeed, but in rock as well? Can you please elaborate on that? Thank you

[@stillgotyourmom]

Whats rarely explained is the important difference if they are distorted or not! With distortion on Kicks they will sound too boxy around 250-500 often, without it depends.

[@GTORT]

Neeeeeeeeded this dude THANK YOU. I struggle hard hard with kicks

[@hardcoremusicstudio]

Not anymore!

[@joboiecruiser]

I have spent years trying to get the kick sound the band TAXXI song "Maybe Someday". The snare sound too. Still trying.

[@BobSchoepenjr]

Wow interesting

[@ultrabeamrecordsmusic1772]

hi whats up can u do Synth,Horns and Pad 2

[@sir_quirkus7206]

I like the basketball sound in kicks lol

[@dougleydorite]

Hit that EASY button for MAGIC. I like it 👍

[@dougleydorite]

Honestly though. When I can’t get something, I watch this channel first and always come out with a more streamlined approach - thanks

[@broomdogsoutdoors1106]

Hey how long does it take for the frequency list?

[@matressi6843]

you never miss

[@joakimwidner]

anyone still got that cheatsheet? downloads does not seem to be working anymore

[@Mrnangpu]

I only have the SSL-G channel.... Do i necessary have to buy the Echannel or manage with the G channel.

[@niqulusviii987]

Nope you don't need the E, either channel strip will work. Matter of fact, any eq and compressor will work.

[@DanYannay]

👑👑

[@jasad133]

What EQ do you use

[@dipulator]

is the kick you're working on mic'd inside or out on the resonate head?

[@BobCorey]

Inside

[@hardcoremusicstudio]

☛ Learn the go-to starting points for EQ and compression in heavy mixes with my FREE Mixing Cheatsheet: mixcheatsheet.com

[@ericmmusi2003]

Unable to download cheat sheet..pls check

[@joeshmoe5687]

thank you very much

[@kutnersuicide]

I don't necessarily mind the basket ball sound, on more rocky stuff I think it can be pretty cool actually.

[@bosrongphar]

What about midi drum kick?

[@cordarelljohnson3786]

CAN THIS BE USE ON HIP HOP AND TRAP DRUMS

[@the_handsome_bear]

For the most part yeah 60hz boost with a pultec on kicks and 808s is classic. Depending on the sample you probably won't need to add 2k or 4 and you don't have to carve all that mid out of the sample if it's a good knock sound. But boost 60hz always. I used to boost the 2k on trap kicks but now I use soft clippers and the knock plugin to get the top of the kick to poke thru the mix

[@e.apollis2877]

i like the 250 woofyness

[@nikolabudimir-dzoni]

Does SSL EQ come with Pro Tools?

[@user-im2wq9tw3t]

No, this is “waves”

[@incaseofelimination7804]

"There's a cheat sheet, so don't worry about writting them down" Me who's been taking notes this whole time: 😐

[@hanneskaros6714]

The part I dont like about this method is the left over range about 500 Hz. I think that sound really mushy but I mean different listener different opinions