The Top 1% Approach To Drum Layering

[@ScottThePisces]

As a young producer I didn't understand why big producers would layer kicks together, like you can just pick the one that sounds great. Recently I've come to understand it better and let me help explain how I use it. Depending on your mix, you might find that the kick you're using isn't cutting through on the top end, there's enough bass so you don't want to turn the kick up. Instead, you can blend in a new kick with just the top end to add some snap to it. When layering sounds, you need to be thinking about how the Lows, Mids, Highs are feeling. Some goes for synth layering. Don't just do it for the sake of it, apply it when it's necessary.

[@Fercomusic]

More control and clearness. :)

[@decapitateallcops3214]

Blending kicks is fun

[@bradparsonsmusic]

Youre right, good explanation, and I think this is what BigZ is showing us too, he's adding the top end of an acoustic kick to the Bassy electronic kick.

[@blazeluminati]

the key and operative word here is "feel" There are no rules.

[@LitenToRobba]

What i love about you Z, is that youre straight to the point.

[@DeSanKwuh]

This is a topic I keep finding myself coming back to. I'm a relatively experienced producer with around 8 years of experience, but I often find myself overthinking the whole process and driving myself nuts replacing sample layers. One top tip I got from this was fading the sample so you just hear the tail - seems so simple but never thought of that, so big thanks bro!

[@danielmatzinas-creativecom7112]

Congratulations, first of all, on being the producer and composer who created such a video. It's a technique that few people know about and few people mention. Well done!!

[@horzemantw7094]

Honestly im not going to lie but I find out this is one of the best EDM tutorials channels on KZbin!

[@drummerAVA]

The way you presented this info is like one of those “lightbulb moments” in itself… excellent video!

[@yasutakeuchi]

I love your videos, and I love your music. The combination of what I learn from you, and how often my daughter and I listen to your music makes you my faorite music education youtuber, and one of my favorite producers. Thank you so much!

[@FauzexPZ]

Simple and straight to the point, amazing work

[@badt1]

I did this when i started composing with FL studio back in the days i layered 3 kicks and snares on top each other with volume controll just to get the right sound. i didnt know anything about the drums or what i was doing, but it sounded better. Now i am doing it even with the bass aswell to controll sub/low/top and sometimes even little static sounds on top etc.

[@WinterVibrations]

Those are probably the best drums Ive ever heard in a tutorial setting. Nice job, keep up the great content! Thanks

[@michaelkeller963]

Whenever I'm stuck I find myself coming back to your videos. Love this channel! As a beginner producer, it's so easy to follow and understand

[@DanielShin-fb2cw]

Oh my god, this is EXACTLY what I needed, and I couldn't ask for a cleaner, straightforward tutorial. Thank you so much!!!

[@Musicbypinge]

Never stop making those videos man, thanks so much again!!

[@FrequeBoutique]

Great video. This learning curve is yogic. The lightbulb moments become less for sure and more spread out but they do become more meaningful and with consistency they will keep appearing. Stay on the path artists. 🙏🏼

[@BVSSIC]

A good way to be able to layer reverbed lower kick samples for room with the dry kicks is by using RM sidechain from the dry onto the wet, that way the tail end never interferes with the individual phase cycles of the dry kick, you can adjust the amount by changing the rectification amount on the sidechain input channel and you can also do passes in an eq to make it more specific and less aggressive!

[@mattiateora2392]

Always getting the best tricks from you!!! Keep doing what you’re doing man cause your music and videos are sick!!💪🏻

[@PokeReel]

Just stumbled upon you today. I LOVE how you edit these, the before/after comps, I'm sure it's a lot of work but it's so helpful when learning. Earned a Sub from me!!

[@ivanzu2069]

Love this channel. I've been making music for over 15 years and I've released tracks on some pretty big labels and I still learn new things watching these videos. Keep it up, Big Z!

[@allaboutflow]

Hey Big Z. This was the first video of yours I watched and immediately I subscribed. Good advice, well structured and straight to the point. Thanks, will defo watch more of your vids.

[@iiiii1919]

The bass is sick in this - love the note bend

[@BVSSIC]

Also it's kinda funny how you added a "more realistic" shaker loop when shakers are purposefully more flat sounding since they're just little grains in small objects. You're actually making it less realistic by adding in a layer with some nice harmonic resonances. Sounds great! I agree, but you end up making something more like a tambourine when you add resonance to shakers since grains within shakers are usually too small to make real resonant noise in real life. the resonance from tambourines come from the actual little zills. The smaller the sound source, the higher the frequency, so yea! Just a fun little thing haha

[@MonsieurDeluxe2]

Big Z AMAZING!! this helped me so much, Any chance you can make similar videos for the approach you have for layering, Leads, Chords, Basses? many of us simply browse the presets folder to find a layer without actually knowing what the initial layer needs.

[@skaemusic]

Thank you! What's your plan to go from 200k to 1M monthly streams? I'm stuck at 10k since years and I'd love to know more about it ❤

[@BigZMusic]

Step 1 is to make way more music! My goal is to make as much music as possible then only pick my very favorites to release

[@skaemusic]

@@BigZMusic thanks, are you planning on spending money for advertising?

[@BigZMusic]

No but I’m gonna release on indie record labels so they can do the promotion for me

[@tkylemusic]

I use your drum kit on my remixes! Another great video, I need to level up my drums.

[@3ilkush]

Love your work bro, keep going

[@Gutz-po9xf]

mano tu é sensacional !! game change total

[@acatnamedharmony5671]

Great and informative video as always. That being said the track that you're making really steals the show...sooo good =)

[@Omar-tv7ij]

i am at a point now where i like your videos even before i watch them :D

[@DJBre]

Very subtle yet powerful

[@laurentd6092]

Dude you’re just on fire 😮

[@bradparsonsmusic]

Big UpZ BigZ! Great vid.

[@FrequeBoutique]

Beautifully done. 🙏🏼

[@j-maur]

Big Z is the goat

[@cottoo1]

EZdrummer is a great plugin to easily add that organic feeling to EDM music.

[@dynobeats9882]

so fade the ins, cut the lows, basically Add all acoustic tails to the electronically programmed main drum pattern and it hits hard but also feels groovy

[@EdokLock]

Any Black Friday Sales for your Mixing Academy course ?

[@matthewguthrie3476]

goooood stufffffff dude, my only thought would be why not make everything sound more warm beefy and organic by not using synthetic sounds.... That F9 patch that's from a real synth is always gonna sound better than a synthetic vst

[@karmaindustrie]

Last night I dreamed of a plugin that generates organic random noises/percussions (of certain type of choice) and afterwards you can highlight what sounds good (on the wave-visuals) in order to save those parts or even train the plugin to make more (similar) like this. Is there a plugin like that? Selecting randomness on the fly...? For maximum convenience..? [Including AI] In the dream the generated noises reminded me of falling dirt chunks. An this extra stuff (subconsciously(?)) in this video reminded me of my dream.

[@SteveAthletics]

layering kicks and hihats can overpower the transients. just fade the hihat little bit.

[@FrancoRocha1234]

top quality tutorial as always!!

[@wayfie777]

Developing your own sound involves cultivating your unique taste, inevitably requiring some experimentation. The deeper your understanding of why certain sounds captivate you, the more intentionally you can create.

[@seemantkurtkoti4367]

Awesome video! Super helpful👍 can you please share the name of the track that starts playing at 4:17😃?

[@JPPWB]

Some of that is definitely good advice but the comparison at the end was always gonna sound better purely because the drums were louder.

[@nishant.verrma]

Absolutely nuts broo

[@gelleromusic6066]

Your great man!

[@city156]

this video is really useful thank you for good video :)

[@EricAtGoodVibes]

My guy is mastering the art of advertising

[@jaraluca]

short and into the point !

[@yeckxo]

Great Tip!

[@berkeals814]

Actually for better at sound selection recreation of your favourite songs it's game changer..

[@Alexramos]

love your videos.

[@NotDayWalker]

and when u get to the the end of the track you realize non of these smaller things that sound good when isolated arent even audible when full track is playing haha

[@sandygroove]

1% of contemporary edm producers use Logic Pro instead Ableton 😁. Logic squad is here comrade Z 🫡

[@philbrown1980]

where did that acoustic kick come from at 1:55 mark? Thx its hard for me to find solid acoustic kicks like this.

[@SynthDesigner]

Great ideas here! Similarly I also have music goals in 2024 and I'm trying to get to over 1000 listeners a month haha

[@notmtp566]

after trying your house drum pack, I cant use any other drum sample library :(

[@rikgreen520]

Hi, apart from the layers you added to the kick, did you do any other kind of processing to it, as I'm listening to this on my phone and the kick sounds like it should sound on a bigger speaker, when I listen back to my own work on my phone, my kick just sounds clicky and weak, is there something I'm missing..?? Rik.

[@michael3864]

Thank you!

[@MASSDECEPTIONTV]

EPIC, WOW!

[@BoxxyMusicXD]

Great video

[@GabrielEther]

I'm always afraid of adding too much stuff and getting my mix muddy and confusing

[@brianmartin7710]

great!

[@MiketheNerdRanger]

Dang, the "easy way" for sample selection means spending money I don't have. Guess I'm doing this the hard way then.

[@connormacdermott8067]

Beast

[@zappep]

every big artist who knows about production says this, nr1 rule. don't fuck up the drums

[@Death_Rave]

Kick drums. Have. Layers. OGRES. HAVE. LAYERS. Kickdrumshavelayers..!? You get it they both have layers.

[@ScouseHouseClassics]

Music is just a hobby for me. My preferred Genres wouldn't get a look in on Spotify etc.

[@z73-dn9ts]

Mahmut Orhan - Bayati Shiraz feat. Kənan Bayramlı [Ultra Records] chek this...drums

[@DawnHub666]

LMAO

[@pantheratora]

I came to listen to Skrillex talk about Drum layering. Leaving disappointed.

[@Fellolkek]

Oh so its not multi billion dollar music labels promoting the same artists that makes them 1%? I'm gonna start using these production tricks. The music industry won't know what hit them.

[@BigZMusic]

Learning to make great music is half the battle. The other half is marketing, branding, making connections with labels, etc. This channel is all about the technical parts of producing but I’m not naive to the fact that you need great branding paired with great music

[@poindextertunes]

its easier to be an independent artist than ever before. you sound kind of resentful if not bitter

[@mcgritty8842]

@@poindextertunesthere’s a lot of people who will never make it in the industry, so they go online and bash everyone they can to make themselves feel better… it’s so obvious about Op. dude is bitter as hell they they can’t blow up

[@wskeal86]

it doesn't work even if you buy your favorite sound producers sample packs, since all theirs sample packs weren't built by sound they selected in their tracks, they choose their sounds in thousands of samples, and their "feeling of groove" tells them which sounds to choose, so there are no easy paths to be top 1% (or top 15%) producers, so, please, don't give you subscribers wrong paths of how to be the best in this field of art such as music production. I mean you can choose KSHMR sound pack and make the beat which is not catchy at all, and you can choose soundpack with much less samples (files) and make groovy loop. It all depends on your skill level and understanding what perfict catchy beat supposed to be.

[@mcgritty8842]

Sounds like you’re out here giving the bad advice lol

[@wskeal86]

no hate, I don't even know you, but It's funny when someone on youtube teaches you how to be top 1%, but that teacher not even in top 10% of the top producers lol.

[@brianfareedamellorsebrahim4470]

Well I don't see the top 10% or top 1% producers sharing great tips like these so how about we just appreciate that someone is willing to share his knowledge with the rest of us that are trying to learn. You can be a top producer but suck at teaching and to be honest this channel one of the best and his talented at teaching and producing in my opinion.

[@wskeal86]

@@brianfareedamellorsebrahim4470 I appreciate sharing of such a good knowledge. What I don't like is clickbait titles.

[@poindextertunes]

@@wskeal86thats literally every video title on YT. so you just don’t like YT?