Mixing Trap Drums with Waves Plugins (Part 1)

[@rapidfiremuzik_official]

S.D prob the ONLY dude ( dnt quote lol ) doing Tutorials like these, in the hip-hop/r&b genre....AND makes it so damn understandable that you pretty much rmbr damn near everything lol. Thanks bro

[@SeanDivine]

🙌🙏

[@hannespi2886]

12:48 Just became completely Zen by seeing you taking your time on that wonderfull snare; love to see this from a producer

[@SeanDivine]

🙌

[@hannespi2886]

5:11 loving the reverb effect there, really biigg

[@deekzbeatz4404]

bro thanks for dropping all this knowledge fr. I learn more things from one of your videos than in courses I had to pay for.

[@pumbabeats420]

Still coming back for this. Love drum tutorials, and all youre material is so good. ♡

[@SeanDivine]

🙏

[@OfficialDJTuky]

thanks sean , we appreciate this, cant wait for part 2..

[@glorian4339]

Thnx, Sean! Hope Waves has payed you enough.

[@sangbangprod.4223]

OMG the mix quality on the outro is insane!

[@SeanDivine]

Thanks 😊

[@papa_da_engineer]

Awesome! Will be trying these methods out. Gems! 🚀🚀🚀🙏🔥

[@SeanDivine]

🙌🤜

[@Juliano_DJOL]

Just to add in I'm a big fan of your channel! Keep em coming brah!

[@jatyga3905]

Also could u please keep helping us out with the waves plugins, on different sounds and vocals too 🙏

[@Official_RIDM]

This video just brought me to another level right now. Thank you for that!

[@SeanDivine]

glad to hear it :)

[@oluwafemilopo]

Seeaaaaaaaaaan! Wow, this is awesome. Thanks for all these vids. Pls, part 2 asap.

[@SeanDivine]

sure thing, coming soon :)

[@chrisjennings5731]

Dope! Thanks Sean! More tools in the toolbox!

[@pedro.sh101]

16:35 before and after, sounds great

[@keimaari]

goated my guy thank you

[@MaroonSP]

Enjoyed that fully

[@uptobatentertainment]

You are peaking around -1 dbfs already with just kick & snare? Can you elaborate on your gain staging and your monitor chain? Are your monitors calibrated?

[@abcfiresolutions9138]

Thank you for sharing.

[@RuhkcusTV]

At about the 3min mark I would really like for someone to possibly go into detail about why they are moving the knobs the way they are.. almost talking ya through what they may be looking at such as signal volume or vu meter on compressor as to what you are thinking as or adjusting the knobs :)

[@SeanDivine]

Nu Classic Beats 👍🙌💯

[@michaelheinsen5292]

Thanks, Sean! Fantastic and insightful as always

[@michaelheinsen5292]

Looking forward to Part 2!

[@SeanDivine]

🙌@@michaelheinsen5292

[@jaspreet1913]

Nice beat clip at the end!

[@pharaohonthetrack2008]

Yo Sean we'd like to see you do a drum mixing tutorial with our beloved Lex Clap, Lex Snare, Rack Kick & Spinz 808!!

[@dylanpoirier9717]

Awesome video man thank you!!!

[@OfficialRocNation]

Awesome content man!

[@HHBeatz]

Great video Sean! 👊💯

[@SeanDivine]

🙏

[@michaelorourke5848]

This is class

[@peakingmantis5331]

could you do a video explaining how you go about mixing just low-end frequencies? I always struggle with getting the fuzz and feeling from a bassline without it sounding muddy and shapeless :'(

[@SeanDivine]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aoW1mXl7aapgfMU

[@peakingmantis5331]

Sean Divine You are the 🐐

[@peakingmantis5331]

Sean I don't know what I did wrong here but every other time I type cmd+k for keyboard in Logic Pro X, the track that is selected is muted? I've looked into it and it appears to be something to do with controller assignments, I must of accidentally created a controller assignment which tells Logic to mute selected track when opening the keyboard shortcut?? But I don't know how to get rid of it and it's depressing me :'(

[@SeanDivine]

you can check / delete from the key commands menu - preferences: key commands: edit

[@arenbie30]

Dope Sean ✊🏾

[@jatyga3905]

The video was on point, I applied the information and my mix sounds amazing already. I would ask tho, for this kind of video, could u use more of a hard trap beat and sounds.

[@MDOTDASUPA]

Awesome!!!

[@BobSezibwaofficial]

Thanks man. You have helped me alot. blessings

[@SeanDivine]

Glad to help!

[@noobdoll5883]

Hey Sean, Thanks for your videos. they help a lot. I have a question, Why didn't you use Transient Processor instead of Compression for the Kick to make it sound punchier? am I wrong or we can get the same results? if not when should we do transient processing and when should we do compression! Thanks!

[@pedro.sh101]

hi noob doll, i never used transient processor but i suppose it will only affect the transient, while compressing that much will sure give you more bite to the first ms but will also help shape the beefiness of the whole kick, open a project on your daw and see for yourself how they work on different kicks and try to notice not only the transient

[@SeanDivine]

Hey noob doll, I've done many other videos on the channel covering transient processing. I wanted to show a more traditional approach to achieving similar results, since this gives you more of an understanding of compression. They're both great tools for drum processing, which one you use depends on the situation and of course your preference of what sounds better :)

[@noobdoll5883]

@@SeanDivine Thanks a lot for your reply :)

[@MrBuckshot18]

@@SeanDivine Sean the truth Divine! Lol

[@ANewCreation408]

Hey Sean I wanted to see if you can clarify for me about sampled kicks and other sampled instruments as well? I was told not to compress sample kicks especially because they already sounds good on their own already (obviously you made them sound better in your video). I just thought the more compression the kick would get “softer” too.

[@SeanDivine]

hey, it depends on the samples - it's true most samples these days are already processed quite extensively. If it already sounds good, you don't necessarily need to do anything. That said, you're not always going to have a perfect sample for the situation so knowing these techniques, you can always achieve the sound you need

[@babylion9247]

this's insane

[@SeanDivine]

🙌

[@JoaoNina]

@Sean Divine just insane, thanks! By the way, why do you use limiter on kick and snare? What´s the goal? Just getting started!

[@SeanDivine]

Loudness without clipping / distortion :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqeWmKWLoM-Hf5o

[@user-tc9qf9rt2c]

Thanks sir your so amazing

[@flyingisland7583]

For the « tails noises problem I use the amp envelopes instead of gates. Nice video though

[@SeanDivine]

👍

[@NoriBeatz]

I got killer melodies but my mix is trash, thanks for sharing my man appreciate it a lot!!!!

[@SeanDivine]

Glad to help 🙌🙏

[@brooklynboy1000]

Jolly good !

[@SeanDivine]

:)

[@HailCaesxrBeats]

Another great vid

[@SeanDivine]

thanks Hail!

[@sonamyblackeskimo3618]

What Good! Love your videos Bro, Keep up your great work! Just one quick question though...are you using a vu meter at the master channel...whenever I use it after all the processing its always in the red!

[@SeanDivine]

Glad to help Sonamy! VU meters have there place and are useful for some situations… that said, their place is more in initial gain staging, not so much modern master bus processing :)

[@sonamyblackeskimo3618]

@@SeanDivine Thanks for your feedback! Very Appreciated!!

[@lidercelik8134]

Thanks bro!

[@SeanDivine]

Any time

[@BlueJavaTN]

Nice video Sean! Would you also consider a transient shaper like Trans-X and Smack Attack to add more punch?

[@SeanDivine]

Definitely! Have videos featuring both on the channel :)

[@evanbumphrey2201]

Ayeee really love you’re vids man helping me understand my passion better with each one. I have a question about the mixing rap vocals video... i was just wondering what are the advantages vs disadvantages of busing your main audio track as appose to just adding the vocal effects on the main channel? Hope to hear back thanks!!

[@evanbumphrey2201]

Dewd yes!! Thank you so much def needed the clarification on that appreciate the help homie!!

[@SeanDivine]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/kILSlqCahKyla8k

[@uptobatentertainment]

Idk seems the H comp is adding at least 6 dB, maybe you could have just turned up the volume or used a form of controlled saturation... Why does H comp increase the volume so much when it is supposed to be compressing ? Edit : Ok so in the manual on page 7 is has auto make up gain 😓🤦‍♂️ so that’s why the volume jumped thru the roof when you compressed heavily even when turning down the output!

[@alessioromano3237]

Thanks man, my drum sounds much better now

[@SeanDivine]

Great to hear!

[@watchthisone1]

Such a brill video once again. Quick Question, if you was given the drum loop only, kick,Hh and snare in already bounced together how could you achieve great sound still? (Without each Individual drum elements ) thanks

[@SeanDivine]

that's a tough one, especially if the balance isn't right to begin with. If it is a good mix on the drums, it would be just a matter of possibly some multi band compression or parallel processing to glue things together and EQ to cut / accentuate

[@watchthisone1]

Sean Divine thanks so much for your reply. Normally the drum loops are very good, (normally from spice) so sonically they fit with the song / mix. But could you do a video showing (using MB Comp and/or EQ to get the kick to hit a little harder and the snare to smack or hit little brighter for example. And just generally how to make the drums blend better with the mix . Thanks bro 🙏

[@SeanDivine]

@@watchthisone1 👍 see what I can do!

[@musicmaestrotitan3912]

how do you compensate for the amount of signal level that you gain after adding a few plugins? do you adjust the output of each plugin to compensate for those gains?

[@SeanDivine]

In most cases no, don’t overthink gainstaging i.e. unless it starts to actually sound bad and make your plugins work in an unintended way, level changes aren’t a bad thing!

[@updown6814]

hey Sean i recently purchased and rode studio kit but I'm getting static in the headphone even when i record my song i hear the noise in the playback. what would be the cause of this and how can i fix it?

[@SeanDivine]

hey Ashani, it could be a number of things but most likely you're preamp or a power issue in your electricity - kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6rZfqFnbpqceac

[@asoloapexaudio]

thx fire again

[@masinzwaffle571]

Hey Sean! Mind if I ask a question? I just got the new 2018 MacBook Pro (this things a beast) and I’m wondering how I can get the most out of my i7 processor in Logic Pro. Any tips on this would help me out a lot!

[@SeanDivine]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIDTm2RuZ9ZqY5o

[@MurdahPivot]

why stereo? thought kick and snare sounded nicer mono, not even sure where I heard that tho

[@SeanDivine]

while you generally want to have a mono low end, you don't always want to get rid of all the stereo information in your kick and especially not the snare. I like a wider sound :)

[@deekzbeatz4404]

amazing advice my guy

[@SeanDivine]

🙏

[@vazen33]

Hey Sean, just curious of your philosophy regarding level matching after adding plugins. For instance, you added compressor on the kick initially and followed through with rest of the processing but that processing added over 4 db of volume on the track, yet you left it as is...what are your rules/philosophies with this? I know there are no rules, and using your ears is what matters most, but im curious what your thoughts are on this.

[@greesy5644]

I would say there are two different ways of compression, one to add some character and shape the sound and the 2nd way to add some kind of loudness to it. The first method is just used to do whatever you want with it and fit the sound to your taste and the second way to let the sound cut through the mix without clipping or mask the other elements of the mix - for this part you definitely should check the input/output levels of the processing. Sooo just trust your ears (>°,°)>

[@SeanDivine]

hey Dharma, in this case I'm not concerned about level matching as we're trying to get as much loudness as we can in the mixing process, without being reckless (I don't want to cause distortion or clipping on the master). You'll eventually be bringing levels up, typically with a master limiter which I'm not a big fan of over-reliance on.

[@uptobatentertainment]

More like 8 dB then clipped it into the limiter 😀.. master bus already clipping after kick and snare

[@wadewilliams1892]

Should it not be s mono instance of studio rack for the kick ?

[@SeanDivine]

if you were using all mono effects, yes. I used a stereo plate reverb to create the subtle space.

[@Juliano_DJOL]

I like your videos but can u please turn your voice over down or the music up, I try to turn it up a bit to hear the mix then your voice is too loud. Thanks man hope ya have a good one!

[@sickboi335]

hi sean great video, what headphones are you using while mixing? also can you recommend any other studio headphones for both mixing and mastering? i will really appreciate your response.

[@SeanDivine]

I'm using the adam sp-5 and the dt-770, primarily for both mixing and mastering 👍

[@josephmalonza9800]

Thanks alot sean, Are you processing the kick using mono plugins?

[@xtrasuper]

Nice tips, but it would be cool if you paid attention to gain staging and that you compared results at the same level as original samples

[@DonJewey]

do you choose the types of compressors you use at random or is there a certain thought process that goes with it for each sample?

[@DonJewey]

this question also applies to types of every plugin. also why aren't you using very much eq?

[@Juliano_DJOL]

It's like choosing which car to drive, if u had 10 vechiles, haha! They will all get u from point A-B but some are better for certain things like kicks, snares, hi-hats, keys, etc...alot of it is preference too or the sound you are going for. I've worked with some big name mixers and was shocked to see alot of them use a bunch of stock plug ins, especially when it comes to like 1st chain eqs and basic stuff. So I'd say whatever your most comfortable with or whatever sounds best! Stock, FabFilter, and Waves are my favorites in logic, with a couple weird ones here and there for certain things.

[@user-tz9vn6ht5u]

Sean, what do you think about using clipping instead of limiting for keeping peaks under control when mixing drums?

[@OiVjEGAz]

Lmao

[@user-tz9vn6ht5u]

????@@OiVjEGAz

[@CAILLOU777]

aren't you just making things louder in general, i ask since i did not see you gain match original audio w/ processed one

[@SeanDivine]

Making something louder doesn't mean the sound isn't changing in other ways (i.e. dynamics, saturation, tone, etc.) Gain matching can be useful... once you train your ears, you'll be able to distinguish level from the rest either way.

[@CAILLOU777]

@@SeanDivine thanks man, super useful.

[@guenngui7190]

hello sean i want to know what is the best choice between mono and stereo par example if you mix the kick or the snare. thanks

[@SeanDivine]

it depends if the track has stereo information... you don't want to lose that if it's interesting to the character of the sound. The real question is, do you need to "mono" the low end signal (say below 120hz) for kicks and other tracks. I typically do.

[@guenngui7190]

@@SeanDivine thanks you

[@tr3.b543]

I have been rapping to your beats since 2009 if your the same Sean divine

[@wadewilliams1892]

Like your videos

[@teamsters3967]

Hello there! When I go under to find plugins under the studiorack it says " plugins aren't available" Please help.

[@SeanDivine]

seandivine.com/drum-chains-help/

Uhhhh hot son!🔥🔥🔥

[@SeanDivine]

thanks :)

[@loudscape7]

hello sir, I wanted to ask you how does that make you use a stereo rack studio on mono sounds such as kick or snare? I'm French that's why I ask you I have trouble translating the video on mixing beat trap with plugin waves. thank you in advance for your reply good day to you!

[@SeanDivine]

It’s not necessarily going to change anything if it’s a mono sample. This way, you just have the flexibility to utilize stereo effects when desired

[@loudscape7]

@@SeanDivine thanks 😁

[@OfficialTechnician]

Hey Sean, I just wanted to know how you get your kick to hit so hard yet read so low on the meter. -7.6 db and it still knocks.I can't get mine to sound like that without clipping every time. Any advice?

[@SeanDivine]

easy answer: pick a different sample. otherwise, you'll need to do some deductive EQ, compression and maximization to get it there!

[@cozmicrahop9415]

@sean Divine I’m wondering why don’t you trim Down the gain after the effects? on the meter they don’t seem to be in the same dB range as the beginning is there a reason or.....?

[@SeanDivine]

I'm pushing the levels quite hot in this video intentionally to show how we can achieve loudness in the mixing process. if you're going to be mastering in another session or sending off to another engineer, I would suggest leaving more headroom on each track

[@ianfreitag1405]

so maybe I missed it, but I didn't see you adjust any output gain after you did the processing on the kick. It was obviously more punchy after your processing but I don't see how you can truly determine if it's REALLY any better after your processing or not until you return the output gain back down to the original dB, before processing. But like i said maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention. Nonetheless good video. No hate here.

[@SeanDivine]

What was demonstrated was not simply increasing levels / gain. It can be challenging at first to hear the difference but with time it's obvious, even without gain matching. Use your ears and if it sounds better, it is :)

[@dopesnare]

Oh ok thats whats up. Do you think these methods apply to the boombap/soul/lofi type beats as well?

[@SeanDivine]

absolutely. these techniques I use for all kinds of drums, not genre specific

[@dopesnare]

@@SeanDivine Yea I went ahead and tested some of this stuff out. Super dope. Thank you.

[@douglasrichardson2634]

What waves Plugins are u using to enhance the kicks

[@Jacobsthechandler]

Yessssss😂

[@camronbridges4543]

👍

[@diogenessbeats7421]

No Parallel Compression?

[@SeanDivine]

not if you don't need it :)

[@wadewilliams1892]

Obs?

[@jesse4238]

So he basically lowered the RMS of the kick by creating sharper transient, which eventually will be destroyed later on, because of the need to get back to that RMS level and even higher... am I getting this right? the main point of mixing hip hop drums is to have a good kick with "commercial level" of RMS so you have the loudness with dynamics... it would be better to show people how to add RMS to the kick while still preserve the same peak level ..btw I like the rest of the video

[@Juliano_DJOL]

Get the sound the way u want it and let the masters fix the RMS. As long as they can hear what u were going for then it's no problem!

[@AightOAightFriends]

Why you clipping with the kick? You have no headroom to master after?

[@aston_mosci]

Good day, Sean! I appreciate your videos, thanks a lot. Wanted to talk to you about setting me up a personal template, for my projects in cubase. I can send you the files, you and do a complete mix and master for me and I'll pay you. Hit me back, let's discuss it.

[@JO-cw7ju]

Part 2?

[@SeanDivine]

it will be posted in a few days :)

[@BSeeD06]

I've been reading about mixing for 2 hours and everyone keeps saying that compressing drums is dumb. Now I'm lost lol

[@SeanDivine]

it's not dumb, it's just not ALWAYS needed... if the sample is already compressed or sounds good, compression will do nothing but kill the transients

[@BSeeD06]

@@SeanDivine okay that makes more sense thanks :)

[@diogenessbeats7421]

Wow,,, Another tutorial for boombap drums?

[@PeaterPual]

Bro my mixing is very garbage. How i mix?

[@SeanDivine]

I have hundreds of free mixing videos on my channel.

[@babyasiah9700]

Stereo the kick ?😂

[@ellismarkman]

Why not just EQ it? Lol

[@greesy5644]

asked myself the same question, but I guess the multiband eq gives you just more options to work and a smoother way to fit a sound into a Mix.

[@petarpavasovic6333]

@@greesy5644 These are samples, not real drums. There is no dynamic range whatsoever for the dynamic eq to take part in the mix. That's just my opinion. I would have used the regular parametric eq.

[@Byronic19134]

Really good info here but if were being honest theres really no excuse to have drum samples this shxtty nowadays lol. Just pick a better sample

[@kiqyou]

uhhh... just because it has triplet or 32nd hats doesn't mean it's trap- this is totally not "trap".

[@SeanDivine]

stylistically, the samples used here are typical of trap music... the mixing methods can be used as you see fit in your preferred definition of the genre