Deadmau5 RANTS about Kicks

Deadmau5 explains why this common "edm pro tip" is WRONG.
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This is like the Deadmau5 masterclass in less than 5 minutes. Let's go in the studio with deadmau5, live from the studio via a Twitch stream (mau5trap mondays) where he reveals what you should never do to your kicks. It's a Deadmau5 rant, but it's honestly great advice for edm producers, and all music producers. You can see Deadmau5 hates when you tune your kicks. If you want to learn to make your kicks hit harder these music production tips should help.
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⏰TIMESTAMPS
The WRONG Tip - 0:00
Example: Too Much Kick - 0:13
Kick is Kick, Bass is Bass - 0:50
The Deadmau5 Way - 1:24
Why You Must Learn To Mix - 2:00
Ozone Mastering Tip - 2:31
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[@SolStateMusic]

For what it's worth, I agree with this! People are WAY too concerned with the pitch of short dance music kicks.

[@thetylersherman]

I would say kick pitching isn't necessarily a fundamental concept for EDM, but something to keep in mind. Let's say you like the transient and overall character of a kick, but for some reason the tone is a bit off with the mix - I 100% agree with Mau5 here - cut the lows, but use a spectrum analyzer to identify what the new fundamental pitch of the kick is. After the lows get cut, there's typically a secondary fundamental pitch that represents the tone of the kick... usually in the 80-170Hz range (unless you're using some really clicks kicks, then they go higher). Adjust that new fundamental frequency so that it fits better with the key of your track. Typically I gravitate toward the root note or the 5th, depending on which one is closer to the original pitch of the kick. But... when it comes down to it... use your EARS. My tip is more a quick rule of thumb for finding something that will PROBABLY sound good to your ear.

[@rohinagrawal9727]

I’d say just make sure the boom of your kick goes below the most of your bass notes

[@TheOfficalAndI]

I mean you can't just pitch kick samples around either, then they really will sound bad.

[@TjMoon91]

@@TheOfficalAndI If you’re talking about messing with the sound of the transient of the kick there are plenty of things you can do. You could use a pitch envelope in a sampler so the sample starts at the original pitch and modulates the pitch for the tail of the kick. You could use something like Ableton’s frequency shifter which will affect the low frequencies a lot more than the high frequencies. You could layer a transient of a kick with the tail of a kick so you can transpose the tail without affecting the transient. You could synthesize a kick so you have complete control over the tuning of the tail. Whether you should worry about it or not depends on the style of kick, in my opinion. But if you do want to, there’s plenty ways of tuning a kick so it still sounds good.

[@valentine4589]

If you use typical Electro House kick, short ones - sure, but not 808-ish or Big Room kicks

[@jo2058]

Kicks makes Kicks, Bass makes Bass, use Kicks for Kicks, use Bass for Bass haha

[@DarkMetaOFFICIAL]

no dude, when i hear HEY THIS NEW DUBSTEP BASS and it's literally just screeching mids and highs.. "BASS" 😂😂LMAO

[@nebroskitheraut6705]

@@DarkMetaOFFICIAL you just refer to it like that in dubstep. I bet the guy who showed you the bAsS has way more sound design skills than you tho

[@DarkMetaOFFICIAL]

@@nebroskitheraut6705 you have literally nothing to base that on but ok lol

[@DarkMetaOFFICIAL]

@@nebroskitheraut6705 no. i'm not talking about referring to it. i mean literal mid range. no bass. you don't read what i said.

[@OMGNinja357]

@@DarkMetaOFFICIAL they're called mid basses, because they don't sound melodic and pretty, you wouldn't use a mid range bass patch to play some top melodies, but I get what you mean, I have a personal distaste for those kinds of sounds but they're talked in that sense for a reason, they're mid range that would match or even contain in the patch a sub bass

[@LuukMennen]

"A kick drum is not a bass line" Hardstyle would like to have a word with you

[@chingymofo1]

I was gonna comment something about Hardstyle kicks, now some kid is gonna go make a hardstyle track and wonder why it sounds funky especially at the climax/melody part lol

[@JCrads]

bong bong bong bong bong

[@raptor.1]

The kicks nowadays sucks from most producers by the way. Also musically a lot of the new releases suck enormously. It doesn't matter, Hardstyle always comes in almighty power after few seasons.

[@xyz39808]

techno too

[@nephtaliistratoaie6687]

@@raptor.1 Why do they suck? Just getting into music production (not EDM-heavy though) and am curious to hear why you think that

[@druidofpies]

Legendary song artist with constant mic clipping is my new favorite combination

[@SolStateMusic]

ahaha - or is that combo the ultimate troll?

[@TSevensMedia]

He's so annoyed he forgot to put a limiter on

[@Swenglish]

@@aMolleTargate Depends on where in the chain the clipping is happening.

[@stringwhore]

Needs a d esser

[@supercussion6590]

Big deal, i can still understand what he’s saying. Its just a talk back

[@cptdumplin]

It's always a treat to listen to learned masters muse about their craft. You can hear that the reason he's so critical and harsh, is because he genuinely cares to make the music as good as it can be.

[@skapaloka222]

like you could say one music-related word to him like "tell me about sampling", and he could go off for hours on all of his opinions on that thing, and it's so great because he really loves it

[@BlackAera]

"Kicks make kicks. Bass makes bass. Use bass for bass." - Deadmau5

[@Jamison_IO]

I think that is a Commandment, isn't it?

[@lambdaman3228]

@@technober > Kick is another wordt for BASSdrum Yes > they need to be tuned to fit. No, watch the video > Kick needs to be in tune with root or 5th. No, watch the video > Kicks are typically falling down in pitch too but where the end is the part which needs to be in tune.. No, watch the video

[@Nefariousbig]

This is why he ends up making generic soulless music

[@MElixirDNB]

and hes completely wrong, a kick has plenty of sub bass, if its out of harmony you will get phasing issues and it will make the speakers work harder / meaning you wilil lack in loudness. deadmaus is simply arrogant and wrong

[@neoqueto]

Unless it's "Autonomous" by Billain. He gets a free pass.

[@Mardial]

I knew it!! Now I can sleep in peace

[@fikrirahmatnurhidayat4988]

Wkkwkwk.

[@budhiluhur.official]

Sembunyikan balasan

[@migueld8970]

Yep!

[@jhoncortezbastidas]

X2

[@fatihb2150]

Lah

[@peakingmantis5331]

Guys like deadmau5 are my heroes. In a sea of endless pro tips and tutorials out there on how to make “the perfect” track, it’s refreshing to have someone filter out the bullshit which there is a LOT of out there.

[@JimboCruntz]

80% of "pro tips" I've seen recently are people who definitely aren't pro.

[@TheEternalHellwalker]

@@JimboCruntz that's a big fact.

[@hearmenow909]

Heroes save people.

[@RaveyDavey]

@@hearmenow909 He saves you a lot of time

[@mcgritty8842]

@@JimboCruntz100% agree! And that’s where all the “pro tips” come from… amateurs lmfao Pros don’t call them pro tips, they just treat it as info

[@TheHouseofKushTV]

I can't speak for anyone else, but for me: tuning the kick isn't about "making it a note in the key", tuning is just another tool (and usually the first) along with eq, compression, envelope editing, whatever. It's about getting that thump to climb in bed with the bass, all grease and punch, no friction or dissonance... unless friction and dissonance is what the track wants, but as much as I love a little rub I don't usually want any in the bottom 2 octaves, too messy.

[@Frankour0097]

Kush has spoken

[@BrassicaMusic]

THANK YOU!!! This is a way more accurate way to describe it.

[@SolStateMusic]

Great explanation, thanks for sharing!

[@coolhandluke9987]

So well said tho...lol u really described what u were trying to say perfectly I must say

[@noakuu393]

@@no-name168 a big part of making drums sit well in the mix is tuning them. Pitching them slightly up or down. People do this with real drum sets. Forcing yourself to fix everything later in the mix down when you could just do it properly early on is just making things more difficult for yourself. There are things that eq and compression can’t fix

[@ZeroHp-]

Short Kicks and Headroom, a healthy well-balanced audio diet

[@blu5ha317]

Gate game.

[@aidenrajkovic7099]

McSoft clipper

[@SolStateMusic]

Healthy diet, rarely followed 😉

[@1pelillos1]

These edits are god-tier

[@SolStateMusic]

Thanks, just trying to be helpful!

[@mammalsarewarm]

@@SolStateMusic We appreciate it greatly. Thank you for taking the time.

[@ashkay23]

AGREED. Thank you for the efforts!

[@ascended8174]

" The kick is too much " " Don't pitch your kicks " *_laughs in hardstyle and gabber_*

[@LennartIbanez]

That's a bass

[@ascended8174]

@@LennartIbanez Most of the time in Gabber and Hardstyle, kicks and bass are one and the same. Much more so in Gabber, where hardstyle has this hybrid weird kick with a long bassy tail that is usually what's pitched but still part of the kick

[@EQUAL2]

"the kick is too much" Uptempo: hold my beer, joint, and xtc

[@milky94]

Hardstyle laugh: Bwoo-ar bwoo-ar bwoo-ar

[@kalliboymusic]

Both of them sucks imo Just kidding, i love Hardstyle ❤️

[@dizzlermusic]

"Kicks dont make Bass" Every Hardstyle Producer : "Hold my Sausage Fattener"

[@Inflake]

Me, too lazy to tune my kicks: Heck yeah Joel spitting facts!

[@Multi-Waves_Sketchbook]

Oooh you have the old pfp again!

[@notoriusdrifter40]

Why the hell would you want to tune your kick to a note? I dont get this at all

[@Inflake]

@@Multi-Waves_Sketchbook it’s new😭

[@Multi-Waves_Sketchbook]

@@Inflake what?! I thought this was the old one Dammit. Well I like it!

[@TheSunshineGroup]

@@notoriusdrifter40 you tune your kicks to avoid dissonance in your basslines. Some people like that sounds but it'll ruin your bass tone

[@andretonelli]

This is pure gold. Anyone at this level sharing their knowledge just as if you were sitting in the studio with them is a true gift. Thank you!

[@SolStateMusic]

Thank you! I'm also very grateful the best producers in the world are sharing their tips!

[@nicedevices]

To me, deadmau5 always comes off as someone who would rather be contrarian than informative. Adjusting the pitch of a kick is as good a tool as any other when it comes to dailing in the sound you are going for.

[@sanjacobs6261]

@@nicedevices What do you mean by "dialing in the sound you're going for"? What sound do you get from a 'tuned' kick vs an 'out-of-tune' kick?

[@nicedevices]

@@sanjacobs6261 In other words, tuning it until It sounds good. Maybe that happens to be the root or the fifth. Maybe not. There's two things to consider. First, there's a given range where the kick will do it's job. Too high it won't push any air and too low it will be undefined and lack punch. The other thing to consider is the actual pitch of the kick and how it relates to the key of the song. Longer kicks end up sounding cluttered if they hit certain notes that doesn't work with the bass. So usually one must compromise. Tweak and listen. The tuning knob of a kick drum is far more important than an eq for shaping the sound in my opinion. That's why I think blanket statements such as "don't tune your kick" can be misleading. I think "don't obsess about your kick drum always being in key with the rest of the track" would be more helpful advice.

[@sanjacobs6261]

@@nicedevices So with a short kick, that sweeps and ends too fast to be tonal, you'd agree that tuning doesn't really apply, but pitching it to taste still makes sense?

[@resurrectedagain]

This is why I love deadmau5, he has so much knowledge about sound. And you can definitely hear that in his music.

[@mcnasty]

crazy that he has a million dollar studio and uses gaming chairs lol.

[@yoelrodriguez1984]

Bro you are everywere

[@V4zz33]

Look up the origin of his name, and then you'll get why he is using a gaming chair.;)) It's just an educated guess, though.

[@gherat]

Crazy that he has every single eurorack module ever made, but I never see a single patchcable in or around his system

[@Phrate]

@@gherat used to watch him stream before twitch was a thing, and lemme tell ya, he would spend hours and hours just fucking around with the patches

[@armaga144]

Mcnasty what's crazy is that you have so much high frequencies on your mic. Can you please make it sound less "narrow"? Bring up the bass in your voice bro, it's really not that pleasant listening to you on podcasts, it's as if you care a little too much about EQing your mic, it's just overcooked, brother. Oh and thanks for the funny content, even tho it's braindead memes nowadays (comparing to old siege vids) it still brings a laugh and makes eating and working more interesting. Oh yeah and nice latest release, the track is booooming. Are you producing just yourself or you have a group of sound engineers to help ya? Any way - respect on making sound 💪

[@KnapfordMaster98]

Not my kind of music at all, but I've always admired his stance on the loudness war and dynamics.

[@fungdark8270]

I was really into him at one point, not so much these days but I’ll always appreciate his knowledge and talent. He’s a major dude

[@DenverBlazer]

I was never into edm (still am not, generally), until my jazz pianist father of all people showed me "FML" in 2009 or 10, and we were both fascinated by it. From there I started watching Joel produce all night in the summer of 2012, and got super into his musical style and approach. Finally got to see him at red rocks in late 2019 and now my life is complete.

[@urmumsbaps]

Lots of talented producers who make absolutely awful music out there and douchemouse is one of em

[@patwilson9186]

Technically, according to the Fletcher Munson curve, the louder the music the better, b/c you can differentiate the frequency bands more easily. However, the producer should not decide on the volume their work is heard at and when the listener turns the volume down to the same volume as a well produced track, it will sound worse in comparison

[@user-lc7zy4db1s]

@@fungdark8270 i always thought he was a B major guy

[@kangdylan7982]

actually this was the best advice that I ever learned about music production. it was always a mystery for me cause other "tutorials" always told me about how I should empathize low end, but the truth was, killing unnecessary low end was the solution. I'm making songs that I always wanted now thanks to Joel

[@coocoo3336]

"A kick drum is not a bassline" Extratone artists: "hold my beer"

[@kalliboymusic]

Hold my speed

[@coocoo3336]

@@kalliboymusic unironically like this kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXe0fJ19hZmcrJY

[@DrakeShaw04]

@@coocoo3336 it’s diabhara, of course you like it, system failure is another amazing song by him

[@TheHippyHoppyHippo]

I can't believe people love treating kick drums and bass instruments like the same thing just because they emit a similar audio frequency.

[@coocoo3336]

@@TheHippyHoppyHippo there is an entire genre around it

[@bikesandbeats4693]

It honestly depends. I’ve been a Hiphop producer for over 20 years and there are times where tuning a kick is actually better for the beat. Not so much for being in tune with the instruments but just fitting better with the track. Not all kicks are short 1/8 note hits from a real kit and they don’t all always have the same exact fundamental frequency and thus can benefit from a pitch adjustment when necessary. It’s not always needed on every track but it helps when it helps. Waves makes a newer plugin called Torque that helps with this during post processing.

[@SolStateMusic]

I think Deadmau5 was talking specifically about the common EDM tip that "you should always tune your kick to fit in key with track". So i think your mindset is pretty similar.

[@snesmocha]

*laughs in rock producer*

[@Viper-dz2kw]

IDEK should be physically tuning the kit to the key of the track if you’re in rock

[@snesmocha]

​@@Viper-dz2kw wait thats a thing?

[@Viper-dz2kw]

IDEK bro like, I don’t mean to be an ass but like how can you call yourself a rock producer if you don’t know how to tune a drum kit with a drum key, that’s like basic basic basic fundamentals

[@nicf8978]

Always remember: Real kicks have curves!!!

[@DankoHidalgo]

Always remember: Real kicks are cylindrical and need tuning on both sides.

[@Suba932]

@@DankoHidalgo Based

[@learning.account]

@@DankoHidalgo real kick is hitting someone with your foot to cause injury or pain.

[@shaboogen]

This is such an incredible channel. Thanks for doing what you do mate.

[@SolStateMusic]

Glad you enjoy it! Thanks your support as well!

[@bennie.379]

legendary channel man. thank you for scouting these streams out & editing them for us

[@SolStateMusic]

Thanks mate!

[@regularjoe3547]

I'm glad you all got some good info from my demo, I'm REALLY happy that I got this feedback from Joel! My music has significantly improved and I hope that this helps n00b producers like me get closer to the sound that they are looking for. Also for clarification that was one of my early attempts at techno, I lean more towards house and electro for my other tracks

[@SolStateMusic]

Thanks for being part of this! Best of luck with your music

[@EvanGisamazing]

Don’t be fooled by people taking this advice as gospel. People just need to pay attention to what note is being played in the sub area, he’s advocating for having a bass play the note, instead of a kick sub alternating with the synth sub. Plenty of producers who are Grammy nominated and sell out shows tune their kicks and have that be the sub note on the beat (Disclosure for example). Many of the folks in these comments are going to roll off the sub on their kicks, and their synth bass is not going to hit the beat every time and their going to have a “drop out” on that beat. Your technique is just fine, just needs to be an 1/8th note if anything.

[@cleesely]

dude, adding the eq visual? you're going super saiyan 3

[@toobad8657]

I don't even like Deadmau5, but I respect his knowledge and this is probably the best "how to make EDM kick" videos out there.

[@westerncivilization]

This is exactly why the 707 kick works so well. That, and most of the kits in the RY30.

[@diagonals792]

I love his energy and passion. We need more deadmau5

[@ihatenjoi]

I synthesized my first kicks this week and I was so certain I had made them too short but this makes me feel a lot better about that lol.

[@SolStateMusic]

Reference tracks can help you check too

[@marcrestorations492]

Depends on the genre

[@serapheogen]

@@SolStateMusicAs in look at the waveform of a track and try and find a kick played by itself at any moment? I imagine that’s the only way to take a look at the kick an artist used’s waveform. If the kick isn’t solo’d, you’ll just see summed signal.

[@Yotrymp]

One of his best advice videos I've come across besides the input thing at the end.

[@michaelkasper5058]

Also, if your kick is clashing with your bass... try some sidechain. Not all sidechain has to be melodic-dubstep-pulsing, you can have your sidechain set up so it's dropping the bass by 30% when the kick hits or something.

[@simonriley983]

1:40 the true meta of all edm pro tips

[@jelleverest]

Even more so, I've noticed that tuning a kick to a note that rubs against the key makes it sound more bold and can have a really cool effect when you use it sparingly

[@Gnurklesquimp]

It depends a little on the kick, but I quickly stopped worrying about tuning and filtering harmonically on most drums, I listen for this stuff, but most of the time it's really not bad, and better to listen for the character of the sound at it's pitch instead. Even for open hats and synths that have things like osc sync going on etc., some weird frequencies aren't necessarily bad if they're not too loud. Listen to an e-piano, some bit-crushed sounds and prepared pianos etc., it can be quite messy and atonal, but that's where the character comes from. You can get away with more on transients, and by having various weird frequencies that draw attention away from each other, none of them loud, in my experience.

[@weirdassmf]

I really like the concept of what you're doing here!

[@JoelWard1]

Actually interesting advice on using Ozone. I have it, used it once or twice but it just didn't sound right at all out of the box so gave up and went back to my old trusty tools. I'll try again with giving it some more headroom!

[@SolStateMusic]

Good luck! Let us know if it helps

[@rizaalfarisi4349]

Do i understand any of this ? No Is this helpful in anyway of my daily life or future life ? No Am i enjoying this Video ? Absolutely

[@_stevediaz_]

Dope man love the videos

[@KonJonnorMusic]

Legend has it. Word on the street is tuning a kick up by 666 semitones makes it inaudible. In a world where you can create virtually any sound from any source sound, tuning a typical EDM style kick for most genres is almost entirely redundant. Shit, you can make a hihat fit a song as a kick if you wanted. Pick a solid kick and shape to fit. Job done.

[@Enders]

[@cliqueplayofficial3771]

I’ve never liked long kicks, short ones that are clean and cut through a mix are infinitely better.

[@SisterRose]

"You can't use a kick drum for your bass" The classic TR808/TR303 combo has entered the chat

[@SolStateMusic]

hhaa you win

[@papahuge]

Keep these up great stuff!!

[@SolStateMusic]

Thanks, will do!

[@anomalistik]

Hardstyle is one of the few genres where it makes sense to tune your kick.

[@SolStateMusic]

Kick TAIL

[@GatosMedia]

When we talk about Hardstyle I would say punch is the kick and tail is the bass. Hardstyle kick is very unique thing and should have it's own naming.

[@pondimap4768]

go off please

[@Arctic_silverstreak]

@@GatosMedia coming up with name that make sense is hard:)

[@kalliboymusic]

@@GatosMedia What about Tuning Bass?

[@chaosevolution]

Kicks are generally atonal. Sometimes tuning it works, sometimes it doesn't. I mostly don't bother to tune it.

[@8billiondoomed]

i love layering my kicks like this: one with a huge hpf, just for the attack and “click” one with emphasis on this higher-low range and “umph” of the sound a sub bass sound with short or long decay (depending on genre), sidechained to the “umph” kick, and with no or very little attack

[@fender97]

Nice one. True wisdom is straightforward, easy to understand, though sometimes counter intuitive. The caveat to this is you might get a kick and bass that are a semitone apart and become dissonant, in which case change one or the other. I'm off to shorten my kicks...

[@testohtoby]

Me, using the same stock tr-707 kick for 4 years straight: *chuckles*, I'm in danger !

[@i-never-look-at-replies-lol]

I have like literally 2 dozen kick samples that I have saved & use and that's it. That is more than enough to take 2-3 kicks from each time for layering & tuning to each other other to make one decent enough kick. If you've got a sampler, a few kicks can be combined in almost an infinite amount of ways to create new kicks every time. It's funny that people will buy a sample pack with over a thousand kicks, yet you only hear a handful of kicks throughout electronic music.

[@testohtoby]

@@i-never-look-at-replies-lol I even use only the stock 707 Live drum rack :) or AT LEAST the microbrute 🤷‍♂️

[@fullfunk]

707 i tend to go 909 haha

[@micuentabasura]

707 snare gives me life

[@Zarvy]

Ok,, the man himself had ton Of experience on producing,, sitting infront of Dolby and PMC system (very expensive custom made) he can't go wrong

[@nevertellmethaoddz8581]

Thanks for posting this gem from Joel but also great job on the cuts lol the Spotify streams got me

[@gldistrict]

Your editing skills are amazing!

[@SolStateMusic]

Thank you

[@jameslemode]

Most people think that, if your track is in C, you gotta make sure your kick is hitting that note. Tuning a kick sample is more like rising or lowering it a few cents so it sounds better in the context of your track. It's all about sound and color. Forget about the note!

[@evm7368]

As an Ozone 8 user, I really appreciated that bit at the end. I came to the same conclusion too that it just sets things a bit too hot.

[@gregoryeddy6100]

As a Las Vegas Dj and Digital Keyboard 🎹 player l needed this! Great info. Subscribed ✔️

[@jakobole]

Also, one time - we had a really long kick going, so instead of trying to make a bass fit, we played/pitched the kick like it was a synth = 2 in 1. Worked VERY nicely!

[@ecco_]

when you've had 17 coffees and a line of coke

[@SolStateMusic]

ahahaah

[@akasickform]

Imagine thinking that there is no need to tune kicks and pretending to understand how frequencies work then selling an entire course around this

[@raizo-ftw]

@@akasickform Right, the guy has been fooling millions for the last 13 years, just became a millionaire out of nowhere. No reason, nope, has a ton of synths and kits, no reason. Ignorance sure is bliss, hatred sure is blinding.

[@invntiv]

@@akasickform yeah you’re right, you definitely know more than him and have spent many many more hours learning how to mix and compose I’m sure which is why youre just a bitch boi commenter on youtube and he’s a multimillionaire with billions of plays across all platforms

[@andrewmaclean9810]

Facts. What I will say though, and this applies especially for heavier genres like dubstep, is try tuning your snares as long as they have a lot of mid meat. Do it by ear. May find it sounds better with the original fundamental but often times you may find another pitch that sounds better. Sometimes that may end up being the key of the track or 7semitones up/5 down and sometimes is none of those but its 100% worth playing around with. The problem with tuning your kicks, unless you are making them from scratch (witch is a lot of fun to do btw) is when you start repitching them more than 1 or 2 semitones they can start to sound hella wonky, especially when pitching down bc you lose all the high end, one of the most important ranges for a good punch. Not to mention that transient gets stretched out. As long as you kick and sub aren’t fighting you should be good even if your kick is in a different key

[@creamysauce5351]

A legend instructing the up and coming

[@Magnetcross]

Thank god, so I’ve been doing it right at school all this time!

[@bigzerofps]

I didnt understand a god damn word he said. But i still like listening to joel talk

[@sanjacobs6261]

Important distinction: He's not saying "never change the pitch of your kick sample". There's a big difference between trying to tune your kick based on the key of the song, and just pitching the sample until you like the sound of it. It's only the first thing there that is a waste of time with short nice healthy kicks.

[@winterlogical]

This! My fav comment I've seen here. I pitch samples often in my lo-fi/synthwave tracks I've produced recently, but never in response to the key of the song - I normally write the drum track before anything else and haven't even decided what key the song is in. Letting the kick just be a transient and filling it out with some type of sine wave or whatever for the extra sub content if you need it works well beyond just EDM, since you can shape the decay of the sine wave to match your needed sub oomph. Typically if the kick is longer and you're working with a less bassy genre, then people should just go with that. Anyway, appreciate the point you've made here!

[@InstrumentManiac]

This is amazing! he's crazy knowledgeable and hilarious to listen to 😂👏 we stan!

[@NativeOnes]

0:29 i have headphones and this is all I heard.

[@deveyous6614]

"USE BASS FOR BASS", this must be sampled and used before a drop

[@vogelvogeltje]

Zomg drops all day drop drop drop drop drop drop another drop drop drop drops on drops

[@scottallencarr]

Brother I'm pretty sure that was on "BassKillaz 4000 Volume 31" back in about '95 or '96!

[@Kifon]

omg yes

[@obeseduck3861]

corny

[@mosley3485]

Even 10 years ago, this still would have been cringe.

[@youaintasbadasyouthink]

I believe the tuning your kick in EDM came from the Big Room House era, where the kick was the bass. This also applies to Trap / EDM where the 808 is the kick.

[@unisonproto]

When I make trap I usually just use a short kick for a transient and don't worry about it being tuned.

[@jayrillabeats2059]

@@unisonproto trap music has changed a lot 808s and kicks are being used together more frequently for punch you just have to duck the 808 properly

[@unisonproto]

@@jayrillabeats2059 I made trap the other day and just put a slight attack on the 808. That said, even without it, it sounded fine.

[@obeseduck3861]

@@unisonprotoyou gotta sidechain the 808 tho, if u don"t the mix is gonna get fucked up

[@extrasoggybagel9015]

@@obeseduck3861 Kenny Beats would like to have a word with you

[@Fleepmusic]

Finally got some clarity on the topic

[@AveMcree]

the beat at the end of the video.... fire!

[@SolStateMusic]

Thanks! It's "Get Down" by Sol State ;)

[@ChristianBurrola]

Deadmau5: a kick can be a fundamental but that very seldomly works Roland TR-808: Am I a joke to you?

[@SolStateMusic]

haha love it!

[@Garrym3k]

An 808 typically makes the bassline, that part you pitch, and you layer a kick with it. That way the kick doesn't change pitch and stays consistent. And cutting off the transient of the 808 is a good idea, too. You're welcome, champ.

[@ChristianBurrola]

@@Garrym3k That is actually quite rare in Miami bass or in 80s electro or freestyle. More often than not an 808 (sometimes a long one too)is the kick and a 303 or a Juno is the bass line.

[@SisterRose]

@@ChristianBurrola the thing is the 303 wasn't used for full on bass and tended to be something that sat just above it - like a rhythm guitar line. turning up the resonance to get the acid sound generally cut out the bass, but this was okay because the 808 kick filled it out. Generally i do prefer to use "bass for bass" but there's no point invalidating this way of doing things just because it's an older way of doing it with the they had at the time

[@greedokenobi3855]

@@ChristianBurrola That! And often the 808 was the kick AND the bass at the same time. In Miami Bass and other music as well in the 80s. I’m okay with people using the term 808 for sub because nowadays that’s how most people use it but when people don’t even know that the 808 is actually a kick/been used and refered to as a kick for years/ considered and labeled as a kick by Roland... then maybe they should explore the concept a bit more...to say the least 🤪

[@azazulsoulmeister7959]

I feel like it really depends on the genre you're making. Sometimes you don't want a super short kick, in which case you should tune it, so it isn't out of phase with your bass

[@jeremythornton433]

Beautiful studio!

[@Steyreon]

In your master chain playing with the output gains of your plugins - also with the gain that leads into that chain - can do a lot of benefit regarding the liveliness of your sound.

[@jamesblack993]

"Dude... shut up!" 🤣 haha love this man

[@6feetunderpants]

3:01 "I did play with O-zone" My brain: Ah, yes, he played with the "Numa Numa Ei" guys

[@akasickform]

>sells music production course: "Don't use presets" - Explains clearly that they use presets on mastering plugins

[@edmbootcamp6188]

damn thanks for putting clear diagrams of every little thing he said how the fuck could i possibly pay attention for 5 minutes without that

[@jacksonbay9463]

Totally agree I tell this to all my producer friends, it’s a separate entity from the melody it’s to help keep the melody

[@HowardCharlesUK]

I'm glad, I used to restrict myself to only using key-labelled kick samples - until I got sick of the limited number I had available 😂

[@stale_.]

This is honestly the most important lesson in my opinion.

[@yobanyfuentes7982]

yo! i love this channel

[@alyctro8158]

He always teaches us so much. Where are these streams?

[@SolStateMusic]

Deadmau5 streams on Twitch!

[@alyctro8158]

@@SolStateMusic What's twitch? I'll ook into that!

[@Tommyscooter]

That is one of the reasons i love him. He knows what he does. He his the freaking DM5

[@xena7588]

It actually depends on the genre , in fast paced music like dnb you need to tune your kick to be in the scale of the bass since if it is not you can have phase issues !

[@SolStateMusic]

I disagree, you can completely avoid phase issues with hard sidechain.

[@xena7588]

@@SolStateMusic well than you lose the movement of the drums with super hard sidechain also if you play music in a club you will have open space in sound and that empty space with the resonance of the club will make rumble

[@vincentvandeperre1670]

i produce neuro and this is untrue your kick should sit at 80-100hz nowhere below 80. i have seen so much sample packs with kicks sitting at 70 and even hitting at 50 and they are tottally useless for producing dnb. the shorter your kick the less it needs to be tuned actually. also sidechaining in dnb is not even necesarry because the sub and kick sits in difrend spaces on the frequency chart. its all about balancing the mix with eqing. i think some bigger dnb producers have ableton projects released you should check them out and solo the kick you're not gonna believe how thin it sounds on its own but in the full mix they sound big af

[@chent]

@@vincentvandeperre1670 Like when the kick is lower then like 80-100 ish, it is no longer a kick, it is a bass drum. You can use a bass drum instead of a kick if you had a bass that is sitting at like 100 hz or higher.

[@vincentvandeperre1670]

@@chent you're 100 % right

[@OWIX.]

I believe this really depends on what you're working on or genre as well like when you're working with 808's it's definitely a different thing tuning would be important

[@kladdha_]

Gotta love a passionate Joel rant about production.

[@neoqueto]

Joel is the kind of guy who has all the gear ever and he knows that it's not a replacement for basic knowledge.

[@crazymadeit]

moral of the story: dont take tips from random ass youtube "producers". The mau5 knows the way

[@nermhouse]

Frrr, its like modern day snake oil

[@TjMoon91]

There’s another video with Steve Duda where Deadmau5 says he tunes his kicks. Moral of the story: there are no hard rules.

[@nermhouse]

@@TjMoon91 he said in this video there are examples where you would, but in general you usually shouldn't have to.

[@zoeym8003]

Eh, both Secrets of Dance Music Production and Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio to do it. Armin, Above & Beyond, Darude, Dieselboy, and many more have all said to do it. The only time I wouldn’t tune a kick is if the key of the kick is in the scale of the song.

[@GuidoHaverkort]

1:24 hardstyle has entered the chat

[@MelloDeeBeats]

I was gonna talk about Phase issues and How a kick is not just a transient, it's a pitch drop of a sine wave... But EDM is different. 808s in trap music are also pitch drops so if you use the wrong kick with the 808 bassline, they can phase. But for EDM, if you're not side chaining, the kick and the sub bass won't clash (in most cases) because the sub bass is not a pitch drop, it's a stable pitch. I do agree with shorter kicks as well because of the space it gives, a few EDM producers agree on this actually.

[@bounzig]

It depends on what kick you are using, some need to be tuned to the base note of the track, some don't. And kicks usually have lot's of bass in them, I don't know why he would say they don't.

[@Xfilesfreak66]

He probably just wants to reiterate that a kick is a drum sound. It creates a nice attack or transient on the downbeats. It has low end, but isn’t “bass”.. it’s a drum and should be used like a drum.. just like if you hear someone performing live with an actual drum set

[@bounzig]

@@Xfilesfreak66 It's a drum with bass, no other way around it. Maybe some producers replace it with a click sound layered with a bass note. But for music in general a kick drum have bass, and it needs to be tuned sometimes. It might not be sub bass, but it's bass either way. Just search for "tune kick" and you will find this is something everybody from amateurs to professionals do, because in some cases the bass is tonal enough to be dissonant if it has the wrong pitch. It's just a silly thing of Joel to say because it might be true in his example but it's certainly not a rule for either EDM or other music, this will confuse beginners and get resistance from more experienced producers for sure.

[@Xfilesfreak66]

@@bounzig Yeah, it probably depends on the type of music you produce. My music is more focused on the instrumentation and melodic structure, and the sound design usually comes after. Sometimes I will pitch a kick drum if it has too much low end, but I don't sit around trying to get it to match the pitch of my other instruments. Depends on the context you are using it in. That does make sense though. Thank you for the reply

[@donaldpriola1807]

He's so right about bass overload. I'd rather hear a balanced track than distorted mud.

[@LANGI902]

Yup. Biggest pet peeve with rap producers.

[@user-wp7zc1np9x]

That’s subjective though, I prefer to hear lots of distortion

[@donaldpriola1807]

@@user-wp7zc1np9x Sure! I just don't like low frequency mud destroying a mix. :)

[@user-wp7zc1np9x]

@@donaldpriola1807 you can have distortion without muddiness tho but yeah I get you

[@donaldpriola1807]

@@user-wp7zc1np9x Indeed.

[@chaosevolution]

I leave more headroom then ramp up input gain on maximizer to the max. After that I adjust my mix's gain higher and higher until everything is loud but not clipping. Compressor on Kick before Limiter is also a must.

[@alasdairmoles726]

Ozone actually has a recommended input db in the preset description

[@noyd4172]

Raito's kick comes to mind as a great example of a kick that isn't bassy but puts huge momentum in the track.

[@Jr-Forastiere]

Kick is kick!! *insert Mr. Incredible meme*

[@elektrikshaman1212]

Thanks for the Ozone tip! I love Izotope plug ins for time saving when masteing demos. Hearing a professionals opinion is awesome.

[@evanleeofficial]

I still like to have some thump in my kick, but I very much agree to keep it short. The drum VST I use thankfully has an adjustable fade out decay for every hit, and I always bring my kick down to 200ms or less.

[@discflame]

definitely a genre-specific thing but yea, the kick stuff sounds about right. 808s and hardstyle kicks are definitely going to have a tonal factor to them where tuning the fundamental makes or breaks the track. the real lifesaver was the ozone discussion though, that's nuts

[@partlysimpson5154]

*House tracks have longer decay on kicks, but yeah what is house music nowdays

[@kimyona9746]

​@@partlysimpson5154lol it really depends. My house tracks have highly saturated short kicks (actually almost all my tracks do) but I make my subs so prevalent that it doesn't matter 💀

[@teamcoalhapcharcoal]

guilty as charged, this is super helpful actually

[@SolStateMusic]

awesome!

[@5ilentDisco]

always been fascinated by the kicks deadmau5 make.. so fkn perfect

[@guitarguy5]

Thanks for the tip!