Creating Kicks

[WhOmPaSh-I]

I'm sure that some of you veterans have already figured this out, but I'd just like to share this with anyone who'd like to create their own techno/dance kicks.

Here's how to create a 909 style kick with a lot of tweak-ability.
For this we will be using just one oscillator
Start by pushing encoder OSC WAVE > 1/26 VCO Shape set it to 0 (the higher you set it the rougher it gets ) > set everything else but 7/26 on that oscillator to 0 > to start, we will route this right to the bus so set 7/26 Bus volume to 255
Now make sure that no other oscillators are active by making sure OSC Wave pages 3/26 - 6/26 on the other oscillators are set to zero too.
From here, check the envelope in the VCA > EG Balance > set 1/8 > Att: 2 dcy 94 Stn 165 rls 36 - this can be adjusted later, but the important part is to set the release to above 10 (or 20) to avoid clicks.
Now push the OSC Detune encoder in the VCO section > 1/ 4 VCO fine and 4/4 VCO0 Pitch should be set to zero > set 3/4 key scale to 12 > set 2/4 course to -24 > while on this page press the encoder below OSC 1 > Pitch envelope preset should be set to zero > press the encoder below OSC 1 > VCO1 Pitch set: stpt : 33, time: 25, time: 0, endp: 0
Try hitting some notes, somewhere on your keyboard you should have a nice and phat classic 909 style kick. Give it a save.

Now for some tweaking.....
VCO 1/4 stpt parameters 25 - 60 = adds more chirp, like a trance or hard techno kick.
VCO 1/4 Time parameters 25 - 50 = makes the tone more apparent
VCO Course parameter -24 = +/- climbing tone vs flat
VCA EG balance attack parameter 0-30 = higher number means less click on the front (smoother)
VCA EG balance Release parameter 20-80 = higher number is more like an 808
VCO WAVE shape 0-? = the higher the number, the more industrial sounding

wait there's more...remember the signal goes right to the bus?
Try routing it to the LP for that extra resonating thunk, the MM? The FB?
Double the oscillators...vary the waveforms...you get the idea.

Can't find that perfect kick for your track? Put it on an unused trigger group/oscillator (if there are any) and tune it perfectly...or sample the hell out of various kicks and put them on an SD card.

Damn the spectralis rules!

[via]

Great tipp WhOpash!

just went through your step by step basics and just gott the fattest kick!! .. really the spec reaches subs that most VA just dream about ..

I mean my 808 is going: hey is that me being triggerd..

.... wow... it just sounds amazing..

[lloyd40]

Thanks for that! It may be obvious to some but not to me. I am always grateful for step-by-steps especially around creating new sounds.

I would be great to have a sticky thread "Tips/Tricks" dedicated to user posted documentation, tips and tricks.

[minimal spec]

Thanks lots. its an excellent tutorial!!

[Elektroherd]

nice work...doing that with more than one osc, with different envelope-settings, especially with long attack, gives very liveful powerful bassdrums.

would be nice to have other TR-sounds programmed by the specki. I love the 808 sd. If somebody has a clue how to tweak it with the specki, I will never again think of purchasing an 808/analogue clone.

[Jörg Schaaf]

Creating nice sounding snares is a little bit more tricky. The oscillator and pitch envelope thing from bassdrums is just one portion of the sound. The basic stuff is the same but the pitch has to be set above the kick drum frequency.
You have then to add some noise. The Hybrid Synth offers a separate volume envelope even for the noise source. I would start with a noise with a little bit longer decay phase than the oscillator and would feed the snare into one of the analog filters. Only a little envelope sensitivity should be used at the snare. For further adjustments I would feed the output signal of the filter not only to the sum out but also into the Fixed filterbank. There you can change the coloration a little bit. All together that should give you endless different snares. I already created a lot of them.

Furthermore, you can already trigger your new snare with the step sequencer at 4/4 notes and work with the step envelopes on different fixed filterbank frequency bands. Lower frequencies get a longer decay value then higher frequencies. That gives you even more variations.
After programming the snare sound I usually sample the new sound to free the hybrid synth for other things.

Advanced snare programming should involve multiple samples with different filter and filterbank settings. In the soundfont editor you can later create a velocity multisample from your snare-samples.

When optimizing the samples of my snares I am usually creating multiple version of it. One with a large reverb (the reverb time can be minipulated later with the decay phase of the sample engine), one with a early reflection program and one dry version.

[Elektroherd]

thanks, now I get better results, especially by finetuning the snappy-sound with the FB. but my snares dont sound 808. I have to give it some further tweaking investigation. it cant be that hard.

would help to know how the 808-sounds are patched on the original TR.
Id also love to know how the 808-Synthesizer is build up and how its sounds are programmed. would make things clear to rebuild my desired sounds on the Spectralis.

Additional eqing make things easier, but does the 808 has build-in dynamic effects?