Suicide Silence Kick Drums: Machine’s Mix Power Techniques

The kick drum. In heavy music, it’s not just a beat-keeper; it’s a weapon. And when it comes to bands like Suicide Silence, that weapon needs to hit with precision and devastating power. Ever wondered how to get that kind of kick drum sound – one that’s both huge and clear, especially when the double bass is firing on all cylinders? We dove into a session with legendary producer Machine as he broke down his approach to mixing Suicide Silence drums, and let me tell you, there are some seriously clever, yet often overlooked, tricks to unpack. Forget just slapping a sample in; this is about crafting a kick sound with feeling and power.

The Foundation: Strategic Kick Drum Separation

Machine’s philosophy starts with a foundational strategy: kick drum separation. Even when working with samples (yes, these are all samples!), he doesn't just chuck them all onto one track. It's about setting the stage for ultimate mixing flexibility and power.

Why Split Your Kicks? Main vs. Double Kicks

Machine uses three distinct tracks for the kick samples. The "main" track handles what would be the primary rock kick in a basic beat. Then, when the double kicks come in, they are split onto separate "left" and "right" foot tracks. Why go to this trouble?

• Tailored Processing: This separation allows for different EQ, pitch, and even subtle panning for the main kick versus the faster double kick sections. What works for a sparse, groovy kick won't necessarily work when things get blisteringly fast.
• Humanization: While using samples, Machine emphasizes programming humanism into them. Splitting them out is part of achieving that less sterile, more dynamic feel.
• Mixing Power: Ultimately, this setup translates directly to more control and power in the mix, allowing each part of the kick performance to serve its purpose without overwhelming other elements.

He mentions using a "pillowy kick sample" he made at Ocean Way Studios, known for its thickness, as a starting point. Love that.

EQing for Impact and Clarity

When it comes to EQ, Machine’s approach is all about surgical strikes for maximum impact, treating the main kick and double kicks differently. This ensures each kick hit speaks clearly without turning the low end into a swamp. For more in-depth strategies, check out our guide on EQ strategies for mixing modern metal.

Taming the Main Kick

On the main kick, Machine noticed a bump around 80-90Hz that could "wolf out" the mix. He subtly dips this area while bringing up the very low-end sub frequencies. This gives the main kick a powerful, deep thud without becoming boomy.

EQing Double Kicks: Avoiding the Mud

For the double kicks, the EQ strategy shifts. He specifically avoids boosting the same low sub frequencies he might on the main kick. Why? When double kicks are pummeling away, all that sub energy builds up incredibly fast, leading to a muddy, undefined mess that can ruin your mix, especially if you're using a lot of bus compression.

So, for the double kicks, he'll take some of the sub off them. This way, when they're flying, the low end doesn't accumulate and overwhelm everything. Smart. If you were working with live drums, this would be like micing two kick drums and EQing them differently, or even cutting the double kick audio to a new track and applying a different EQ.

Adding Punch and Space

With the foundational EQs in place, Machine moves on to shaping the kick's envelope and giving it some life with carefully chosen effects.

Kick Drum Compression: The DBX 160 Touch

For that classic kick drum smack, Machine reaches for a beloved classic: the DBX 160. He’s not aiming for a ton of gain reduction, just enough to add a "nice little shape" to the kick, tightening it up and giving it punch. He’s careful with makeup gain to ensure he's not just being fooled by a volume increase when A/B-ing the compression. If you want to dive deeper into how compression can transform your metal mixes, our Metal Compression Secrets guide has you covered.

Crafting Kick Reverb: Small Rooms, Big Impact

Since this particular Suicide Silence production didn't have recorded room mics for the drums or a dedicated room sample, Machine adds a touch of reverb. He auditions options, landing on a "Realistic Room" preset from a small room category. Crucially, he stresses listening to the character of the reverb in the mix, not in solo. While he jokingly admits to soloing it momentarily, the point is to hear how the decay sits with all the other instruments.

For the double kicks, he generally wants less ambience than the main kick. He might shorten the reverb decay or reduce its level on the double kick tracks, keeping them tighter and more focused, but not completely dry.

The Magic of Summing: Kick Interaction with the Mix

This is where Machine’s genius truly shines, particularly in how he uses summing and bus compression to make the kicks interact with the rest of the mix, especially those massive guitars. This is key to getting that "in your face" rock sound.

Main Kick and the "Inside" Bus: Musical Ducking

Machine routes his main kick to an "inside" bus that feeds a bus compressor affecting elements like guitars. When the main, groovier kick hits, he wants it to move that bus compressor, ducking the guitars slightly. He watches the meter, aiming for the guitars to duck by around -2dB when the main kick hits. This creates that satisfying rhythmic push and pull, making the mix breathe and groove. It’s about making the kick move the guitars in a musical way.

Double Kicks and the "Outside" Bus: Preserving Guitar Definition

Now, for the double kicks. If these fast, relentless hits were also significantly ducking the guitars, you'd get a muddy, pumping mess, and the definition in the guitar riffs, especially during blast beats, would just "go out the door." Nobody wants that.

Machine’s solution? Route the double kicks primarily to the "total outsides" bus, meaning they don't heavily influence the main instrument bus compressor. They can be fractionally involved or not involved at all in the sum compression that's ducking the guitars. This keeps the guitars clear and defined even when the double bass is at its most intense.

Achieving "Pump Without Danger"

This strategic routing is how Machine achieves what he calls "pump without the danger." You get the aggressive, pumping energy from the main kick interacting with the guitars, but when problematic elements like super-fast double kicks could cause issues, you move them to the "outsides" to maintain clarity. It’s about controlling how the production "dances" and making it work creatively.

Beyond Mono: Adding Width and Feel to Double Kicks

Machine has a theory about not leaving too many things dead mono, and this extends, surprisingly, to his double kicks. This isn't about making the kicks sound obviously wide, but about creating subtle separation and clarity.

The Power of Subtle Panning

Even with the double kicks, Machine pans them slightly left and right – think "1, 2, 1, 2" for each foot. This isn't extreme panning, just enough to give each hit its own little space.

Pitch-Shifting for Separation

Alongside the subtle panning, he also applies slight pitch differences to the left and right double kick samples. Again, this is subtle, not enough to sound like two completely different kicks, but enough to further differentiate them.

Breaking Mono for Stereo Clarity

Why do this? If both double kicks are perfectly mono, they are demanding that both your left and right speakers do the exact same thing at the exact same time. This takes up a lot of energy and can "smother" the stereo information from other instruments, like wide guitars. By subtly panning and pitching the double kicks, you’re breaking that perfect mono signal. This creates breathing room, allowing the physics of your speakers to better reproduce the true stereo width of elements like guitars. It’s a subtle thing, but it can make an incredible difference in the overall clarity and spaciousness of your mix.

Get Hands-On with Suicide Silence and Master These Techniques

These are the kinds of game-changing insights Machine brings to the table – simple but often overlooked ways to add serious power and feeling to your kick drums. From strategic track separation and nuanced EQ to clever bus routing and subtle stereo enhancement, these techniques can elevate your heavy mixes.

Imagine having Machine walk you through his entire Suicide Silence mix, explaining every plugin, every fader move, every creative decision. That's exactly what you get with Nail The Mix. In his Suicide Silence mixing session, Machine doesn't just show you what he did; he explains why, giving you the raw multitracks to practice on yourself. If you’re ready to go beyond presets and truly Unlock Your Sound, learning directly from pros like Machine is the way to do it. Check out the full Suicide Silence session on Nail The Mix and start transforming your drum mixes today!