Volumes’ Kick Drum Power: Daniel Braunstein on Samples & Phase

Ever find yourself wrestling with kick drum samples, trying to get that perfect punch and definition that cuts through a dense metal mix? You’re not alone. Getting your kick to sit right is fundamental, and sometimes, one sample just doesn’t cut it. Enter Daniel Braunstein of Volumes, who recently peeled back the curtain on his multi-layered approach to crafting unique and powerful kick drum sounds. Spoiler: it’s not just about stacking samples; it’s about making them play nice, and that means paying serious attention to phase.

In a revealing session, Daniel walked through his method for blending multiple kick samples, ensuring each layer contributes positively without turning into a phasey, muddy mess. This is the kind of deep dive into production secrets you’d typically find on Nail The Mix, where pros share their in-the-box wizardry. Let’s break down Daniel’s killer kick drum strategy.

Building the Foundation: Daniel Braunstein’s Multi-Layered Kick Approach

Daniel doesn’t just pick one kick sample and call it a day. His kick sound is a carefully constructed blend, typically split into three distinct parts: the Main Kick, the Slap, and the Room.

The "Main" Kick: Your Starting Point

This is the backbone of the sound. Daniel usually starts with a set of general samples that provide a solid foundation. He mentions that these are just starting points and might get swapped out later in the mix. Think of this layer as providing the core weight and body of the kick. While he has an API plugin ready on the channel, he emphasizes getting the source sound right before heavy processing.

Adding "Slap": The Secret to Articulation

This is where things get interesting. The "Kick Slap" track is dedicated to adding that clicky, articulate high-end that helps the kick cut through, especially in fast passages.

• What it is: Daniel uses triggers that have a "really good flabby high end" and then applies a pretty aggressive high-pass filter. This means only the attack and the very top-end frequencies of these samples are used.
• Sample Choice Example: He famously uses a Metallica kick sample for this purpose. He’s been using it since he was 19, not for its boomy low-end (which he finds "extremely overbearing" and doesn't need from this layer), but specifically for its distinctive "slap."
• Automation is Key: This slap layer isn't static. Daniel will automate its level up during super-fast double kick sections to maintain clarity and then bring it down when less attack is needed. It’s an interplay between the main kick and the slap that defines much of the kick's character.

"Kick Rooms": Adding Depth and Space

To give the kick a sense of environment and size, Daniel incorporates a "Kick Rooms" track, blending in a few of his favorite room samples. He acknowledges these can sound "a little out of control" initially but are tweaked as the mix progresses.

The Golden Rule: Phase Coherency is King

If there's one takeaway from Daniel Braunstein's approach, it's this: respect phase above all else. He calls it a "huge pivotal moment" when he started prioritizing phase, noting it's the difference between your drums "popping out and being punchy" and being "irreparably hidden by things overlapping." This is a core concept often explored in depth during Nail The Mix sessions.

Checking Phase: A Step-by-Step Guide

When blending multiple samples, especially for a source as fundamental as a kick drum, ensuring they are in phase (or intentionally out of phase for a specific effect) is critical.

1. Solo and Listen: Daniel solos his main kick sample.
2. Introduce New Samples One by One: As he brings in another kick sample to layer, he listens intently.
3. Flip the Phase (Polarity): He'll repeatedly flip the phase/polarity button on the new sample. The difference can be subtle or, as he demonstrates, "not subtle" at all, with the correct phase relationship making the kick jump right out.
4. Desirable vs. Undesirable Cancellation: Being "out of phase" isn't inherently bad. Sometimes, the phase cancellation between two samples might actually remove an undesirable frequency. The goal is to ensure that when you add a sample, it's not negatively impacting the overall sound by canceling out good stuff.
5. Systematic Approach: He meticulously checks each kick sample in his "main" group against each other, then checks the combined main kick against his "slap" track, and finally, the "room" samples.

Daniel emphasizes that he'd do this process much faster when working alone in his "mix dungeon," but the principle is clear: methodical A/B testing of phase is non-negotiable.

Phase in Different Frequency Ranges

Understanding where phase issues are most likely to cause problems is also helpful:

• Mid-Range is Critical: Most audible phase problems in drums tend to live in the mid-range. This is because the wavelengths in this area are prone to destructive interference when layered.
• Low Frequencies: The waves are much longer, increasing the chances of overlap and negation if not aligned.
• High Frequencies: Waves are very short. While phase still matters, you're less likely to have the kind of drastic punch-killing overlap you get in the lows and mids.

Sample Selection and Blending Tactics

Beyond phase, the actual choice of samples and how they're blended is, of course, paramount.

Getting Sources Right Before EQ

"Get the sources as good as possible before I start relying on EQ." This is a mantra Daniel lives by. By focusing on sample selection and balance first, any subsequent EQ moves are about enhancing good sounds, not trying to fix problematic ones. This approach to EQ strategy is fundamental to a powerful mix.

Choosing the Right "Slap" Sample

The selection of the "slap" sample isn't always instant. Daniel mentions that if he's using a one-shot sample for his main kick, he might want more variation in the slap samples to create a more dynamic feel. It’s about how the samples "interplay together once we start listening to the whole song."

Introducing One-Shots for Consistency

While many of Daniel's base samples are multi-samples (containing variations in velocity and hits), he sometimes likes to blend in a one-shot sample.

• Why? A one-shot provides a "consistent anchor that's just always going to be the exact same hit every time."
• His Process: He shamelessly plugs his own "Drum Shots" pack he's working on and clicks through various one-shots, listening for one that adds a "fake crunchy" texture or a "dry and punchy" character without causing new phase issues. He settled on a sample ("six") from his pack that fit the bill.

Tuning and Further Adjustments (A Glimpse Ahead)

Daniel briefly mentions that he hasn't even touched the tuning of the kick samples yet, indicating that this is another layer of detail he addresses, particularly when considering the kick and bass relationship. This is the kind of advanced technique you can see fully fleshed out when you Unlock Your Sound: Mixing Modern Metal Beyond Presets.

Fine-Tuning the Kick Room

The kick room samples aren't just thrown in; they get their own specific treatment.

EQing the Room for Space, Not Competition

To ensure the room samples add ambience without cluttering the main kick, Daniel will often "clear out a little bit of mud" from the room track. This typically involves using an EQ to cut some of the low-mid frequencies (around the "mud" zone) so the room "is kind of just surrounding it, it's not really competing with it."

Addressing Panning in Stereo Room Samples

Sometimes, stereo room samples might have an uneven balance. Daniel recounts an experience from the Spiritbox sessions he did at Steakhouse Studios:

• The studio's mic setup (one mic closer, one further) created a natural pan to one side in the room recordings.
• To correct this, he "scooted that back" by adjusting the panning until both sides were hitting somewhat evenly. He notes that often, in room mic setups, the snare might appear slightly off-center due to its physical placement relative to the overheads or room mics, which is something to be aware of.

Crafting Your Own Killer Kick

Daniel Braunstein's approach to kick drums for Volumes is a masterclass in attention to detail. It’s about:

• Smart Layering: Using different samples (main, slap, room) for specific sonic contributions.
• Phase Priority: Meticulously checking and correcting phase relationships between all layers.
• Source First: Choosing the right samples and getting their balance right before reaching for heavy processing.
• Intentional Blending: Adding elements like one-shots for consistency or specific room tones for space.