Adding Highs That Aren't There - AD -SOLVED-

[razor7music]

Hi Folks--

I'm back again with another question for you expert Addictive Drums users--(I've used kontakt with their drum sample libraries for many years).

So, I have some ideas on what I think I'm going to try, but I'd like to get some of your ideas, and I'm sure you've had this come up and you have more experience with AD than I do.

So, I'm EQing a mix I'm working on, and I'm looking at the EQ responses for AD Reel Machines pack (80's synth drums pack) and the highs are just not there for the HH and cymbals. I can hear it, and I can see that they are barely registering. I understand you can't boost an EQ that isn't there--(you can, but you know what I mean). So, do you have any ideas for how to increase the crisp highs on this drum sample?

Thanks!

Edited May 26, 2019 by razor7music

[chris.r]

Saturation/Enhancers/Exciters

[msmcleod]

Enhancers/Exciters would be my first suggestion too.

Alternatively, you could try sending the HH/Cymbals to an aux track, where you compress the cr*p out of it to bring what highs are there up, and maybe also put it through a high pass filter to tame the lower frequencies. If you then gently mix the aux track with your original, you should get some high end back.

 

[chris.r]

That wouldn't create anything new though, just increase what's there already. A saturation effect can add upper harmonics to hihats. Parallel track with high pass and then saturation would be a great idea, yes.

[Craig Anderton]

I did an FX Chain called the "Sizzle" bus that generated artificial highs via harmonics from distortion. It was in one of the Sonar updates so if you had Sonar, it's probably on your hard drive somewhere. If not, there's a full description starting on page 128 of The Huge Book of Cakewalk by BandLab Tips. The basic idea is to create a BUS effect (not a channel insert) in parallel with the signal you want to boost. You create a ProChannel FX Chain in the bus with:

1. QuadCurve EQ. Enable the high-pass (HP) filter. Set the slope to 30 dB/octave, Frequency to around 10 kHz, and optionally enable Gloss.
2. Tube Distortion. Use Type 1 (important), turn up Drive all the way, Output up about halfway, and use Input to vary the amount of distortion. Start with Input all the way down.

The EQ eliminates all but the highest frequencies, which are then distorted to create artificial harmonics above the natural harmonics. The parameter settings are pretty crucial, you'll need to experiment to add sweetness instead of harshness.

[Grem]

The suggestions that msmcleod and Craig gave are excellent.

But if you don't want to go with those suggestions, you could use a totally different HH sample (with the high freq your looking for) and have it triggered along with the original sample and adjust to taste.

[CJ Jacobson]

10 hours ago, razor7music said:

I understand you can't boost an EQ that isn't there--(you can, but you know what I mean). So, do you have any ideas for how to increase the crisp highs on this drum sample?

Try using a Mutli-Band compressor and only enhance and add  gain to the high end.  

Maybe use some Side EQ (no mids) for the hi hats, room mics and overhead mics and boost the upper high end

As others said. some saturation in the upper range. I have  and would use Saturn by FabFilter that would do great things to what you are describing and want

[JonD]

If you don't have a quality enhancer plugin, Toneboosters' Enhancer is worth a look:

https://www.toneboosters.com/tb_enhancer_v1.html

Until June 1, get 25% off with coupon code: TB_SPRING_2019

 

 

[razor7music]

20 hours ago, msmcleod said:

Enhancers/Exciters would be my first suggestion too.

Alternatively, you could try sending the HH/Cymbals to an aux track, where you compress the cr*p out of it to bring what highs are there up, and maybe also put it through a high pass filter to tame the lower frequencies. If you then gently mix the aux track with your original, you should get some high end back.

 

I'm going to have to research how to send single instruments out of AD. That's what I always do with kontakt.

[razor7music]

19 hours ago, Craig Anderton said:

I did an FX Chain called the "Sizzle" bus that generated artificial highs via harmonics from distortion. It was in one of the Sonar updates so if you had Sonar, it's probably on your hard drive somewhere. If not, there's a full description starting on page 128 of The Huge Book of Cakewalk by BandLab Tips. The basic idea is to create a BUS effect (not a channel insert) in parallel with the signal you want to boost. You create a ProChannel FX Chain in the bus with:

1. QuadCurve EQ. Enable the high-pass (HP) filter. Set the slope to 30 dB/octave, Frequency to around 10 kHz, and optionally enable Gloss.
2. Tube Distortion. Use Type 1 (important), turn up Drive all the way, Output up about halfway, and use Input to vary the amount of distortion. Start with Input all the way down.

The EQ eliminates all but the highest frequencies, which are then distorted to create artificial harmonics above the natural harmonics. The parameter settings are pretty crucial, you'll need to experiment to add sweetness instead of harshness.

I've had Sonar and bought your Big Book too. I'll look for the Sizzle preset.

[razor7music]

11 hours ago, Grem said:

The suggestions that msmcleod and Craig gave are excellent.

But if you don't want to go with those suggestions, you could use a totally different HH sample (with the high freq your looking for) and have it triggered along with the original sample and adjust to taste.

That was actually the idea I was going to try. I'll insert another sampler of kontakt, add my favorite drum kit sample, and copy the midi track over from AD and delete everything but the HH and cymbals and layer them in.

[razor7music]

8 hours ago, JonD said:

If you don't have a quality enhancer plugin, Toneboosters' Enhancer is worth a look:

https://www.toneboosters.com/tb_enhancer_v1.html

Until June 1, get 25% off with coupon code: TB_SPRING_2019

 

 

I've got UAD Precision Maximizer and Multiband Compressor.

[Grem]

56 minutes ago, razor7music said:

That was actually the idea I was going to try. 

To go a step further you could put one of the the other ideas along with this to blend the two together so they sound more uniform. IOW use Craig's idea or a "harmonic enhancer" addes to these two sounds.

[razor7music]

8 minutes ago, Grem said:

To go a step further you could put one of the the other ideas along with this to blend the two together so they sound more uniform. IOW use Craig's idea or a "harmonic enhancer" addes to these two sounds.

Yes, thanks. I'm thinking of something like that to "glue" the layers together. I also have the option of just replacing the HH and cymbals with the kontakt HH and cymbals if it ends up sounding better.

[razor7music]

Well, here we go...you've got to love producing in-the-box--you've got a tool for everything!!

I inserted my UAD Precision Multi-band (multi-band compressor) and like always, started messing around, then looking at the presets. What was there? Hah!  Drums exciter for synth drums!! Dropped it in, made a few tweaks for taste, Then added the tube saturation from the CW Pro channel, a few teaks there and boom! I like the way the highs sound AND, I like the way the snare sounds better too! I had layered a couple of the non-synth snares from AD as the synth snares just weren't doing it for me. This chain really made them crack the way I like.

Thanks all!

[Grem]

There you go! Seek and ye shall find!

[Jesse Screed]

Boom!