STYLE DIRECTION
How to Build a Hard Techno Kick
STARTING POINT
Build a Hard Techno kick around an aggressive Transient, dense distorted body, and tightly controlled low end so extreme energy does not erase timing. Start with the ILLUSTRATIVE KX1000 STARTING VALUES below, then choose a direction only when the arrangement needs a different amount of length, density, or attack.
ILLUSTRATIVE KX1000 STARTING VALUES
Build the style foundation
Transient1.08
Body0.94
Sub0.58
Length370 ms
Punch88%
Tone2.60
Drive26%
Impact88%
METHOD
How to shape it
- Set the kick envelope for the tempo and groove.
- Balance Transient, Body, and Sub as one event.
- Use Length to protect the bass and next rhythmic hit.
- Add Punch, Tone, Drive, and Impact only for a specific audible need.
- Check the result in mono, at low level, and in the full arrangement.
ARRANGEMENT DIRECTIONS
Choose the version your track needs
Industrial hard
A denser, darker hard-techno versionA denser, darker hard-techno version.
Transient1.03
Body0.96
Sub0.59
Length440 ms
Punch86%
Tone1.60
Drive32%
Impact86%
Rave attack
A brighter, faster versionA brighter, faster version.
Transient1.16
Body0.83
Sub0.48
Length330 ms
Punch92%
Tone3.40
Drive26%
Impact84%
Controlled peak
A cleaner version with more low-end disciplineA cleaner version with more low-end discipline.
Transient1.03
Body0.84
Sub0.52
Length370 ms
Punch82%
Tone2.00
Drive20%
Impact82%