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STYLE DIRECTION

How to Build a Lo-Fi Hip-Hop Kick

STARTING POINT

Build a Lo-Fi Hip-Hop kick around a softer filtered or saturated kick whose character and pocket matter more than maximum transient sharpness. 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

Transient0.45
Body0.85
Sub0.40
Length500 ms
Punch38%
Tone-1.90
Drive15%
Impact52%

METHOD

How to shape it

  1. Set the kick envelope for the tempo and groove.
  2. Balance Transient, Body, and Sub as one event.
  3. Use Length to protect the bass and next rhythmic hit.
  4. Add Punch, Tone, Drive, and Impact only for a specific audible need.
  5. Check the result in mono, at low level, and in the full arrangement.

ARRANGEMENT DIRECTIONS

Choose the version your track needs

Core

The balanced style foundation

The balanced style foundation.

Transient0.47
Body0.85
Sub0.39
Length500 ms
Punch40%
Tone-1.80
Drive13%
Impact50%

Tighter

A shorter arrangement-friendly version

A shorter arrangement-friendly version.

Transient0.47
Body0.83
Sub0.34
Length390 ms
Punch46%
Tone-1.80
Drive15%
Impact52%

Heavier

A denser version for the largest section

A denser version for the largest section.

Transient0.47
Body0.93
Sub0.40
Length520 ms
Punch38%
Tone-1.90
Drive25%
Impact62%