Kick Lab 02 · 14 min
Layer Lab
Solo and blend transient, body and sub layers while the waveform and spectrum reveal what each layer contributes.
Controlled experiment
Change one cause. Hear the result.
Before moving a control, predict what will change. Use the play controls to compare at a comfortable level.
Audio starts only when you press a play button.
Move one control and listen for the relationship.
Attention guide
Listen for these three things.
- 1A single coherent arrival
- 2Duplicated low-frequency decay
- 3Clicks or thinning near the layer boundary
Guided practice
Three experiments worth doing.
Do them in order. Reveal “What to notice” only after you have described the result in your own words.
- 01
Subtract first
Hear the blend, then audition each layer alone and remove the least necessary one.
What to notice
A useful layer should solve an audible role, not merely make the meter larger.
- 02
Find phase sensitivity
Move Sub alignment slowly through negative and positive values.
What to notice
Small time changes alter the sum even when both sources sound strong alone.
- 03
Rebuild at quiet level
Set all three layers to zero and add body, then transient, then only enough sub.
What to notice
Starting from silence makes role overlap easier to detect.
Check your model
What is the strongest reason to add a layer?
Choose the answer that explains the cause, not merely the symptom.
Close the loop
Can you explain the result without the controls?
If you can name the cause, the audible change and the musical tradeoff, the concept is ready to transfer into your own session.