How to compress a kick drum
To compress a kick drum, use a ratio of 4:1 to 6:1 and an attack of 10 to 30 ms, so the click passes before the compressor clamps down. Set the release to 30 to 60 ms so it lets go before the next hit, and aim for 3 to 6 dB of gain reduction.
| Stage | Detector | Ratio | Attack | Release | Gain reduction | Threshold, peaks at −6 dB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shape the punch | Peak | 4:1 to 6:1 | 10 to 30 ms | 30 to 60 ms | 3 to 6 dB | −12 dB |
| Catch stray hits (optional) | Peak | 8:1 to 10:1 | 1 to 3 ms | 30 to 50 ms | 1 to 2 dB | −8 dB |
Kick drums use 2 stages on this page: shape the punch and catch stray hits.
1 stage is part of the starting point, and 1 more stage waits until you hear a problem.
Across them the ratio runs from 4:1 to 10:1 and the gain reduction targets from 1 to 6 dB. Set every threshold last, by watching the gain reduction meter, not by copying a number.
The stages, in order
Shape the punch, 4:1 to 6:1
The kick sounds soft or the click is lost. Lets the click through, then holds the body back so the kick hits harder.
Start with the Peak detector, a ratio of 4:1 to 6:1, an attack of 10 to 30 ms and a release of 30 to 60 ms. The slow attack lets the front of each note or hit through before the compressor reacts, which keeps the punch. Set the release so the meter falls back to zero before the next note or hit, or the next one starts already turned down and loses its punch.
Lower the threshold until the meter shows 3 to 6 dB of gain reduction on the loudest parts. If a kick drum peaks near −6 dB, that is a threshold of about −12 dB.
Catch stray hits, 8:1 to 10:1
A few kicks hit harder than the rest. Evens out loud hits on a played kick, which programmed kicks rarely need.
Start with the Peak detector, a ratio of 8:1 to 10:1, an attack of 1 to 3 ms and a release of 30 to 50 ms. The fast attack catches each peak before it gets past. Set the release so the meter falls back to zero before the next note or hit, or the next one starts already turned down and loses its punch.
Lower the threshold until the meter shows 1 to 2 dB of gain reduction on the loudest parts. If a kick drum peaks near −6 dB, that is a threshold of about −8 dB.
This stage stays out of the starting point. Add it only when you can hear the problem in a kick drum.
The settings in Live 12
CompressorLite, Intro, Standard, Suite
- Model
- Peak
- Threshold
- -12.0 dB
- Ratio
- 4.00 : 1
- Attack
- 20.0 ms
- Release
- 60.0 ms
- Knee
- 3.0 dB
- Makeup
- On
Sweep the attack between 10 and 30 ms while the kick plays and stop where the click jumps forward. Then check that the release has let go before the next kick.
Glue CompressorStandard, Suite
- Threshold
- -12.0 dB
- Ratio
- 4
- Attack
- 10
- Release
- .1
- Makeup
- 2.00 dB
Glue Compressor stands in for the stage that shapes the punch. Its fastest release, 0.1 seconds, is slower than that stage's 30 to 60 ms, but it still resets in time for most kick patterns. On a very fast pattern, use Compressor instead.
In short: shape the punch at 4:1 to 6:1 with 3 to 6 dB of gain reduction. Then switch the compressor off and on at the same loudness, and keep it only if the part sounds steadier, not just louder.
Sampled kicks and recorded kicks
Start by asking where the kick came from, because that decides how much work the compressor has to do.
A sampled kick in a drum rack plays the same sound at the same level every time if every note has the same velocity. There is nothing to even out. Many kick samples are already compressed before you get them, too. So on a programmed kick, compression is only about shape, making the click hit harder or the body sound fuller. Try the kick with no compressor first. If it already punches through the mix, leave it alone.
A recorded kick is different. A drummer hits a little harder or softer every time, and the mic picks up the shell ringing and some of the room. Here a compressor does two jobs. The main stage on this page shapes the punch, and the optional second stage catches the few hits that come in much louder than the rest. That second stage uses a fast attack and a high ratio, and it should only move on those stray hits. Most of the time its meter sits still.
If you only have a recording and the hits vary a lot, fix the very loud ones with clip gain before you compress. A compressor smooths small jumps well, but it struggles with a hit that is far louder than the others.
Attack is the punch control
On a kick, the attack setting matters more than anything else.
Every kick has two parts. The click, or beater, is the short, sharp front of the hit, and it is what lets you hear the kick on small speakers. The body is the low thump that follows it. A compressor with a slow attack waits a moment before it reacts. The click gets through untouched, and then the compressor turns the body down. The click now stands out more against the body, so the kick sounds harder and more forward.
That is why the main stage uses an attack of 10 to 30 ms. Set the ratio to 4:1, lower the threshold until the meter moves 3 to 6 dB on each hit, then sweep the attack slowly while the kick plays. At the fast end, the click gets softer and the kick sounds round and dull. As you slow the attack down, the click jumps forward. Stop where it sounds best in the mix, not in solo.
The release decides how the kick sits in the groove. It needs to let go before the next kick arrives, so each one starts at full level. A release of 30 to 60 ms works for most patterns. Watch the meter. It should drop back to zero between hits. If it is still moving when the next kick lands, shorten the release. A very short release lets the tail come back up as the compressor lets go, which makes the kick longer and boomier. If you want a tighter kick, lengthen the release a little, as long as it still drops to zero before the next hit.
Kick and bass together
The kick and the bass fight over the same low end. Compression on the kick alone will not settle that fight, but it can help.
A kick with a clear click is easier to hear in a dense mix, so you may not need to push its low end as hard. That leaves more room for the bass. Then the bass can sit under the kick with its own steady level.
When they still clash, use sidechain compression on the bass, keyed from the kick. In Live, put a Compressor on the bass track, turn on its sidechain and pick the kick as the source. Each kick then pulls the bass down for a moment. A small duck keeps the kick clear, and a deep one gives the pumping sound of a lot of dance music.
EQ comes first, though. Decide whether the kick or the bass owns the very bottom, and cut the other one there. The kick EQ guide covers those moves.
Mistakes that make a kick sound small
A fast attack is the most common one. At 1 or 2 ms the compressor grabs the click and flattens it, and the kick turns into a dull thud that disappears behind the bass. Keep the main stage at 10 ms or slower.
Too much gain reduction is the next. If the meter moves much more than 6 dB, the kick loses its weight and starts to sound thin and flat. Raise the threshold until it only moves a few dB.
Judging louder as better is another. Makeup gain makes the kick louder, and a louder kick always seems punchier at first. Switch the compressor off and on with the level matched, and keep it only if the kick really hits harder.
Compressing a kick that was already fine is the last. Many kick samples come out of the box finished. If the compressor isn't making the kick better in the full mix, take it off.
Questions people ask
Does a kick drum need compression?
Not always. A programmed kick sample often hits at the same level every time and may already have the punch it needs, so try it with no compressor first. A recorded kick, or a sample that sounds soft, gains from a Peak compressor at 4:1 to 6:1 with a 10 to 30 ms attack, which lets the click through and then holds the body back.
What is the best compression setting for a kick drum?
In Live's Compressor, try Model on Peak, Ratio at 4.00 : 1, Attack at 20.0 ms, Release at 60.0 ms and Knee at 3.0 dB. Lower Threshold until the meter shows 3 to 6 dB of gain reduction on each hit. Then sweep the attack between 10 and 30 ms while the kick plays, and stop where the click jumps forward.
Does compression make a song louder?
Not by itself. A compressor turns the loudest parts down, and makeup gain then turns the whole sound back up, so the quiet parts end up louder and the sound feels fuller at the same peak level. Loudness on a finished song comes from the limiter. Always compare with the compressor off at the same level, or louder will fool you.