Author: Parysh

If you are the type of person who wants to have your own sonic signature you can’t get more individual than layering drums to create new ones. The concept is this; grab a few sounds that have individual character and blend them together to create a new one.  This new composite sound can be bounced as an Aiff/Wav for inclusion in your library kit.  The choices of sound are important and this is a skill that develops over time.  Learn to identify the character of each sound – is it bassy? Is it bright? Is it noisy? All of these characteristics can help you decide which sounds to match up – aim for contrasting textures for an easier job.  Before we get started with some practical demonstrations let’s take a look at ways that you can identify what exists in the sound.


A good example of a sound that needs layering might be a kick drum – it might have plenty of sub weight but needs more of a rough and ready mid and high texture to cut through the track. In this case you could layer another kick drum without sub weight that has the mid and high end energy you want.