Kick volume seems to decrease

Schnork · 2023-02-23T14:27:00.528Z

I also checked it yesterday with various analysers and then came to the conclusion that it´s happening way too fast, it´s probaply best to just look at the waveform. I have an oscilloscope software that lets you view a straight line at a chosen db level. Seemed very consistent to me, I did not spot any differences.

technolover303:

I could drop the kick & hats oneshots here for you to check with these if that’s helpful but I think you’re right

If you´d do that, I´d set up a little blind test for you (sequenced from different hardware and software devices vs your recording) and then let´s hear if anyone can spot anything.

technolover303 · 2023-02-23T17:37:46.569Z

I’ll upload them later tonight or tomorrow then maybe someone can make the same pattern on his Digitakt and check it sounds similar

technolover303 · 2023-02-23T21:14:16.514Z

Here are the kick and the hats.

if u wanna recreate it exactly : 135bpm. I have a parameter lock on the hats volume : 102 - 102 - 107 - 100 (4 steps loop) (and 11.55 of overdrive on the kick)

btw, I tried HP filter on the hats but it didn’t change anything.

I am not sure about the hats I used anymore, these are maybe the ones used in the former example :

(anyway I tried with different samples and the result is still the same…)

Schnork · 2023-02-23T22:38:56.283Z

Do you hear something similar with only a kick playing on steps 1 and 5 when the kick stops playing.

Do you hear it with other samples and even when you turn down the level on kick and high hats?

Dr.K · 2023-02-24T00:35:45.500Z

I don’t hear the volume drop of the kick.

shigginpit · 2023-02-24T04:04:12.300Z

image1600×800 104 KB

in this thread schnork is the mother teresa of kicks and hats

technolover303 · 2023-02-24T07:00:42.797Z

that’s true but I am sure this behaviour has heightened his curiosity

technolover303 · 2023-02-24T07:37:40.545Z

Gonna check this out (probably during my lunch pause as I am working at home) …

When the kick is alone (but on 1, 5, 9 and 13 - didn’t try this without the 2 last steps) the volume is constant.

I tried with another kick sample (and same hats) or with the same kick (and other hats (from the same pack)) and the result was the same.

The filter decrease the effect but doesn’t cancel it totally. I think lowering the volume of the hats had a better impact.

(reminder : it’s only audible when the master volume is really loud on my headphones)

rtme · 2023-02-24T08:52:54.499Z

technolover303:

I tried with another kick sample (and same hats) or with the same kick (and other hats (from the same pack)) and the result was the same.

Try to microtime the hihats just a bit before or after the step. Then you might rule out phase issues of the combination of samples used.

Did you try to recreate the same thing in a DAW to check if this gives the same result?

technolover303 · 2023-02-24T09:03:23.241Z

not yet but that was an idea I had too. gonna check in Ableton. if it happens too, then it’s a good news for my Digitakt

Lauli · 2023-02-24T10:10:44.316Z

So… let’s assume there is in fact some change to the audio when the hats come in. If you take the part with only the kick drum, move it over to the part with the hats so that the kick drums line up precisely, then invert one track, then the result should be the some audio with just the hats AND some leftover artefacts of the change in the kickdrum.

Sort of like:
kick + hat - kick = hat
"modified" kick + hat - kick = hat + "modification"

Here’s some pictures of what I did:

Bildschirmfoto 2023-02-24 um 10.59.501910×616 269 KB

Bildschirmfoto 2023-02-24 um 11.00.061904×616 205 KB

And here you can hear the resulting audio:

As you can hear, there is absolutely nothing indicating any change in the kick drum sound. I think someone already mentioned it, it could be just some masking psychoacoustics. You could try just removing or lowering the volume of the hat on the step of the kick, see if that does anything.

technolover303 · 2023-02-24T10:14:36.176Z

Wow that’s a real deep analysis, thank you !

Did you listen to it loudly and did you notive that “behaviour” (which as you mention it sounds more like some accoustic hallucination?)

Lauli · 2023-02-24T10:19:05.199Z

Haha yeah I turned up my headphones quite a bit
The only thing I perceived is that the initial klick/knock at the very start of the kick gets sort of covered up by the hat. Didn’t really hear any change in the bass or overall loudness. The kick just seems less sharp (?) to me once the hats come in.

edit: this could be it? Auditory masking - Wikipedia

technolover303 · 2023-02-24T10:29:45.352Z

Lauli:

Haha yeah I turned up my headphones quite a bit
The only thing I perceived is that the initial klick/knock at the very start of the kick gets sort of covered up by the hat. Didn’t really hear any change in the bass or overall loudness. The kick just seems less sharp (?) to me once the hats come in.

edit: this could be it? Auditory masking - Wikipedia

it’s an interesting read, gonna check it completly later today. But it could be this, yes !

Does it vary from person to person ? It’s weird some people hear it and some seem to don’t (or maybe that’s not loud enough)

(Looks like you don’t hear this as I do (or some others seem to do too) - for me I really hear a change in the loudness of the kick)

Lauli · 2023-02-24T10:37:54.473Z

Hmm yeah not sure what else could be the root of this. Do you notice that with any other instruments coming in over the kick too? You mentioned Ableton, did you ever notice anything like that there too?
I’ll allow myself the snarky remark – but you better get used to this phenomenon, your tracks are gonna have way more isntruments than just kick and hat anyways.

technolover303 · 2023-02-24T10:44:49.871Z

Never noticed a similar thing on my other machines (Syntakt, A4, MPC, …) and never experienced it on Ableton neither (I produce/release techno for 15 years and never experienced (or at least noticed) this)

I was starting a track on the Digitakt (first time I put my hands on it as I just received it) and started by putting a kick, a sub bass (based on the kick) and then some hats and noticed it… I hate when stuff happens without any explaination (and I was a bit affraid that this could also occur in a bigger sound system when my tracks got released (and hopefuly played )

Dr.K · 2023-02-24T11:44:36.737Z

So for the ultimate test you could use the same samples with the same pattern on your MPC or whatever. Bring it up to the same volume and listen how it sounds. Then you’ll really know if the Digitakt is doing something different to the sound.

rtme · 2023-02-24T11:50:14.184Z

technolover303:

it’s only audible when the master volume is really loud on my headphones

Do you have your headphones directly connected to your Digitakt? In which position is your master volume knob, 12:00, 15:00? What brand/type headphones do you use?

technolover303 · 2023-02-24T11:55:08.410Z

Yes ! 12h with a Sennheiser hd25ii

Dr.K · 2023-02-24T12:05:05.031Z

So you only hear the volume drop with headphones? What about your speakers? You need to check it on speakers too because listening on headphones is not a natural listening experience. For example checking the levels of different tracks in your mix is way easier on speakers.

And as several people have noticed here there is no level drop in your example. You may percieve it like that but it’s only on your setup or your personal listening experience.
If you listen to it on speakers you feel the weight of the kick drum in the room and when the hihats come in the kick stays exactly the same.