Plugin to shorten drum sustain (on Mac)

[ManFromGlass]

I am working with orchestral bass drums that have a nice sustain. A lot of notes really build up the low end mush. In the past I have used one of Boz’s plugins to shorten sustain and it worked well. Any other suggestions appreciated.

It needs to be a plugin as sometimes I need the drum to ring off. I figure I just automate the On/Off of the plug in Logic and viola violin!

[Wonks]

Any transient designer plug should do, but the SPL original works well for me (UAD version) and the updated native version is currently on offer here (and maybe elsewhere).

https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/prod ... _plus.html

[R_A]

It needs to be a plugin as sometimes I need the drum to ring off. I figure I just automate the On/Off of the plug in Logic and viola violin!

Have you tried Logic's Enveloper?

[RichardT]

I use Native Instruments’ Transient Master.

[Matt Houghton]

As other shave said, a transient designer/envelope shaper is probably the right tool. In this context, I might be tempted to try a multiband one, in case you want to preserve the initial ring of some of he higher frequencies. Melda do one. Elysia do a dual-band one. There are lots of others... Waves Trans X is available at their usual 'discount' price.

Another option would be a gate/expander, but ideally one with lookahead (or a sidechain fed from a track nudged a bit further ahead in time than the source)

If you're doing this a lot, you might consider using a sampler to create different (shorter) articulations on different notes and play them in. But probably overkill.

[Edited to add Waves]

[Zukan]

It needs to be a plugin as sometimes I need the drum to ring off. I figure I just automate the On/Off of the plug in Logic and viola violin!

Have you tried Logic's Enveloper?

That's what I was thinking. Not the same as a dedicated transient shaper but effective if you want to reshape the envelope.

[ManFromGlass]

Interesting being a long time Logic user that I still have a bit of a bias about searching Logic for the answer first. Their plugs are quite good now and I always forget.

[Matt Houghton]

That one's been in there for years. Decades even. But works well enough.

[muzines]

Indeed, since V4.x.

Although it's not the first thing I reach for in terms of transient stuff - usually third-party stuff is more flexible and has more a modern interface.

[ManFromGlass]

True about third party. But sometimes that works against me as there are new bells and whistles that distract me when all I want to do is save myself from drawing in finicky volume automation moves over and over like the olde days.

In a way drawing is almost better because I don’t want all the hits to be the same velocity (I’m using samples) I’m trying to suggest a human player. So the threshold setting can be a challenge to get right.
But when there is no budget for a player and a studio . . . .

[sonics]

It sounds like what you actually need is a more realistic sample library then, one with damping available. You could program that in if you have the skills.

[ManFromGlass]

My challenge is that the choreographer is wanting a lot of huge drums during the entire piece. The piece will be close to an hour and I have a concern about the ear getting bored with the same few drum sounds.
I am pulling from multiple libraries and have recorded the few marching bass drums I have. I’m running them through guitar pedals for grit and trying other manipulations for pitch and timbre. Time consuming but your idea is a good one for when I have some downtime, unless the patches are for Kontakt. I find any programming in Kontakt frustrating.
And the clock is ticking . . . . . . . . !

[Wonks]

But surely the threshold for shortening the envelope will be the same, regardless of the velocity of the hit, at the times you want less ‘mud’ in the mix?

I’ve used a noise gate with a look-ahead function for reducing the tails on toms. Set the minimum open time accordingly, and you should have something that caters to both louder and softer hits. I found a transient designer was still letting too much of the tail through, especially in exposed situations with little else to hide the toms.

It’s worth a try, as it takes seconds to set up.

[ManFromGlass]

What a timely post -
I was experimenting with enveloper and was still having an issue with the tails.
Noise gate. Doh!!! (Smacks forehead)

There should only be 5 plugins in the world so I don’t have to try and remember the other hundred of them and what they do.

[sonics]

I find any programming in Kontakt frustrating.
And the clock is ticking . . . . . . . . !

I understand! I often manufacture my variations if I don't have them recorded. It's then a simple job of mapping and grouping the samples.

Do you own SampleTank or SoundPaint? They have sample builders.
I know there are others, but I've used those.

[ManFromGlass]

Used to use Sample Tank but I was lured away by other offerings. I converted a lot of early Roland and Gigastudio patches to EXS and have a nice assortment of older Kontakt offerings.
Good news
Logic’s Noise Gate is getting me where I want to go and helping me keep the low end cleaner.


The 3 monster subs in the theatre are going to get a real workout when the show opens. The choreographer would be perfectly happy with music that was all low end. I’m managing to sneak in some mid and even high frequency sounds now and then. Spinal Tap’s Big Bottom would not have enough low end for this show.

[sonics]

The 3 monster subs in the theatre are going to get a real workout when the show opens. The choreographer would be perfectly happy with music that was all low end.

That sounds like an interesting project. I do like when a theatre has good sub-bass; it's fun for SFX. But an hour of VLF? I hope they sell Tylenol at concession.

[ManFromGlass]

Or diapers/nappies. I'm trying to avoid that tone!
I'm managing to sneak in mid range and higher instruments. It's taken me years to learn a bit of diplomacy.
I just don't want the equivalent of what I imagine an all night Rave would sound like.
The modern dance world is more of a younger's game now but people my age still enjoy a good show.

[sonics]

Ha! I know exactly what you're talking about.

I just don't want the equivalent of what I imagine an all night Rave would sound like.

The sound of a rave from the apartment above/below?!

Good luck with your project.

[Guest]

Stillwell audio is worth checking out.

https://www.stillwellaudio.com/plugins/ ... t-monster/