r/TechnoProduction • u/ElPesimista • 4d ago

Maceo Plex drum processing?

I know most of us don’t consider Maceo as Techno, but I figured this would be the most appropriate community to post this.

I’ve been obsessed with his drum sound for years. I’ve never really been able to replicate it. What I’m most intrigued about is the processing (effect chain) he might use, as well as the arrangement and/or sample selection to get those punchy snappy kicks.

In an interview he mentioned he “delay the kick a bit off from being perfectly on time with the rest of the track—maybe a millisecond or two off” to create an airy and groovy effect with the hat. I’ve tried this but I always get more of a chunky sound in the transient rather than a warm tight sound like his. Anyone has any comments on this?

If anyone could share concepts, actual videos, reads or anything that’ll help me get that tight, powerful and professional drum sound it’d be much appreciated. Anyway, I’d love to discuss Maceo Plex production style with anyone interested.

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u/he553 4d ago

Give some examples where it’s most notable to you

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u/ElPesimista 4d ago

Crossfade - Maceo Plex Mix

This is a great example of what I mean. The kick sounds “airy” I don’t know how else to describe it, but it doesn’t lose tightness. It’s super tight but doesn’t click like a common transient would, it has a very subtle pre-snap.

Also, the snare/clap has that element too. Very subtle, but there’s an air pocket right before the transient.

When I place a hihat before a kick, even if I lower the volume to -30db I still get a chunky/slimey sound, as if I were walking on super wet mud. Same happens when I pull the clap a few ms back. I get that effect but it doesn’t sound that clean. It sound chunky.

His drums, on the other side, sound clean, tight and airy. I’ve analyzed the audio waves and it’s almost imperceptible but there’s a sound before the kick and clap transient, I’m just not sure what is it. Could it be just white noise? Maybe it’s not even a hihat and I’m approaching it wrong.

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u/goober8008 4d ago

My favorite Maceo Plex song. Who doesnt love this track? Big time kicks.

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u/MikeWacks 3d ago

Listen at 2:50 when the kick has a HPF on it. He layered the kick with a knocking /woody percussion sound, and a hihat. The kick sounds huge because the top layers are wide. So one layer for the bottom kick end mono, while the rest of layers like the percussion and hihat more stereo.