How do I make my kicks and drums louder without turning up the volume?
Marketing Director & Bass Music Mentor
Using transient shaping on your kicks and drums makes them punch through the mix without touching the volume fader by boosting the attack and shortening the sustain. I use tools like the Kohart transient shaper to push the attack up a little and pull the sustain down, which creates the perception of loudness while actually making room for other elements. In my experience, it's always easier to turn something down than up, so I focus on techniques that add presence and punch without raising levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's transient shaping and how does it make kicks louder?
Transient shaping boosts the attack and reduces the sustain of your kick, making it punch through the mix without touching the volume fader. I use the Kohart transient shaper for this, but you can also use Ableton's drum bus.
Should I cut the low end out of all my sounds to make drums louder?
I cut the low end out of everything except my kick and sub bass to make room in the mix. When you get rid of what sounds don't need, other sounds automatically become more present without turning anything up.
Do I need a limiter on my master to get loud drums?
I don't use limiters on my master, just a soft clipper like G-Clip set to 1 for a bit of extra volume. If your drums aren't loud enough, the problem is usually in how you're processing individual channels, not your master. I teach all of this in detail at Futureproof Music School.
Max Pote
Marketing Director & Bass Music Mentor
Max Pote is a professional bass music producer who performs and releases under the name Protohype. He has more than a decade of releases on major bass-music labels (Firepower Records, SMOG, Never Say Die, Rottun, Deadbeats), festival appearances at EDC Las Vegas and Lost Lands, and a feature credit on Tom Morello's 2021 album The Atlas Underground Fire. He was an early Icon Collective alumnus and later returned as an instructor before co-founding Futureproof Music School. He leads marketing at Futureproof and mentors students on sound design, songwriting, and finishing tracks.
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