A Guide To Tuning Drum Samples

If you make electronic music, should you tune your drum samples? From kicks, snares, hi-hats to toms, here's a quick tutorial.

[bombaclitt]

Completely agree with this, as a self taught EDM producer for around 12 years, it took me some time to get to this conclusion, as there is so much disinformation regarding this.

[bfors]

I’ve always wondered if I should chune my drum samples - now I know!

[GavHern]

even short stares usually still have a steady fundamental! you don’t have to tune them but there’s still good reason to if you like the sound!

[ImSoOld]

I started tuning my kick and toms to the song in 2016. I played a friend a track I did as a joke and they laughed at the fact one thing was out of tune like I’d done it on purpose to perpetuate the joke. In reality I didn’t even think to tune it at all and hadn’t even noticed it was out of tune. So now I always tune drums and sfx to be in key with the song…because of an out of key air horn in a joke remix.

[lalalalalal]

bro just throw autotune on the master it'll tune all the sounds trust 🔥🔥

[edsohovocals]

Thank you for this. I've tried doing it and never sure what I'm doing or why. This provides a bit of method behind the madness.

[Lilly]

Honestly, even on shorter kicks; if they have a strong fundamental in the lower frequencies tuning them helps your track sound more cohesive. It really depends on the kick though though, if it doesn't sound right it's probably best to tune it.

[somilgupta]

I have asked more experienced friends this exact question and nobody had an answer, thank you so much!!! Also never knew about shorter sounds like hihats being inharmonic… super helpful :)

[Jack_Rivet]

I know I'm not a famous producer, but I tend to pitch my bass, pads etc to my drums and not the other way round. But there is still good information in this video

[jaxon]

There’s definitely some tonal snares out there but still great advice

[clocks]

a oustic kits sound great pitched in key too

[PIZZAdayisback]

Please do a deconstruction of a "The prodigy" song!
I've been wondering how they made such crazy beats for a long time!

[cwav]

i tune my percs -9 semitones to get that Burial sound

[Zaflon]

I always tune my drums by ear, the more of the heavy lifting you do in the sampler, the less you rely on EQ. The more defined your sound.

[iamsyntact]

great vid 👍🏻
I saw another video recently where a dude was arguing you should never tune your kicks to key because of phase issues with the sub bass and honestly I'm still triggered

[thedotsguy...]

I like tuning my drums so the freaquency resonates with the sertain body parts to create movement inside your body...

I think kicks as "pushers" that they push the song forward and snares as "pullers" that catches the momentum of the kick and continues pulling. Amd hihats as the reference how it pushes and pulls and i try to create a sertain movement with in ur body with the tone....

Idk if im crazy or does this happend to everyone. But i feel drums as 3D

[platinumcamel]

Show us an example of a “de-tuned vs tuned” version of a drum loop and let’s hear the difference?

[CalleJonte]

Completely unrelated but I love your s and t. You really make them sound smooth and whispering. Do you have a gate on because it almost sounds as if they get louder after a release?

[Quiet_Forge]

Getting the kick in phase with the sub is top priority to me, pitch is secondary

[rkeewi]

I switched from hip hop/trap music and i always use those with less tail so apart from always cutting the lows except for kick i almost never tune but i mix to add texture to the sound to kinda fit the them, is that good?