Quick tip

How to Build a Hardcore Techno Kick From a 909

Hardcore techno kicks are easy. Go into the standard FL Studio sounds and find the Ekit Kick or a basic 909.

My notes from this Short

01

EQ and distortion in turns at 160 BPM

I add the kick to the mixer and put the song on 160 BPM, and now we're going to EQ, distort, EQ, distort. Take an equalizer, then Misstortion 2, which is free, and open the soft clipper.

Take another EQ, boost the sub and the mids, then Misstortion 2 again with the soft clipper and the hard clipper open equally as much.

Misstortion 2 on a hardcore techno kick made from a 909: hard clip at 15.6 dB and soft clip at 16.6 dB
Hard clip at 15.6 dB and soft clip at 16.6 dB, about equally open.
02

A third EQ for the tone

Add another EQ to create a better tone, so boost the mids a little bit, boost the highs, whatever you want. Then another distortion with the soft clip and the hard clip slightly open.

03

Half sine mode instead of an inflator

Add a soft clipper and open the post gain. Then add an inflator, which squashes it against the zero dB threshold. If you don't have an inflator, you can also use a waveshaper in half sine mode, it's the same thing.

Now you can go back into any EQ and really change the character of your kick. Just have fun with it.

What I use in this video

Misstortion 2·FL Studio

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