On a recent Twitch stream, I was asked how long it takes me to put together a new Drums That Knock kit. When it comes to creating Drums That Knock, it takes longer and longer because I get more meticulous each time. At minimum it takes me several months because there’s a lot of going back. I run and process my sounds through a lot of stuff and every single sound is designed from scratch included in my Drums That Knock series.

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Designing new sounds

When I’m designing new sounds, I also like to use the MMM technique that will help you make beats that knock. I make a sound; I mix it and then move on. I try not to think too much about it after it’s been completed. In that process, I can make sounds that sound like what I’ve done before or make something that is completely new to the game. I have thousands and thousands of sounds that did not make the Drums That Knock sample pack series.

Thousands of unreleased sounds. I have so many sounds I’ve created. So, what I do is go through tons of sounds before I pick one good one for that kit I am working on. It’s a very meticulous process. My library has so many sounds I’ve created. I don’t even go through them. I should probably use some of them in my music, but I don’t even go through them. Nobody has them except me. 

How do I know when a sound is the one? I guess you never do know, it is just a feeling. If it is something I’d use, then it might find its way into a sample pack. If I have a sound design session and make a bunch of snares, I will take a week and not even listen to them. Then I’ll go back to them and pick the best ones. And I repeat that process in different sound categories.

Does Genre Play a Role in Creating Drums That Knock

A lot of people ask me about genre and if I do my sounds with any specific genre in mind. I don’t. I’m not even a person that thinks in terms of genre. I just think of music as music. Every sound has a frequency. Everything is energy. People are energy. Sound is energy, everything is energy. So, I think of sounds as more of an energetic frequency rather than a genre. I don’t like to categorize things from that perspective. I have categorized things based on how it makes me feel.

I like to get into the habit of making and creating. And then later you can decide if you like it. If you try to judge it while you’re making it, it’s just too much for your brain to do all at once. Creating Drums That Knock is a process. I don’t feel the need to do it all at once and in a specific way.