Noise and percussion
NOISE’S ATONAL NATURE makes it the ideal starting point for electronic beat-building. The synthesised drum sounds created by Kraftwerk paved the way for popular drum synthesis techniques and commercial drum machine technology, a lot of which utilises noise as a source for sculpting hi-hat, clap and percussion sounds. Electronic cymbals and hats are reasonably straightforward to synthesise: by shaping a noise oscillator’s amplitude via the synth’s envelope, then applying a modulated filter, you can replicate the characteristics of basic closed and open hi-hats, as well as longer cymbals and rides.
More complex, real-world drum sounds will often be made up of several elements: imagine a kick’s initial transient punch or click, a tuned body/tail, then any extra subtle ambience captured from the initial recording environment. Noise is an ideal tool when replicating these elements through synthesis and layering techniques – whether to synthesise the initial transient click of a kick, or the top-end ‘splash’ of a snare. Layering noise also allows you to mix in extra ‘fizz’ behind a dull drum sample or recording, adding power and thickness in a mix.
One often overlooked tool for noise layering is the vocoder. Vocoders use one signal to modulate another, most commonly using a human voice to modulate a synth tone. Many vocoders feature a noise generator that can be used as a carrier signal (ie, replacing the synth in the above example). Try using this, and route a drum pattern as the modulation source. This is great for creating fizzing, splashy percussive sounds. Procesns tdhe output with a little reverb and layer it with the dry drum loop as a way to add character and extend the tail of your drums.
A similarly handy tool for blending percussion and noise is convolution reverb. Try loading a recording of noise in as an impulse response for your favourite convolution tool, and then use it to process a drum pattern. Using simple white noise can create splashy reverb tails, but when used with more distinctive noise sources, such as rhythmic crackles, mechanical sounds or natural recordings, this can be a powerful creative tool, imparting some of both the character and rhythm of your noise sample onto the drums.