drum layering

[beathead]

Hi,

I'm familiar with the basics of drum layering, kinda like this:
B B
Pf Pf
t t t t

But as I understood from some threads it sounds way better if you layer the kicks and snares with other kicks and snares ??.

I tried to find some documentation about it , but couldn't find it. So I started experimenting with it, and it does sound louder, but when I do this my track starts to clip (I'm using Reason 3.0 btw), and if I put the volume down, it sounds like crap.
Especially when both kicks or snares are compressed...

Does anyone has any constructive thoughts on this matter of layering kicks and snares ??

[substratumsounds]

Layering is kind of a matter of opinion, taste and situation thing. If your using alot of premade drum kits or drum sounds (like any kind of pre made Hip Hop kits) chances are the drums are already layered, so adding more sounds on top with out a plan or pre-concived notion of what you want it to sound like in the end will probably create a muddy mess.

The Idea of layering is just simply using multiple kicks or snares on top of each other to create a new kick or snare sound. For example if you sample alot of old breakbeat drums even if you EQ the hell out of it, it will still lack the boom of a modern Hip Hop beat. By layering a 808 kick or something under (turning the 808 down so it thuds but doesn't over power the original drum kick) the original you can give that same old break a new sound.

As far as the compression issue goes, if your new to using processors I would make the entire track first then start adding processors in the Reason mastering suite (I'm a Reason head as well) but thats another post.

[beattempo]

As far as the compression issue goes, if your new to using processors I would make the entire track first then start adding processors

That's a good route to take...

[unknownsorce]

no doubt.....i like to use classic drum loops in conjunction with a hard hitting modern day drum kick fo added umph....i prefer to eq the high end of the classic loop so that the high hat, snare, and clash symbol stick out....then i'll eq the modern kick for the hard hit.... finally i'll use two or three snares (two of the snares with a progressively lower volume than the 1st with a reverb effect applied to both..........but like they posted in response earlier, u don't want to overdo it....