Thump: Add Power to Your Low End
Every producer and sound engineer knows how important a solid and defined low end is in a mix. It’s the foundation of the track, giving it weight, groove, and a professional sound. But what do you do when the source material doesn’t have enough low-frequency energy, or you want to create a unique, synthesized bass that fits perfectly into your composition?
Introducing Thump from Metric Halo – a unique audio processor designed specifically for these purposes. It’s not just an equalizer or a bass booster. Thump analyzes the incoming audio signal, its pitch, and dynamics, and based on this information, synthesizes new low-frequency harmonics. This allows you not only to add “meat” to the existing sound but also to create a completely new layer of low-frequency energy that is perfectly synchronized with your source.
How Thump Works
At the heart of Thump is a powerful engine with two independent oscillators. These oscillators are controlled by the dynamics and pitch of the input signal. When a sound comes in (for example, a kick drum, bass guitar, or even percussion), Thump “listens” to it and triggers its oscillators, synthesizing a low-frequency tone or subharmonic. You can precisely adjust how the oscillators react to the input signal, using detailed envelope parameters for both pitch and amplitude.
Applications and Possibilities
- Enhancing Drums: Make your kick drum incredibly powerful, add sub-bass to toms, or create classic synthetic drum sounds, mimicking legendary drum machines like the Roland TR-808. Thump can transform an ordinary percussive sound into a deep kettle drum hit.
- Enriching Bass: Add an extra octave or subharmonic to your bass guitar or synth bass to make it denser and more present in the mix, especially on playback systems with a limited low-frequency range.
- Creating Atmospheric Sounds: Use Thump to generate synthetic drones or low-frequency textures that respond to the dynamics of another instrument.
- Sound Design: Experiment by adding low-frequency layers to unexpected sounds, creating unique and powerful effects.
With flexible envelope control and the ability to mix the synthesized sound with the original (Wet/Dry control), you have complete control over how Thump affects your sound. Detailed meters help visualize the levels, and the presence of a dozen presets provides an excellent starting point for experiments.
Key Features of Thump:
- Two independent oscillators controlled by the input signal.
- Full control over the pitch and amplitude envelopes for each oscillator.
- Wet/Dry control for precise balance between the original and synthesized sound.
- Detailed level meters.
- Included presets for quick starts.
- Adjustable user interface size and expandable graphics.
- MH Preset Manager for cross-platform preset exchange.
Thump from Metric Halo is a powerful and innovative tool that will expand your capabilities in working with low frequencies, allowing you to achieve a deep, powerful, and controlled low end in your tracks. It is ideal for both music production and sound design.
