These audio files accompany my 'Using Transient Processors' workshop in SOS June 2023 issue, and feature transient processing from the cross-platform freeware Kilohearts Transient Shaper plug-in. You can find a download link for this plug-in, and a selection of other transient-processing recommendations, at www.cambridge-mt.com/transients/ along with video demonstrations of the parallel-processing techniques mentioned in the article.
Download the ZIP file above of 24-bit WAV files to audition in your own DAW.
tp_01_LimitClip01_SnareRaw
A snare-drum sample without any transient processing, with a peak level of -9.1dBFS.
tp_01_LimitClip02_SnareTransBoostLimit
Here I've used transient processing to boost the snare drum's attack, but have then limited the peak level back to -9.1dBFS. If you compare this example with the tp_01_LimitClip01_SnareRaw file, you'll hear that the limiting doesn't entirely cancel out the subjective transient enhancement, even though the peak level of the two files is identical.
tp_01_LimitClip03_SnareTransBoostClip
Here I've used transient processing to boost the snare drum's attack as before, but this time I've used clipping rather than limiting to maintain a -9.1dBFS peak level. If you compare this example with the tp_01_LimitClip02_SnareTransBoostLimit file, you'll hear that the clipped file feels more obviously transient enhanced than the limited one, albeit with some change in the transient tone.
tp_02_EnvelopeSpeed01_KickRaw
A kick-drum sample without any transient processing.
tp_02_EnvelopeSpeed02_KickBoostFast
The kick-drum sample with its attack boosted using transient processing with a fast Speed setting. Notice how the added attack feels quite spiky and emphasises the upper frequency spectrum.
tp_02_EnvelopeSpeed03_KickBoostSlow
Here I've boosted the attack of the kick drum sample with the same amount of transient processing, but have used a slow Speed setting instead, and you can hear how it has much more low-end weight than the fast Speed setting I demonstrated in the tp_02_EnvelopeSpeed02_KickBoostFast file.
tp_02_EnvelopeSpeed04_KickBoostFast
If I use transient processing to cut attack from the kick drum, rather than boost it, a fast Speed setting does an effective job of removing the drum's upper-spectrum 'beater click'.
tp_02_EnvelopeSpeed05_KickCutSlow
Using a slow Speed setting for the same amount of attack-reduction, the transient processing doesn't do nearly as good a job of softening the drum's 'beater click', which I find usually makes it less useful for mixdown purposes.
tp_03_ParaTrans01_KickRaw
Here's another kick drum sample without any transient processing. It has a good deal of subbass, and plenty of upper-spectrum definition, but lacks a sense of power because of a lack of attack in the low spectrum.
tp_03_ParaTrans02_KickInsertTransBoost
Applying transient boost with a traditional insert processor overemphasises the drum's upper-spectrum attack without substantially improving the lower-spectrum attack, even though I've processing with a slower Speed setting.
tp_03_ParaTrans03_KickParaTransBoostSolo
An alternative approach is to use the transient processor as a send effect (ie. in a parallel-processing configuration) and then low-pass filter it to focus its attack enhancement into the low spectrum, so that the effect-return channel sounds like this in isolation.
tp_03_ParaTrans04_KickParaTransBoostMix
By mixing in the EQ'd parallel transient-processing channel showcased in the tp_03_ParaTrans03_KickParaTransBoostSolo file, with the unprocessed kick-drum sample, I'm now able to boost the drum's low-end attack without making its upper-spectrum transient overbearing.