Dynamic Expansion in Bitwig - Sample Pack Problem

Tutorial | Apr 07, 2025

In this video, I demonstrate how to use expansion to make drum samples from libraries fit better in a mix by stretching the dynamic range. Using Bitwig Studio, I highlight methods like the dynamics module, compressor plus, and transfer curve to enhance the groove and dynamics of over-compressed samples. This approach helps create a cohesive mix where all sounds blend seamlessly.

You can watch the Video on Youtube

• support me on Patreon

Summary #

Maybe you don't watch the video, here are some important takeaways:

Hey folks, welcome back! I want to talk about something important while working on a drum bass tuner in the background. We're diving into a specific drum loop sample from a library. The issue with these sample libraries is that they're often overly processed – meaning there's too much compression, clipping, and EQ already applied by the creators to make them sound good on their own. However, this isn't ideal for integration into your tunes or with other instruments because they need to fit cohesively.

You don't want to listen to a drum loop in isolation. Instead, you should combine it with the rest of your drum samples. The problem arises when everything is overcooked: you place these samples into a group, add your compression, limiting, and EQ, and it becomes too much.

To address this, you can use a technique called expansion. It's not often discussed in the context of drum bass or mixing/mastering. Usually, people talk about masking, limiting, or how to make things louder. But expansion is crucial for making all these sounds come together, creating the feeling that this is one unified tune. If you have samples with different dynamic ranges - one highly compressed and another not compressed at all - it won't sound right even if it looks good on an analyzer.

This is where looking at dynamic ranges can help. By closing the gap between dynamic ranges, you make these elements more cohesive. In Bitwig Studio, for example, you can use compressors with expansion features. The dynamics module in Bitwig allows for this by using a negative ratio and adjusting the threshold. This approach mellows out the overly compressed samples, similar to gating but without completely removing sounds.

Another method is using the Compressor Plus plugin, where you can switch to a negative range to adjust compression and expansion. However, I find using a transfer curve the easiest. In Bitwig’s Filter Plus, you can alter the transfer distortion device to make quieter signals louder and compress louder signals.

This method works at an audio rate, adjusting the volume state of each sample. When you listen to the result, you’ll notice a nice dynamic feel—shakers come alive, providing a groove and snap instead of a flat and noisy mess. This expansion technique helps bring together a highly compressed drum loop with a peeky kick and snare loop. This is perfect for dealing with overly processed sample packs and making them work well with other sounds in your mix.

Dynamics aren't just about frequencies and loudness; it’s crucial for matching sounds. Once expanded, you can compress them together for a cohesive sound. Ultimately, you want a consistent block of sounds that belong together.

Thanks for sticking around! If you found this useful or have used this method before, let me know. See you in the next video! Bye.

Transcription #

This is what im talking about in this video. The text is transcribed by AI, so it might not be perfect. If you find any mistakes, please let me know.
You can also click on the timestamps to jump to the right part of the video, which should be helpful.

[00:00:00] Hey, folks, welcome back.
[00:00:01] Just because I'm working on this drum bass tuner in the background,
[00:00:04] I want to show you something that I don't see a lot of people talk about.
[00:00:08] So let's listen to this tuner for a moment.
[00:00:13] And focus on this drum loop here, right on this sample.
[00:00:27] So the problem with a sample is that it's a sample from a sample library.
[00:00:42] And usually when you buy sample libraries or preset libraries,
[00:00:46] these creators overdo these samples or presets already.
[00:00:51] They add a lot of compression, clipping, eqing on top, right?
[00:00:55] To make it sound good on their own.
[00:00:58] But that's not what you need.
[00:01:00] You actually need a sample that fits in with your tune or with the rest of your
[00:01:06] instruments, right?
[00:01:07] So you don't want to listen to this drum loop on its own.
[00:01:10] You want to combine it with the rest of your drum samples here, right?
[00:01:15] So that's the problem.
[00:01:24] And then you put it together into a group, into a drum bus here.
[00:01:28] And then you put your own compression on top, your own limiting and eqing on top.
[00:01:32] And then it gets too much.
[00:01:34] It's already overcooked.
[00:01:35] So what you want to do in this case here is called expansion.
[00:01:40] And it's nothing new, but I don't see a lot of people talk about it in
[00:01:43] context of drum bass or, you know, mixing and mastering.
[00:01:47] Most of the times you just see, you know, masking, unmasking or limiting,
[00:01:53] clipping how to make things louder and stuff like this.
[00:01:56] But this is also important because you actually want in mixing, you want to
[00:02:04] bring all these sounds together and convince listeners that this is actually
[00:02:09] one tune, this is one song, this is one thing coming from one place.
[00:02:14] But when you have different sounds in it here that have different dynamic ranges,
[00:02:20] it's usually not a big problem.
[00:02:21] But when you have like extreme examples of this, right?
[00:02:24] Highly compressed, compared with something that's not compressed at all.
[00:02:29] It doesn't sound right, but it looks right on the analyzer.
[00:02:33] You have all the frequencies in the right place.
[00:02:35] It should sound good on paper, but it doesn't.
[00:02:38] And when this is the case, then usually you can look into dynamic ranges here
[00:02:43] and make the gap closer or bring, you know, make the gap closer between
[00:02:50] the instruments you want to make them even, kind of.
[00:02:55] So you can do this here in Bitwig Studio pretty easily with multiple methods.
[00:02:59] You can use just compressors for this that have expansion feature and expansion features.
[00:03:06] We are the dynamics module of Bitwig Dusters.
[00:03:09] It's the oldest compressor.
[00:03:12] We have your negative ratio and bring down the threshold.
[00:03:14] So instead of compression or limiting, you can do a negative, right?
[00:03:20] Something like this, bring this down.
[00:03:39] So you get this fizzling, high top noise out.
[00:03:43] That's typically for these over compressed samples.
[00:03:47] So it's almost like gating, but gating is you remove the sound or the volume entirely.
[00:03:55] And here it's like you make quite signals quieter and louder signals louder.
[00:04:02] That's the idea.
[00:04:03] So you stretch out the dynamic range a bit more and it sounds better.
[00:04:08] So this is the dynamics module.
[00:04:11] We can also use the compressor plus for this.
[00:04:16] There is a beyond method here, which switches here this ratio button, right?
[00:04:24] You now have this negative range.
[00:04:26] So you have also compression limiting and then expansion here brings down.
[00:04:33] So also possible, but in my opinion, the easiest way is to use a transfer curve.
[00:04:59] So I use the filter plus for this.
[00:05:02] You can see the filter is disabled and you can use here the transfer distortion device
[00:05:10] for this and usually it looks like this.
[00:05:13] You have like a dot in the middle here, right?
[00:05:16] And then you can just use the alt key and do something like this.
[00:05:21] So this is like overdrive or soft clipping, however you want to call it.
[00:05:28] But you can also do something like this, which means in this mode,
[00:05:32] right, you make quieter signals louder and you limit or compress louder signals.
[00:05:39] And in this way, you stay quiet for longer and then you get slowly louder.
[00:05:45] So you expand or stretch the dynamic range with this.
[00:05:48] So let's listen to this here.
[00:05:50] So the benefit of this or benefit I have, I have no idea of the benefit,
[00:06:07] but it works at audio rate.
[00:06:09] So it takes every sample and maps it to a different volume state or different amplitude state.
[00:06:17] And yeah, it gives you a nice response.
[00:06:20] So let's listen to this here in context.
[00:06:22] I actually only drums.
[00:06:26] You can really hear all the shakers coming out and having some kind of dynamic
[00:06:39] information going up and down in volume.
[00:06:42] And it sounds really shaky to brings groove.
[00:06:46] It brings the groove out, right?
[00:06:47] So this sounds completely flat and compressed and just noisy, a noisy mess.
[00:06:54] And this sounds more snappy and not that compressed.
[00:07:06] And you hear every shaker and yeah, you bring these sounds together with this, right?
[00:07:13] You bring the drum loop together with my just very peeky kick and snare loop here.
[00:07:18] It's way too much, right?
[00:07:37] Yeah, in my opinion, that's a perfect example for this expansion process.
[00:08:01] And I don't see a lot of people talk about this.
[00:08:04] I don't know why, because it's sometimes very important to deal with samples
[00:08:09] or with sample packs all the time.
[00:08:11] And they are always overcooked and you want to combine them with the rest of your sounds.
[00:08:17] And then this is a method of bringing these sounds closer together in a sonical manner.
[00:08:23] So it's not about frequencies and loudness.
[00:08:26] It's also about dynamic range, in my opinion, to match sounds.
[00:08:33] And then you can compress them together, right?
[00:08:35] Put some compression on top and they sound like they're belonging together.
[00:08:39] And that's what you want in a mix.
[00:08:40] You want to have a consistent block of sounds that sound or sound like they belong together.
[00:08:47] OK, enough talk.
[00:08:50] Thanks for watching.
[00:08:51] And I think there's another video on Wednesday.
[00:08:54] Leave a like if you like the video.
[00:08:57] Let me know what you think.
[00:08:58] If you use this method already, let me know.
[00:09:01] OK, thanks for watching.
[00:09:02] I'll see you in the next video. Bye.