Mixing Reggaeton Drums in the Style of Jayson Joshua
More so than anything else, reggaeton production thrives on impactful, hard-hitting drums. Few engineers have mastered the art of delivering this power quite like Jayson Joshua, whose signature sound brings unparalleled weight and clarity to the genre. While his influence spans both American and Latin urban music, his techniques can elevate any reggaeton track. Here, we delve into the step-by-step process he uses to craft those unforgettable drum sounds, focusing on his use of Waves plugins and meticulous bus routing.
The Foundation: Understanding Drum Processing
Jayson Joshua’s drums are built on a layered, bus-based approach. The process begins with individual drum tracks, which are all routed to a "Drums Bus." This bus mimics the sound of mixing through expensive consoles. From here, the signal flows into a "Drums Master Bus" for final polishing. This is where we will aim for cohesion.
Each step plays a crucial role in delivering the signature punch and presence of modern day professional reggaeton drums. Let’s get started.
Step 1: Building the Drums Bus
First of all, send all drum tracks to a new bus and call it “Drums Bus”. At the heart of the "Drums Bus" lies a powerful plugin chain built primarily on 8 instances of Waves’ NLS (Non-Linear Summer). This plugin emulates the warm, harmonic-rich sound of analog mixing consoles. Jayson’s precise order of NLS instances is critical. Load 8 instance onto the bus and use this order:
- Mike, Spike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Spike, Nevo, Mike
This sequence enhances the drums’ body and dynamics, particularly the kick. Each NLS instance adds subtle coloration, depth, and analog warmth, creating a fuller and more robust sound. Simply activating this chain instantly pushes the drums to the forefront of the mix.
Additionally, a high-pass filter is applied to clean up unnecessary low-end build-up. This ensures the mix remains tight without muddying the overall sound.
Step 2: Setting up the Drums Master Bus
Once the "Drums Bus" is dialed in, its signal is routed to the "Drums Master Bus" for final processing. This stage ties everything together, ensuring a polished and cohesive sound. In order to accomplish this we will use another series of plugins. First of all we will enhance the low-end.
Step 3: Enhancing Low-End Power with rBass
The first essential plugin in Jayson’s “Drums Master” chain is rBass by Waves. Known for its ability to generate harmonics based on a selected frequency, rBass is a go-to for reinforcing low-end presence. Jayson typically sets it around 80 Hz, adjusting the intensity to fit the track. Play around with the frequency range to find the sweet spot for your track. The result should be a deep, punchy bass drum that translates well across all listening systems.
Step 4: Adding Glue with Compression
For compression, Jayson incorporates the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor. This sophisticated plugin allows precise control over dynamics while preserving the natural feel of the drums. A light touch is applied here—reducing less than 1 dB—to maintain energy without squashing the transients. Jayson often focuses on emphasizing frequencies around 40 Hz to 150 Hz to ensure the drums’ low end remains prominent and full. If you
Step 5: Adding Warmth with Saturation
Saturation is a key element in adding depth and richness to the drums. While Jayson’s setup includes a versatile saturator, you can use any plugin that suits your workflow. The goal here is subtlety; the added harmonics should enhance the kick’s body without overwhelming the mix. Because we are generally going to be work with reggaeton or latin trap kicks, it’s important to keep it subtle, as most drum samples have already been processed, which might result in a kick that overpowers the entire mix.
Step 6: Fine-Tuning with EQ
Finally, an equalizer is used to make fine adjustments. For instance, Jayson might slightly reduce a decibel or two at the kick’s dominant frequency to prevent it from overpowering the other elements. This step ensures balance and allows the saturation and low-end processing to shine through.
Bring the Power of Jayson Joshua to Your Tracks
Our aim is to give all producers access to premiere, elite-level sound design. So if you’re interested in acquiring our FREE drum pack “BATERIA” so that you can try Jayson Joshua’s mixing trick yourself, click here to download the free pack. But hurry up, as this offer is limited!
At LUXLOOPS Audio, we’re passionate about bringing professional-grade tools and knowledge to producers worldwide. Whether you’re crafting reggaeton bangers or urban anthems, our sound packs are designed to empower you at every stage of your production journey.
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