Hey everyone! I’m happy to share some free drum samples inspired by Madeon’s Adventure era — and to explain a bit how I designed them.
Creating snares from scratch takes time. You need to analyze a lot of drums from different artists and genres, understand phase alignment, phase cancellation, and master the audio basics before you can shape your own sound.
But if you’re aiming for a snare similar to Madeon’s — punchy, clean, and detailed — it mainly comes down to layering, multiband compression, and clipping.
What makes Adventure special isn’t just its melodies or songwriting, but the precision and creativity in the production. Let’s break down what makes this album so unique and what you can learn from it.
1. How I Build a Snare from Scratch
I start by using SPAN Plus to analyze reference snares I like.
Most of Madeon’s snares hit around 155 Hz, which defines the body of the sound.
Then I:
1- Create a sine wave for the body, with a clean amplitude envelope tuned to the right fundamental frequency.
2- Add a small pitch attack at the beginning of the body using an envelope to bring more punch.
3- Layer a transient (for example, a bell hit, a short white noise, or the beginning of a kick).
Apply a high-pass filter to the transient to prevent phase issues with the low end.
4- Add a noise tail — this part is fun because you can experiment with EQ sweeps, automations, reverb, or even weird FX chains to give it more depth. (but you need to start with a stereo white noise)
5- Once the snare is solid, I move to post-processing:
Multiband Compression with tools like FabFilter Pro-MB or Maximus to control tone and glue everything.
A Transient Shaper if I need extra punch.
A Clipper (set halfway between hard and soft clipping) to boost the perceived loudness without killing transients.
Now you have a punchy, mix-ready snare. After that, I test it in context with a track. If needed, I layer it with hand claps, noise bursts, or foley textures for more personality.
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I used Xfer Serum2, Kick 3, and Kick Ninja to create many of the snares in this pack, with special post-processing to make them cut through the mix.
2. Avoid Using Pre-Shifted Snares
Some snares come with a pre-shifted clap or reversed noise printed directly into the sample.
It might sound cool alone, but if you later use transient shaping or compression, it becomes messy and unpredictable.
It’s better to keep the snare clean and isolated.
If you want that pre-hit “vacuum” effect Madeon often uses, you can:
Layer a clap just before the snare
Cut only the start of a clap sample and position it before the transient
Or use Snapback by Cableguys to generate that reverse-like swell automatically
This method gives full control of dynamics and timing.
3. Drum Bus Processing
Once your individual drums sound right, send them all to a Drum Bus.
That’s where you can glue the mix and make the drums feel unified.
My typical processing chain:
VPS Compressor or IL Maximus (slow attack, medium release) for punch and glue
VPS MB Saturation or FabFilter Saturn 2 to add color and harmonics
Clipper or limiter to keep peaks in check while preserving transient energy
Optional EQ to fine-tune brightness or low-end weight
I also use FabFilter, Kilohearts, and FL Studio stock plugins — especially Maximus, which is still one of the best multiband tools for drum buses.
4. Reference and Sample Sources
Some snares on Adventure sound like they come from French-House-style packs or early electronic sample libraries with additional processing.
If you listen closely to Icarus or Technicolor, you’ll notice short, bright snares with focused midrange and controlled tails — that balance is achieved through precise layering and clipping.
5. Final Thoughts
Designing professional-sounding drums takes patience and experimentation.
Learn phase, transients, layering, and bus processing, and you’ll start understanding why these drums sound so cohesive and powerful.
Once you master these concepts, you’ll be able to craft snares that hit just as clean and punchy as those from Adventure.
Bonus
For this occasion, I’m offering a free sample pack of snares inspired by Madeon’s Adventure album.
Download it here: Indie Dance Snares – Free Pack:
Indie-Dance Snares
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