Need to make a snare drum, either from a track you’ve recorded or from a virtual instrument or drum machine sound brighter, more lively, with more attack? You could try boosting the high-frequency EQ. But that isn’t always the best solution — you might also turn up background noise or make the snare sound brittle by doing that.
Instead, insert a distortion plug-in on the track and gently increase the gain to add extra harmonic content, which will make the sound brighter and more alive. Careful not to add too much; we don’t want fuzz. But just a tiny amount of distortion is sometimes all it takes to bring that dead drum to life.
Try it on toms, too!