Welcome - Kick & Snare

Welcome to Unfiltered, a new series from BlackBox built for the live audio and mixing community. Hosted by Lee Fields, this season goes deep—methodically unpacking the fundamentals, science, technique, and philosophy behind building a great mix. No fluff. No shortcuts. Just long-form conversation about what actually matters. In this episode, we start at the foundation: Kick and Snare. Two inputs that shape the energy, punch, and personality of nearly every mix—live, broadcast, or studio. From EQ decisions and transient shaping to dynamics, phase relationship, tuning, and how kick and snare work together in the pocket, we’re getting specific about what makes drums feel right. If you care about: Live mixing Drum processing EQ and compression Transient design Mix clarity and punch Building better foundational mixes …this is for you. Jump in. Let’s go down the rabbit hole.