What drum sample did Portishead use on Glory Box?

Portishead sampled the breakbeat from Isaac Hayes' "Ike's Rap II" for the main drum loop in "Glory Box." This sample was then processed and manipulated to create the song's distinctive lo-fi drum sound.

How to get Portishead Glory Box drum sound?

Start with a vintage breakbeat sample or record your own drums with a warm microphone. Process through vintage-style compression and spring reverb, then add vinyl-style saturation and filtering to achieve that dusty, lo-fi character.

What equipment did Portishead use for drum sounds?

While specific details vary by track, Portishead typically used vintage samplers, analog mixing boards, and effects like spring reverbs and tube compressors. They often sampled from vinyl records to get their characteristic dusty, nostalgic drum textures.

How to make lo-fi trip hop drums like Portishead?

Use breakbeat samples, apply gentle compression and spring reverb, add tape saturation or vintage-style distortion, and filter out some high and low frequencies. The key is processing samples through vintage-modeled equipment to get that worn, nostalgic feel.

drums from "glory box" by portishead

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Tone Profile

The drum sound is a lo-fi, vintage-tinged breakbeat with a dusty and slightly distorted character. It evokes a sense of melancholic nostalgia, fitting the overall mood of the song.

Shop This Rig

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Ludwig Drum Kit(instrument)
Neumann U47(microphone)
AKG BX 20(processing)
Fairchild 660(processing)

The Story

The drum sound on "Glory Box" is built around a sampled breakbeat from Isaac Hayes' "Ike's Rap II," which gives it that characteristic lo-fi, dusty quality. Portishead processed this sample through vintage equipment to enhance its gritty, nostalgic character, creating the melancholic drum foundation that defines the track.

Production Credits

Producer: Portishead

Signal Chain

Instrument: Ludwig Drum KitShop on Reverb

Microphone: Neumann U47Shop on Reverb

Processing: AKG BX 20Shop on Reverb, Fairchild 660Shop on Reverb

Recreation Tips

Start with a Ludwig or similar vintage drum kit.
Use a warm ribbon or condenser microphone like a Neumann U47.
Apply a touch of tape saturation or subtle overdrive to add grit.
Run the drums through a spring or plate reverb plugin to emulate the BX 20.
Use a compressor like the Fairchild 660 to glue the elements together.
Experiment with vinyl record samples to achieve a similar lo-fi vibe.
Consider using a LPF and HPF filter to remove some of the high end and low end, to achieve that lo-fi feeling.

Original Gear

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Substitutions & Recommendations

Warm Audio WA-47Shop on Reverb$800-$900

Alternative to: Neumann U47 microphone

Tube condenser mic that captures the warm, vintage character needed for lo-fi drum sampling

UAD AKG BX 20 Spring ReverbPlugin Boutique$150-$200

Alternative to: AKG BX 20 spring reverb

Exact digital emulation of the original BX 20 used for that vintage reverb character

Plugin Alliance Shadow Hills Mastering CompressorPlugin Boutique$200-$250

Alternative to: Fairchild 660 compressor

Provides vintage tube compression and saturation that glues drum samples together

iZotope VinylPlugin BoutiqueFree

Alternative to: Vinyl record sampling

Adds vinyl artifacts, dust, and lo-fi character to modern drum samples

Native Instruments Battery 4Plugin Boutique$150-$200

Alternative to: Ludwig drum kit for sampling

Includes vintage breakbeat samples and processing tools for trip-hop style drums

Sources

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drums from “glory box” by portishead | ToneDB