  Spin--orbit misalignment in coalescing compact binaries affects their
gravitational radiation waveforms. When the misalignment angles are large (>30
degrees), the detection efficiency of the coalescence events can decrease
significantly if the misalignment effects are not modeled. In this paper, we
consider the formation of close compact binaries and calculate the expected
misalignment angles after the second core collapse event. Depending on the
progenitor parameters and the assumptions made about supernova kicks, we find
that 30 to 80 per cent of binaries containing a black hole and a neutron star
that coalesce within 10 billion years have misalignment angles larger than 30
degrees and a significant fraction of them could remain undetected. The
calculations allow us to place strong constraints on the progenitors of such
binaries and the kick magnitudes required for their formation. We also discuss
the formation of close binaries with two black holes and the effect of
non-isotropic kicks.
