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The title says it quite well -

Does anyone have any tips as to how you can get a snare to retaing a good punch, but be pitched high at the same time?

I have no problem getting a full punch from the snare when tuning it low and compressing the hell out of it - but when tuning up the snare it often seems as if the sound of it becomes too "short", and the snaresound is all over long before the compressor knew what hit it. It seems as if there not enough sound, time-wise, for the compressor to work with.

I have a Yamaha Roy Haynes Signature snare - the very same snare is the one used by Carter Beaufort on the Dave Matthew's Band track "Rapunzel" from the album "Before These Crowded Streets". That sound is absolutely awesome, I think.

Anyone have any special knowledge about how the hell they did that?

Another good example is the Steely Dan live-DVD "2 Against Nature". The sound is extremely controlled, masterfully engineered by Elliot Scheiner. The snare has got same deal going - extremely tight and high pitched - but it's still got punch.

Any ideas?

Best Regards,

Frederik Rosenkjær, Copenhagen, Denmark

Comments

Fede Thu, 11/04/2004 - 16:42

Thanks for the advice! That's a direction I haven't thought of ttrying to go...

I read an interview with Elliot Scheiner, where he says that he never uses bottom-mic on snare anymore! And he always uses SM57...so I guess the sound on the Steely Dan DVD has to be without bottom-mic....!? :D - I mean, he probably hasn't been involved in miking the kit, but if he doesn't use it in his own studio productions, why would he use it in a mix if it's there....? :D

But yes, I usually use a bottom mic as well.

Do we have any Nashville people here? I'm visiting this fine city for a month (going home to Denmark sunday) and today I hung out at Loud Recording. Heard some fantastic sounding drumtracks (esp. snare) which were done at Ocean Way, which I'm gonna visit breifly tomorrow! Can't wait! :D