Hi Kids, Uncle Dogg here. Today we start basic drum sounds and maybe we'll capture some magic later. I will be keeping photo records and will post some tracks as they come available.
These are all friends and this should be interesting.
We'll be using the entire house as well as the studio. We're going to do the drums in the living room which has a tall vault at one end.
Room mics will be the U87, Crown PZM's, and maybe one other condenser. The effort is to get an organic open kit sound. The kit is a very nice upper-end Mapex Maple set with a 20" kick, an old Ludwig snare, a 12" rack and 16" floor. The cymbals are all Paiste 2002's and all in the +10 yrs old range. I will close mic the toms and gate what we cant moon-gel down to the half-note in length. We're using a 421 on the snare with an Audix D1 as the bottom mic. ATM25 on kick plus a clone of a Yamaha Sub-kick. Toms will be either SM57's or Audix D2 and D4. we will probably mic the hat with an SM81 and the overheads will be the 3Zigma Systems with cardioid caps. I may put the overheads in X/Y for more punch and rely on the room mics for my space.
If this isn't what we think it'll be we'll move down into the studio for some more control.
This does open up the main room for a more open guitar sound. The Gibson Super-Goldtone will be prevalent as well as a Conrad and a very nice Fender Hot-Rod Deluxe.
Bass will be direct for now through the SWR Interstellar Overdrive or a Demeter Bass pre.
Later we may recut the bass and mic as well as DI. But if things get magical, we might not want too. theres also the LittleLabs Re-amp or something like it.
Plenty of toys and plenty of talent. Should be really good.
I'll post my comments here as we go so some of you can ask questions and get an idea what this process is all about.
Those of you who already know everything can just giggle silently to yourselves.
Peace DaDogg
Comments
So far we have set the drums only. No PZM's this time. Only the
So far we have set the drums only. No PZM's this time. Only the 87 and an AT2020 as room mics. Tiny gel pieces. This drummer is very good and tunes well. He also takes instruction from his engineer really well and this promotes a quality sound from the get go. Everything is flat when I record. Okay...not EVERYTHING but EQ at tracking is minimal. I am a straight path kinda guy. Nothing in the circuit if I can help it. We got a great sound in the big room so no gating at this point.
Sarnz and all you others. I will be posting raw tracks with no manipulation throughout the project. Hopefully it will give you newbies an idea of the process and how different things can affect the outcome.
more to come
NCdan wrote: Do you have to moongel? I never liked the stuff.
NCdan wrote: Do you have to moongel? I never liked the stuff. Then again, I never liked gating. the sound of gating, I mean. :wink: At least leave some ringing in the snare. I HATE dry snares. Ugh. 8)
The great thing about moongel is that you can rope in the sustain of a drum without killing the life of it.
Just curious what albums with guitars sound love the sound of the drums on. Drums the sustain a lot is one of the hardest things I ever have to deal with in a mix.
The great thing about moongel is that you can rope in the sustai
The great thing about moongel is that you can rope in the sustain of a drum without killing the life of it.
Just curious what albums with guitars sound love the sound of the drums on. Drums the sustain a lot is one of the hardest things I ever have to deal with in a mix.
It's all about where people want things in a mix. Drums are usually quite soft compared to the guitar and vocals in most music. I like to give everything an even slice of the pie, and then give the drums a little bit extra. Then again, I usually listen(ed) to speed punk records where the drums are probably the loudest thing in the mix. I suppose the tone of the other instruments ends up getting sacrificed a bit to get a truly honest drum track, but I like it even if most other people don't. I am interested in hearing Davedog's clips, though.
NCdan wrote: It's all about where people want things in a mix.
NCdan wrote:
It's all about where people want things in a mix. Drums are usually quite soft compared to the guitar and vocals in most music.
That is actually why I like to reduce the sustain on drums. Sustain on drums pushes the drums BACK in a mix. I like drums big and foward.
That is actually why I like to reduce the sustain on drums. Sust
That is actually why I like to reduce the sustain on drums. Sustain on drums pushes the drums BACK in a mix. I like drums big and foward.
Honestly, reducing the sustain doesn't make anything more prominent, it just makes it SEEM more prominent, by making the voice a bit more focused and staccato. Like I said, if the drums are recorded as is, the volume will have to be boosted more than if they were treated. Thus, other things in the mix need to be turned down or EQd differently.
[quote=NCdan]Honestly, reducing the sustain doesn't make anythin
[quote=NCdan]
Honestly, reducing the sustain doesn't make anything more prominent, it just makes it SEEM more prominent, by making the voice a bit more focused and staccato. Like I said, if the drums are recorded as is, the volume will have to be boosted more than if they were treated. Thus, other things in the mix need to be turned down or EQd differently.
Turn your guitar down.
I am still eagerly awaiting all the individual soundclips of you
I am still eagerly awaiting all the individual soundclips of your instruments!
And a question to keep this thread going:
When all of your guitar tracks are added up, where should your sound level be? I always read things like stop your rythm guitar at -15 dB, etc. I'm just having such a hard time getting everything to be in your face.
When all of your guitar tracks are added up, where should your s
When all of your guitar tracks are added up, where should your sound level be? I always read things like stop your rythm guitar at -15 dB, etc. I'm just having such a hard time getting everything to be in your face.
That's sort of like asking how your steering wheel and seat should be adjusted. Everyone can tell you how they think it should be adjusted, but every mix is different, so the only person who can know where the guitar levels should be is you. :D
Awesome. I would really like to hear a sample of a 'solo' track
Awesome. I would really like to hear a sample of a 'solo' track of your guitar, bass, etc. so I could compare it to the clarity and such of mine, to see what you have to work with before EQ and such. I never get to hear the difference that pure equipment makes, only the end EQ'd and mastered tracks in full mixes. Can't wait!