Category Archives for "Drums"

Many people think of drum overheads as “cymbal mics” - but they are (or can be) much more than that.

We got a well thought-out, long email from Rollo, one of our email subscribers, asking a great question: "How Do You Develop A Unique Drum Sound?"

This one got us thinking, because it's such an important question to ask. Not just "how do you record drums" or "how do you make drums sound good" but "how do make them UNIQUE".

We don't want to sound like everyone else and the records we love most have exactly that: Unique sounds.

So we did our best to answer this question and took a deep dive into what makes a unique drum sound, how to define a vision in your head and finally all the different ways to make that vision a reality.

You don't need a complex, expensive setup to record modern, punchy drums.

In a typical home recording situation, what we can do is often limited by the amount of inputs and mics that we have. And when we think of modern drum production we think of complex multichannel setups with 20 or more microphones carefully positioned around the drum kit.

Sure that's often the way to go, if we have the gear, room, expertise, etc. But what if we only have four inputs available and still want all the punch and clarity? Don't let that stop you! There are ways to make situations like this work and we're gonna show you exactly how. Join us in our discussion about minimalistic drum recording techniques that can make your drums hit hard, regardless of the limitations.

Using triggers and drum samples is a no-no? You want to keep your "real, natural drums" at all cost?

You might want to think twice about that. Because drum sample enhancement (or replacement) can even sound MORE NATURAL than using your live drums only. In this episode we talk about why that is, why you don't need to be afraid of samples and what you can do to make sure your mix engineer can actually use as much of your live drums as possible.

"Ok, so I know that MIDI drums are an option. But...how do I actually program drums the "right" way?"

Programmed drums sound fake to you? You love the control, the instant punch and the freedom you have with programmed drums, but it just doesn't sound realistic? We got you!

Not sure whether you should record your drum kit, or program MIDI drums for your record?

Are you afraid MIDI drums will sound fake? Wondering if you can really achieve great results recording the "real" thing? We help you see clearer and talk about when and why to choose each of these options.

Getting the low end right is one of the most important and most difficult things in music production. Not because it’s technically hard to do, but because it requires a musical and tasteful approach, as well as the ability and experience to hear problems, find problem areas and attack them in a systematic way. 

Ever wanted to look behind the scenes of a real drum recording session and see what was actually done to get the different unique tones on the record?

Your performance affects the tone of your drums more than anything else. It also defines what the mixing engineer can actually do to your drum recording. In this video you'll hear some examples of "good" and "bad" playing, learn what the difference is and you will discover an easy method to find out whether you've got the balance right or not. Enjoy! 

Ever thought about recording samples of your kit before you start the session? Here's why making your own drum samples for every session is important!