Why are drummers such fucking losers?

[zeegler]

Re: Why are drummers such fucking losers?

Yeah, we kinda knew from the start that this guy wasn't going to be around for long, but until last night he seemed to be willing to adapt, and was doing a semi-decent job of filling the hole. The problem is #1 he refuses to play with a click track. That would be fine if he was a great drummer. He isn't. #2 His choice of patterns is terrible. Nothing he plays seems to contribute to the songs. #3 He doesn't listen to anyone. #4 He plays too loud. Any good drummer can control his volume, and play quietly if necessary. Not this guy. It's all-out ful-volume attack, all the time. #5 He is tone deaf, and/or has no clue what drums are supposed to sound like. Sure this is a matter of personal opinion to an extent, but his drums sound like garbage. They are all pop, crack high end noise, and no thud, no bottom end, no tone at all, much worse than Lars on St.Anger.

Luckily we have our own work station, so the 6 hours didn't cost us any money.

I'm just frustrated. We have had probably a dozen guys come and go in the last 3 years, and the only one that was any good wanted to be in a U2 cover band. [img]/images/graemlins/brow.gif[/img]

[Newc]

Re: Why are drummers such fucking losers?

A lot of people may disagree with this, and some may be offended, but the historically-proven fact of the matter is that you have to be 100% tight as a band before you even consider recording professionally or otherwise - especially if you're paying for studio time.

If you can't record 99% of the song (drums, bass, rhythms, solos, and vocals including backups) straight to 2 tracks and nail it and then later go back and add the guitar rhythms under the solos, then you need to hash it out in practice until you can.

Actually you should be able to nail everything to 2 tracks, then go back and add rhythm under the solos.

Quality home recording equipment is dirt cheap these days, and it's very easy to get spoiled when you've got 12+ tracks to work with. It's easy to schedule recording time for each individual, but you remove the "band" element and the all-important feel by doing it that way, and then begin to nitpick the tiny differences because they're so exposed in that type of environment.

The best use for a multitrack/multi-input unit is to mic everything individually to better control the individual levels (drums especially) so you don't have to re-cut the whole track just because the snare wasn't heavy enough or the toms didn't have enough oomph for one roll. "Fix it in the mix" has become "overdub it to death", and that's the wrong way to do it.

Even if you've got 64 tracks at your disposal and 64 mics all over the place, the whole band should be recording live every time. Whatever tones need fixing before mixdown can be fixed before mixdown without destroying everything else, or having to re-cut the whole song.

If it's not too difficult to schedule time for the whole band to get together, for practice or a gig, it's not too difficult to schedule a recording gig.

Home recorders can be just as much of a crutch as they can be a good thing.

Think about it; you can spend months in a studio (home or pro) and take your sweet time and create a masterpiece of both musical and engineering skill, but if you can't do it live on stage with the same 4 or 5 guys that are in the band, it's gonna sound like shit.
If you build a following with the raw energy of your live shows and then hand them a polished CD full of things you can't do live (strings, choral passages, etc etc) without the live energy they're used to, then you're going to lose a lot of fans. Some may like the CD better than the show, some may like the show better than the CD, either way, there's gonna be very few people who like both as they are.

[markD]

Re: Why are drummers such fucking losers?

i am working on a new album with my band right now too. i have no complaints with my drummer other than he's in 3 bands and is in high demand as a teracher. he's REALLY good and mega tight, but he won't record with a click. that's fine. we laid his tracks the other night and basicaly it was the two of us playing. his drums and my guitar. my tracks are scratch tracks, they will be replaced later, but his are the keeper tracks. we will go in an overdub other parts later. we have found that this works really well for us because the drums have a "live" feel - pulsing and moving during the track - and with me recording along with him it's easy to recognize the slight tempo changes that happen within a song. we have a few time signature shifts as well as sudden tempo changes so programming a click is REALLY difficult and time consuming. maybe you should try this method, it may make it easier on you to finish the recording. once you have everything done THEN fire the guy. it's easier to have a finished product when trying to replace someone.

[horns666]

Re: Why are drummers such fucking losers?

Zeeg....It sounds like we both shared the same drummer..

If his name is Scotty...do me a favor and kick him in the sack!

[Somnuszoth]

Re: Why are drummers such fucking losers?

hey im a drummer and i do agree a good one is hard to find anywhere you go....the one question i have is why werent you guys practicing with a metronome before you went to track? every week at practice i use a metronome and whenever i practice by myself....Its a must if you ever want to get better. right now my band is actually having a hard time finding a good bassist. another plague all on its own

[MBreinin]

Re: Why are drummers such fucking losers?

[ QUOTE ]
I am a drummer turned guitarded... We're born losers, trust me, we can't help it. In the early 80's, I was replaced by a drum machine in one band. They said that unlike me, it wouldn't get drunk and fall off of its stool... So to sum up, I not only feel your pain, I am your pain. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] My son likes to bang on the drums, he is 7. He can keep a beat and wants a real drum set. I am nervous about dooming him into a life of loserhood. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/band.gif[/img]

Mike

[sully]

Re: Why are drummers such fucking losers?

i guess i've been lucky in that i've always played with really good drummers that i always got along with. in fact, usually my best bud in the band was the drummer.

same could be said for any instrument; there's plenty of lead guitarists who can't play rhythm, bass players who can't find a pocket, etc...

sorry to hear about your tale of woe; hopefully the studio can help you find someone to record his parts?

sully

[~K~]

Re: Why are drummers such fucking losers?

[ QUOTE ]
i guess i've been lucky in that i've always played with really good drummers that i always got along with. in fact, usually my best bud in the band was the drummer.


[/ QUOTE ]


Hmmm .. ever think maybe YOU were the weak link in the band then? [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[paulbag]

Re: Why are drummers such fucking losers?

[ QUOTE ]
hey im a drummer and i do agree a good one is hard to find anywhere you go....the one question i have is why werent you guys practicing with a metronome before you went to track? every week at practice i use a metronome and whenever i practice by myself....Its a must if you ever want to get better. right now my band is actually having a hard time finding a good bassist. another plague all on its own

[/ QUOTE ]

i'm moving to wisconsin... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] i do play bass as well but guitar is my true love especially if the music is heavy. why aren't there more guys like you around? [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[paulbag]

Re: Why are drummers such fucking losers?

i also play bass in an acoustic top 40 rock band. what the hell, its a good paying gig. not my first choice of music but it buys me guitars and shit! the drummer in that band is actually very good, but absent minded. i could tell him to rest after the first chorus for 4 beats just before we play the song and he'll still play through it! if i could get him to play my metal i'd be in good shape. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[MOSHWITZ]

Re: Why are drummers such fucking losers?

i feel ya bro,,,,i've been through 13 in the last 5 years. i got one now but hes on the way out too.....Alabama sucks [img]/images/graemlins/sick.gif[/img] if it aint Skynard or Hank they dont know what to do with themselves..i miss Chicago.....i always had good drummers to jam with back home
good luck Zeeg
MOSH ON
DAVE

[pro-fusion]

Re: Why are drummers such fucking losers?

Now I know why I love my drum machine... [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Somnuszoth]

Re: Why are drummers such fucking losers?

hey paul where you at? the two guitarist we have are huge into melodic fast metal...they both are iced earth and lamb of god, shadows fall type stuff...too bad youre not closer...we really need a bass player and i think thats the missing link. anyways ive always been a drummer, went through marching corp and thats where you get the metronome thing engrained in yuor head...its a very(and i stress very) important thing if youre in a band an want to sound tight and polished.

[hammer84]

Re: Why are drummers such fucking losers?

[ QUOTE ]
Zeeg....It sounds like we both shared the same drummer..

If his name is Scotty...do me a favor and kick him in the sack!

[/ QUOTE ]

No, sound just like my old drummer. Give him a nut shot for me if his name is Jamie.

[Tetsuo]

Re: Why are drummers such fucking losers?

I have so many good drummers around me and that I have been in bands with... too bad none of them still play drums, the last guy I was in a band with was a nightmare he really wasn't a bad drummer but he thought he was a lot better than he was because he is a real good piano player(as if that makes sense) and he just drove us nuts to the point that everyone quit playing all togetehr when we left that band

Why couldn't I have grown up with Mike Portnoy [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]