fuck today's recording techniques

[Trem]

Bill Ward on War Pigs
Terry Bozzio on Jeff Becks Guitar shop - and Zappa
Gene Hoglan on Symbolic
Hollenthon - Vestige - Non Omnis Moriar 1999 - Domus Mundi (Feking Great)

[bfloyd6969]

I just came out of a Goth, punk two-piece project (guitar and drums) and we recorded the drums with just two room mics - one favoring the snare and hat region (about three feet away) and the other favoring the kick and floor tom region (again about three feet away) on floor mic stands. We were really surprised how good of a sound we got considering the limitations we had. We recorded these to an older analog Fostex four track (you remember, the cassette ones) and then dumped that to the computer. Added a bit of comp. and room verb and that was it. Funny thing was, I was still removing high end from the crash cymbals . . .

[Endrik]

I just came out of a Goth, punk two-piece project (guitar and drums) and we recorded the drums with just two room mics - one favoring the snare and hat region (about three feet away) and the other favoring the kick and floor tom region (again about three feet away) on floor mic stands. We were really surprised how good of a sound we got considering the limitations we had. We recorded these to an older analog Fostex four track (you remember, the cassette ones) and then dumped that to the computer. Added a bit of comp. and room verb and that was it. Funny thing was, I was still removing high end from the crash cymbals . . .

with a couple of room mics you can get really good results but the room must have good acoustics and the drums should be tuned well.
what a lot of people don't realize is that with only close micing the drums don't really breath much... gotta have some of that open sound... that's how you get the BOOM!!!

[bfloyd6969]

with a couple of room mics you can get really good results but the room must have good acoustics and the drums should be tuned well.
what a lot of people don't realize is that with only close micing the drums don't really breath much... gotta have some of that open sound... that's how you get the BOOM!!!

Agreed. His drums always sounded very good acoustically. We recorded them in a small basement with only a carpet on the floor and brick walls. I know, yikes!! but this required very little reverb during mixing .

[Rsmacker]

Best drum sound - "When the Storm Comes Down" Flotsam & Jetsam.

Shittiest - St. Dogpoo.

As with everything, people just use too many toys and gizmos these days. If it's new-fangled and hi-tech, or if a recent successful release used it, they have to use it too (like when some cunt re-discovered the vocoder with Cher a couple of years ago. Every other pop record had it then). It gives them the excuse to charge silly money in the studio then, because it takes 3 weeks to set the kit up.

Mind you, cinema sound systems are pretty intense for the size of the rooms, there's no shortage of serious bottom end there. Have you heard the theme tune on your home stereo Endrik?

[Endrik]

Agreed. His drums always sounded very good acoustically. We recorded them in a small basement with only a carpet on the floor and brick walls. I know, yikes!! but this required very little reverb during mixing .

the less you need to add artificial verb the better it is... nothing beats a good room ambience.... and really good sounding transparent verb units are very expensive... the cheaper ones are pretty muddy

[Endrik]

Best drum sound - "When the Storm Comes Down" Flotsam & Jetsam.

Shittiest - St. Dogpoo.

As with everything, people just use too many toys and gizmos these days. If it's new-fangled and hi-tech, or if a recent successful release used it, they have to use it too (like when some cunt re-discovered the vocoder with Cher a couple of years ago. Every other pop record had it then). It gives them the excuse to charge silly money in the studio then, because it takes 3 weeks to set the kit up.

Mind you, cinema sound systems are pretty intense for the size of the rooms, there's no shortage of serious bottom end there. Have you heard the theme tune on your home stereo Endrik?

oh I remember the Cher thing... "Believe" or what ever it was called... they were really abusing the auto tuner... after that every pitch corrector unit came with the "Cher setting"

I have listened the bond theme at home.... still sounds pretty fucking great, the kick drum has all the booming bottom... but it was really amazing at the cinema... they play it pretty loudly here. I've heard that there's some shitty sounding versions on the net too... the quality is probably 1bite or something.

And I gotta say that Jack White is a pretty killer drummer... some serious groove and ghost notes there

[Newc]

I thought Jack played geetar and whatserface played drums?

Anyhoo, for When The Levee Breaks, the kick was placed on the bottom floor of the house, in the center of the room where the stairs were, so Page could capture the natural ambience as it traveled up the opening of the stairs. I also understand he used more than 2 mics. 4 maybe?


While that's the best, the 2nd best is I Love It Loud, but an equally killer drum sound was on Larger Than Life from Side 4 of Alive II.


I've often spoke here of my ex-drummer's 13 piece kit and how massive it sounds. It's a shame I could never truly capture it on tape. I've come mighty close a few times, but there's no substitute to beholding the kit in person.

He came home one day to find his house had caught fire and the fire department had gotten there in time to prevent major damage. His kit was exposed to very high temperatures (enough to melt the heads and a few other items in the room that could take higher temps), and the firehose that was spewing into the window was filling his toms (heads on both ends).

Somehow, after going through all that, his kit sounded even better! Could have been the steam refreshing the wood in the shells, or maybe the heat tightened the grain enough to simulate aging (and thus tonal improvement, like an acoustic guitar). Who knows?

[Endrik]

I thought Jack played geetar and whatserface played drums?

Anyhoo, for When The Levee Breaks, the kick was placed on the bottom floor of the house, in the center of the room where the stairs were, so Page could capture the natural ambience as it traveled up the opening of the stairs. I also understand he used more than 2 mics. 4 maybe?

Meg plays drums in The White Stripes... but the bond soundtrack wasn't The White Stripes... it was Jack White and Alicia Keys. Jack started playing drums at a very early age and he is also a damn good producer.

My buddy knows Andy Johns very well. And they indeed used 2 mics for Levee. Both mics were above Bonham's head. The stairwell's acoustics filled the place with every nuance of the drumming so well that there wasn't any need for other mics. What a massive room ambience. Of course they later compressed it and added some echo.

Another great place for drums is a bathroom. The stone/clay wall plates give a very cool character and ambience. Some studios actually build special studio rooms to emulate the bathroom. Peter Gabriel's studio has one for example.

[bibz]

I totally miss drums sounding natural, and I hate the way recording guitar isn't 'get a good sound, record it'.

Last two borknagar and in some respects opeth are my kind of mixes, generally.

[wilkinsi]

A long time ago, I went to a recording gear convention in Nottingham, which included the Antares Auto-tune (the one used for Cher's vocal. She was completely out. It's like the unit did most of the work for her). It was £700 at the time, and made TC Electronic's £1100 Intonator sound completely incapable.

[OnlineStageGear]

when the levee breaks - killer drums

Oh hell yes. John Bonhanm has the best drum sound ever.

[horns666]

For more modern drum tones..I always did like Vinnie Paul, and Scott Travis (especially in Fight)..sound. I'd want Andy Sneap to record and produce anything I do..or maybe Neil Kernon. Both seem to very constant getting the drum and guitars sounds i like. Before that, I always thought Alex Van Halen had a cool drum sound..you knew it was him just by his sound, just like his bro.

I'm not talking about "playing" just sounds. There is a band called The Tea Party ...that always had great production, especially a nice, fully bodied, and "boomy" kick drum IMO. I hate triggers and the "clacky' tones. I love that the meter and levels are steady as a rock, but its lifeless and sterile..may as well use a drum machine. I've been told they make drum machines that sound more human than actual good drummers with triggers. I may be going that route..maybe.

Micky Dee is great, but I prefer Tommy Lee's "boom" over Dee's "clack"..If Dee had the sound he has with Lemmy back then..that would've ruled.

[ken]

Anyone know how Chris Kontos got his sound on the first Machine Head album, Burn My Eyes, and on the Konkhra album Weed Out The Week? Even his bongo playing on James Murphy's second solo album sounds fuller than other drummers. I know MH still don't record to a click track, but even beyond that there's just something distinctive and metallic about his sound.

[horns666]

Man I gotta put on "weed out the weak again"..James Murphy rules!! I'll pay more attention to the drums too.

You guys know me as a "metal" guy..but the wife and I saw this band live twice back in the day. They are pretty unique, and awesome IMO! The drummer actually uses a sample of John Bonham's kick live..so he's sounds the same in the studio or live. I think Endrik will like this..Jeff Martin a HUGE Jimmy Page nut, but he sounds like Morrison!! The Tea party.. this is about 10 years ago.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QIqv...eature=related