How to kill cymbals??

[Jouni]

We've moved to another rehealsalplace with our band. it's a small, wooden room with some acoustic treatment and a low ceiling.

It sounds ok otherwise, but for the age-old problem of cymbals.
They overwhelm everything else.

Both bands I play with in there have heavy-handed drummers, no way of getting them to ease on the cymbals.

Is there possibly something we could put on the ceiling above the cymbals??

Because of the loud cymbals we are forced to increase volume, then kicks and snare gets drowned.

Another prob is that there are neighbours and our playing is LOUD outside the building... No room for any 4" wools inside...

[Innovations]

Keeping it from being heard by the neighbors will be tough and won't affect how things sound inside the room.

You could put an absorbtive panel above the drummer and that will help with the reflected sound from the cymbals but not the original sound.

Your best hopes will be to work with the microphones positioning so that the cymbals are not picked up as much and then work with a notch filter in post..

[Dani Pace]

Hanging a cloud over the drums will help tame wild cymbals. I was having a similar problem before installing a cloud (almost more like a huge insulation filled pillow in my case) over the drums. Low celings make this type of absorber more difficult but with a little imagination you should be able to come up with something that will work. My cloud is a wooden frame with cloth covering (top and bottom) filled with 6" of fiberglass insulation. I hung mine using mason twine and eye hooks. I adjust it so it hangs about 2-2 1/2 feet above the cymbals. This wont do much about sound getting out of the room but will help quieten the cymbal sounds for recording.

[Obi-Wan zenabI]

melt them...

[Rod Gervais]

Originally Posted by Jouni

Both bands I play with in there have heavy-handed drummers, no way of getting them to ease on the cymbals.

You could always advertise for some real drummers -

that would solve your problem...........

BTW - I've been playing drums for 43 years now - and there is no excuse for just playing heavy handed - how deeply you play into your kit has everything to do with getting a properly blended sound into whatever room or venture your playing in - and nothing to do with the style of music............

So (seriously) tell your drummers to get it together - or find some who understand dynamics.....

Sincerely,

Rod

[thajeremy]

Originally Posted by Rod Gervais

You could always advertise for some real drummers -

that would solve your problem...........

BTW - I've been playing drums for 43 years now - and there is no excuse for just playing heavy handed - how deeply you play into your kit has everything to do with getting a properly blended sound into whatever room or venture your playing in - and nothing to do with the style of music............

So (seriously) tell your drummers to get it together - or find some who understand dynamics.....

Sincerely,

Rod

my thoughts exactly....I am not a drummer but I play one during jam sessions and such....

really though....just tell the guy to cool it with the symbols. there is no reason he cant lay off a bit during practice...unless he is just a total dick...

if that dont work....duct tape a rolled up towell on the under side of each symbol while he isnt looking....

[TexRoadkill]

Tell the drummers to stop sucking.

[gummblefish]

Raise the cymbals up a bit so its hard for him to hit them so hard.