quick question~~
- Thread starter drummer11
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philbagg
Just Killing Time
I don't know much about reaper, or addictive drums, but you might have better luck posting this question in the reaper forum, and mentioning a few keywords in the title such as "Addictive Drums in Reaper" etc.
The best thing you can do to improve recording quality is to improve RECORDING QUALITY. Look for ways to get a better sound from your kit before you even touch the mixer.
First thing to look at is your kit. Do you have a good kit? Are there certain drums that you can/need to upgrade? Is it tuned properly (can't be stressed enough)? What's your room like? Can you treat it?
How about mics? The mics you use make a huge impact on the sound. Maybe you're using the wrong mics on the wrong drums. For example, instead of using condensers on your overheads and
a dynamic mic on your snare, try the opposite. I've gotten great results from doing that, and I've also gotten better results from doing the opposite on other recordings. Depends on the track, drummer, kit, and room.
THEN, after that, EQ is your friend. Take out what you don't want, add a little that you do. Gating can work if you have too much spill on certain tracks (eg. too much kick in your snare mic).
Compression can be great at tonal shaping (rather than the most common - and not always best - use which is volume levelling). For example, I like to compress the hell out of snares on rock
tracks with a really slow attack (up to 50ms) so that the inital crack cuts through and it turns the rest down. This way, I get more attack from my snare. But then again, it depends on if the snare needs
it in the first place. You could already have the right sound, and end up ruining it with effects.
Then there's stuff like reverb, which I like to put on snares and toms to taste. It's all experimentation til you find the right sound. Don't expect to get it right the first time. You gotta make the crap before
you can make the gold. And you never stop learning.
The best thing you can do to improve recording quality is to improve RECORDING QUALITY. Look for ways to get a better sound from your kit before you even touch the mixer.
First thing to look at is your kit. Do you have a good kit? Are there certain drums that you can/need to upgrade? Is it tuned properly (can't be stressed enough)? What's your room like? Can you treat it?
How about mics? The mics you use make a huge impact on the sound. Maybe you're using the wrong mics on the wrong drums. For example, instead of using condensers on your overheads and
a dynamic mic on your snare, try the opposite. I've gotten great results from doing that, and I've also gotten better results from doing the opposite on other recordings. Depends on the track, drummer, kit, and room.
THEN, after that, EQ is your friend. Take out what you don't want, add a little that you do. Gating can work if you have too much spill on certain tracks (eg. too much kick in your snare mic).
Compression can be great at tonal shaping (rather than the most common - and not always best - use which is volume levelling). For example, I like to compress the hell out of snares on rock
tracks with a really slow attack (up to 50ms) so that the inital crack cuts through and it turns the rest down. This way, I get more attack from my snare. But then again, it depends on if the snare needs
it in the first place. You could already have the right sound, and end up ruining it with effects.
Then there's stuff like reverb, which I like to put on snares and toms to taste. It's all experimentation til you find the right sound. Don't expect to get it right the first time. You gotta make the crap before
you can make the gold. And you never stop learning.
Steenamaroo
...
In a word, No.
Addictive drums doesn't allow you to patch audio into it, nor does it allow you to import you own samples.
Addictive drums doesn't allow you to patch audio into it, nor does it allow you to import you own samples.
Awesome tips. As far as recording the drums, I've been drumming for 10 years, can play to a click and I have a high end kit with new heads, and top of the line cymbals.
I am recording in a garage, carpeted floor with all corners filled with boxes, clothes and a small window on the side, which I am planning on covering during recording.... So basically the room is pretty much a dead room.
I'm a perfectionist when it comes to recording and it bugs me that my mics hold me back. I recently purchased new equipment with high hopes of fixing these problems.
Though I am gonna spend countless hours working on the best sound before I even start recording, I want the final mix to be just as good, so I am hunting for the best effects VST's that work with reaper. My plan is to not overdo, I consider effects on drums to be the icing on the cake, while not the central part of the recording, still can make a difference.
philbagg
Just Killing Time
I have a feeling it's not as much of a "dead room" as you think it is (not trying to be smart with you). There could be frequencies bouncing all around that room that you haven't REALLY noticed just yet, but they could be muddying up your sound. Get a flat omnidirectional mic (behringer do a great one - sounds like crap but you don't mind how it sounds really) and a piece of free software called "Room EQ Wizard" (google it), and read up on how to use it. Basically as far as I can remember, you can play a quick sweep of every frequency from 20Hz-20kHz, and it will compare the raw audio file of the sweep from your computer, against the sound coming into the microphone. The difference should show the peaks and troughs in your frequency spectrum. Then, with that done, pop over to the studio building forum here and I'm sure some of the guys there who really know their stuff would be more than happy to help you tackle those problem areas and get a great sounding room.
BTW, a "dead room" isn't always the best option for drums. I personally much prefer big open sounding rooms to get a huge sounding kit. Each to their own I suppose.
And don't be a perfectionist, chances are it will hinder your progress (speaking from experience here). Just get to recording straight away. You won't get it perfect the first time. But you're not paying a studio or an engineer to do this for you. You're doing it yourself for free, without deadlines (I presume). So if you don't like it, do it again. I guarantee you'll get better results every time until you're happy with it, and you'll learn something new every time around.
And one last thing, have a read of Greg_L's guide to recording drums. It's stickied in this forum, but here's the link anyway... Tons of great information in there.
https://homerecording.com/bbs/equip...regs-general-guide-rock-drums-newbies-273077/
And to top it all off. When you do get recording, post up your work in the mp3 mixing clinic here, and ask for opinions and advice. Plenty of fresh and experienced ears here to help you along.
Best of luck!
BTW, a "dead room" isn't always the best option for drums. I personally much prefer big open sounding rooms to get a huge sounding kit. Each to their own I suppose.
And don't be a perfectionist, chances are it will hinder your progress (speaking from experience here). Just get to recording straight away. You won't get it perfect the first time. But you're not paying a studio or an engineer to do this for you. You're doing it yourself for free, without deadlines (I presume). So if you don't like it, do it again. I guarantee you'll get better results every time until you're happy with it, and you'll learn something new every time around.
And one last thing, have a read of Greg_L's guide to recording drums. It's stickied in this forum, but here's the link anyway... Tons of great information in there.
https://homerecording.com/bbs/equip...regs-general-guide-rock-drums-newbies-273077/
And to top it all off. When you do get recording, post up your work in the mp3 mixing clinic here, and ask for opinions and advice. Plenty of fresh and experienced ears here to help you along.
Best of luck!
