Drum Mix

  • Thread starter Thread starter Fishmed
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Fishmed

Fishmed

Well-known member
I did a drum test several months ago, and it was so-so because of the drummer's (I mean the guitar player's lack of) drumming talent.

I though this would be the best place to post the clips beacuse of the method I mixed down one of the clips.

What I thought I would do is create a track showing how I processed my mix; this will be the BuildUpMix. Mind you this is a relatively rough mix and may have been mixed differently if it were with other instruments; nonetheless, it is cool.

What I did in this mix is start off simple and added the processing as the song progresses to allow you to hear how each step works in the overall mix.

My mic sources are: OH Left & Right, Room (One mic over drummers head), Kick, Snare, and three Toms. My DAW is SONAR 6, and I used its track EQs. The room is busses with the OH will use their Buss EQ.

Here is the progression
Add Room – Dry
Room – Add Compression (BlockFish)
Room – Add EQ (Low Pass @ 5kHz
Add OH Left - Dry
Add OH Right - Dry
Removed Room – (To show how that track affects the mix)
Add Room back in
Add OH Buss EQ
Add Snare – Dry
Snare – Add EQ
Snare – Add Reverb
Add Kick – Dry
Kick – Add EQ
Add Full Toms (w/EQ and Reverb)

I have included two extra tracks, a full mix all the way through and a mix of just the OH. Both of these tracks had a little limiting applied for loudness.

Here are the tracks:
BuildUpMix
FullMix
OH_Mix
 
Much better, my friend! :)

A couple of things after a quick listen... I think that the overall sound of the kit is way to wet... It always depends on how are the rest of the tracks that you´re planning to use along with that drum mix, but I believe that there´s to much reverberation on that drums...

I would tweak a couple of thing too... I like to hear a little more kick from the BassDrum... And (that´s way to personal) but I feel that the drums are kind of out balance with itself... Maybe it has to do with the fact that the drummer is not hitting rimshots on the snare... I would say that the drummer is kicking the bassdrum a little soft (and it has nothing to do with the signal that you´re getting from the mic... It has to do with the way the bass drum sounds when you kick it hard(er)). Most grooves needs the BD as the foundation...

Just a tip: Anytime you´re working with a drummer, ask him to play the groove hitting just the head and then hitting rimshots. You´ll be amazed how much more easy is to achieve certain sound when plan certain thing with the musician...

Anyway... Congratulations, that´s much better! Imagine how easy it must be to record someone like Steve Jordan! Piece of cake! j jaj aj a
 
Now that I have had a chance to listen to it more, and on other systems, I am not liking what the OH are doing to the overall mix. For a learning experience, I think I will go back and redo the EQ on the OH.

The kick is a little too close to the head, so I will back it off a bit. I am hoping that will give me some more low end to it too.

The only verb I have on the mix is the snare and the toms, so the verb on the snare may bit over the top. I am not getting the definition on the toms as I would like.

I hope to post a new mix later this week.
 
I dont like the drum mix too much, the snare is a bit phat, Id cut some low mids from it and maybe even a hipass.
Too much verb on the kit especially on the snare. Might work in a mix but on its own it doesn't sound too great.

What verb you using, it doesn't sound great on the snare. Maybe try EQing the reverb.

I listened to the OHs on their own.
They sound nice apart from the kick drum.

Potential for a good drum sound.

Eck
 
my personal opinion is compress the snare so you bring the attack up so its more in your face. Not knowing what else is going in on the mix guitars, bass etc and what kind of music you are working with its hard to give you a true opinion, but like ecktronic said try eqing the verb one the snare. It helps so much to bring the snare up and into view
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. :)

I do LOVE a fat sounding snare.

I'll admit, I still need EQ work on some of tracks.

Did you guys get to listen to my remix?
 
the first thing i notice in your progression is low frequency rumble from the (presumably) floor tom. my monitoring includes a sub that reaches down to about 25Hz, and it is a constant rumble here--- might not be as noticeable on bass-light set-ups. maybe it is coming from the compressed kick mic? also, you have too much compression for my tastes, but tastes are like opinions, which are like certain parts of anatomy.
a
 
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