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indyingarms6
New member
Alright so when recording your drums before any other instrument would you want to record it in takes or one solid recording. I wasn't sure about this.
kidkage
Bored of Canada
Personal preference really.
I prefer to record all my drum tracks live. I do one "warmup" and three "real" takes, and just pick what I like best.
Although I started that way because I used to use a standalone 8 track so I didn't really have the luxury of not doing live takes.
I also didn't have the option of comping a track together.
Now on a computer based setup I do, so who knows
I prefer to record all my drum tracks live. I do one "warmup" and three "real" takes, and just pick what I like best.
Although I started that way because I used to use a standalone 8 track so I didn't really have the luxury of not doing live takes.
I also didn't have the option of comping a track together.
Now on a computer based setup I do, so who knows
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
Playing it through sounds much more natural.
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indyingarms6
New member
Alright cool. that's what I thought. would you also say the same for guitar?
Track Rat
Just Your Average Sized Member
When I track, I record everything with the intention that all will be be "keepers", especially drums. I only replace or edit whatever isn't up to snuff. Just my personal opinion but I've come to love the sound of a band playing together rather than dropping in "perfect" takes of individual intruments. I can forgive very minor warts here and there. Just my humble opinion. Of course this works for the style of music that I'm into. Other genre's may require that "perfection".
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
What I find intriguing about the post is that the OP could just try both ways themself and see. The first sentence could be construed as just curiosity as to how other people record drums. The second takes it into another realm.
But I'm probably being whatever I'm being !
It rather depends on the song, how long or short it is, how complicated or simple it is, how long the session is.......
When I first started recording, whether the song was 20 minutes long or 5, the aim was to get the whole thing done in one go. But I found sometimes that it was easier to do things in sections. At the time I was using an 8 track portastudio and drums were always mono. All my start tracks were 'keepers', which is why sections made sense. Many moons ago I read about Yes recording in sections and I used to wonder how they did it because I could never spot the joins !
Funny thing is, never have I thought to myself when listening to a piece of music "This doesn't sound like a band playing together". But many times I marvel at musician and singer interplay, even when I know solos or certain bits were overdubbed or a song 'put together'.
Ironically, the last session I did with drums back in January, all four songs were done in one take !
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indyingarms6
New member
Well maybe I forgot to put that yes, I have tried both ways. Playing through seems to be the a 'great' way. Piecing it can get complicating. that's what I was curious about this issue, maybe when its complicated was a slightly more efficient way or recording.
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AtoDeficient
New member
I'm still confused about recording drums before any other instrument. . . I've been playing drums for over 40 years and I still have to have at least a scratch guitar track to play with. . Maybe some guys can play a grooving keeper track alone for 3 or 4 minutes, but I can't. . .
Track Rat
Just Your Average Sized Member
My son can. I can't play drums worth a shit so I know what you mean.
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
Generally I like to track the drums playing with the bass player and rhythm guitarist through DIs or modelers. Most people play differently live with other musicians than to click+scratch, especially when they have eye contact. Often I get a keeper bass part as a bonus. If there's an iso room available I'll consider setting up an amp and try for keepers of that as well.
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
Ah, OK.
It need not be complicated. Or at least, no more complicated than anything else. For starters, all the sections would be done with guitar or bass {either of which may or may not be keepers} so there is live playing with plenty of eye contact and whispering. The key is in knowing how each section ends and how the next begins. It's actually quite simple.
Recently, I've found that I'll have an idea for a song but none of my drumming friends are around and I just can't wait, I'm hot to trot and I gotta get it done like, yesterday !. As I have many songs recorded in various states of completedness, but all with drums, sometimes I'll take drums from another song or two and put a new drum track together from them. That involves the complication of being exact, knowing precisely the length with no margin for error or improvisation. Different bits of drumming will drop into different parts of the song and they may be repeated, stretched, have double snare hits or double kicks, cymbal crashes here and there, sped up or slowed down, FX'd here and there......
But both ways work and yield great parts of songs.
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Bisson820
New member
depending on your editing capabilities its rather easy to punch in in places that make sense.
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Shleuven
New member
I think it depends on whatever feels more natural to the individual drummer, whatever gives him better flow and energy. You can either record him in multiple takes and then comp them together into one perfect take, or get him to play different parts separately and put it together that way. I agree with Boulder sound guy that its good to have your drummer and bass player play together, it preserves the groove of the song.
Brian Muth
New member
I often have a guitar player cut a rough track with a click as we work out the arrangements, then it's simple for the drummer to play to that. It gives the option of keeping the click low/off for the drummer if necessary. Some guys enjoy less soul-crushing TICKTICKTICK) when playing for many hours.. .go figure.