drums w/out interface

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tddrummer

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I think I've come up with a pretty good technique for recording drums w/out an interface but havn't got to try it out yet. I record with a 6 channel mixer into the computer..with all the mics going to one channel into the recording program..therefore I cant edit the tracks individually.

Here's what I'll do:

Rercord the song to a click track only micing the bass drum.

Then I'll use noise removal to edit out the other drums that might be picked up with the bass mic..and EQ to get the quality i want and may have lost from noise removal.

This will also allow me to use whatever mics i want for that individual drum. :cool:Because recording with the full set up I might use say a 57 on snare..whenI need it for help on the bass drum.

Once I get the bass together I'll use that track to record the rest of the drums.

I know this sounds like a lot of trouble but I have to be able to EQ the individual drums. Does anyone see any flaws?? Is my explanation understandible??? I tried to be as clear as possible:)
 
the flaw i see is that you will probably never play anything exactly and perfectly the same twice. so the bleed from each mic probably wont sound very good.
 
I don't even now where to start on this one. First, the "noise removal" software will destroy any sort of usable tone. Second, you will never get rid of all the bleed. Third, you will not be able to play it well enough that many times to get anything that sounds cohesive or doesn't sound like a big ball of noise. Why not just bite the bullet and get the cheapest card you can find that still suits your needs?
 
Oh for God's sake, mow some lawns, deliver pizza or get a job at the hardware store, whatever. Save some money and buy a stereo mixer or decent sound card and some mics. Why kill yourself when you don't have to?

BTW, the drum KIT is an instrument and should be treated as such. Not each individual drum.
 
thanks i was totally expecting those replies...I am saving up for an interface but i dont have enough cash for the one i want yet...i was just gonna do that to pass the time..and because it was a challenge...thanks.
 
Doing it one piece at a time is possible if you just PLAY 1 piece at a time.
Record just the kick, then just the snare, etc...
If you are REALLY in for a challenge that is.
 
tmix said:
Doing it one piece at a time is possible if you just PLAY 1 piece at a time.
Record just the kick, then just the snare, etc...
If you are REALLY in for a challenge that is.
Click to expand...

I agree with this guy.

1Drum at a time. I know a guy who did that with a recording, apparently it was a pain in the ass, but it turned out decently. Not too many time issues.
 
nevermind..... urban legend.....
 
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I've been called to do sessions in which I was playing a side stick over a previously MIDI'd drum track, or replacing a snare backbeat or laying in live cymbals, etc.

I found it to be very challenging - in particular things like not playing the snare through tom fills etc. - and that was only laying in one instrument. I'm a very good drummer - but I can't even imagine trying to do mulitle passes for each instument.

I think the proposed method would be difficult at best, frustrating and redundant at best - and the end result would likely be less than satisfactory.
 
I read an article that Travis Barker recorded a song like that once, well just tracked each drum seperately. He did the kick only, then added the snare only on the next pass, and so on. They were trying to get a drum machine feel. But realistically you are loosing your performance feeling doing this, why not just program some drum samples of your kit?
 
I did a couple albums like that in the late 80's and early 90's. You have to play each thing individually. It's a pain in the butt, and the performance ends up sounding machine like.

All in all, you are better off with a crappy sounding recording of a great performance than a great sounding recording of a crap performance.
 
PhilGood said:
Oh for God's sake, mow some lawns, deliver pizza or get a job at the hardware store, whatever. Save some money and buy a stereo mixer or decent sound card and some mics. Why kill yourself when you don't have to?

BTW, the drum KIT is an instrument and should be treated as such. Not each individual drum.
Click to expand...

Amen and +1. If you just want to record so your friends can hear what you can create, go the route you are with and with what you have. But the rabbit hole goes pretty deep if you really want to get serious with it, serious meaning "serious homerecording" serious.

Your call and what you want to do with your music, of course.
 
PhilGood said:
Oh for God's sake, mow some lawns, deliver pizza or get a job at the hardware store, whatever. Save some money and buy a stereo mixer or decent sound card and some mics. Why kill yourself when you don't have to?

BTW, the drum KIT is an instrument and should be treated as such. Not each individual drum.
Click to expand...

I'm with PhilGood. Why kill yourself at this type of method. Invest in some mics and a sound card or an interface. Or, learn midi and get some drum sampling program to do your drums. A mixer board will do good, but you'll be limited to two channels out. If you have firewire or usb, get an interface that will record 8 channels all together.
 
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