EQing Drums for the Mix

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scottbakalar

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Hi Everyone!

I know that equalization is sooooo subjective, but would like to throw out for suggestions:

what levels do you use for EQing drums in a mix?

How do you bring out the fullness of the drum mix, so that it doesn't sound "dead" or "flat" when the other instruments are added?

Do you have some favorite EQ settings for Kick, snare, overhead, etc.?

Any cool tricks?

thanks!

scott
 
Thanks Shailat - great article!

enough info there to keep me busy experimenting for a while.

scott
 
Drop the EQ for now...

It is not a "fix-all"

First look at your routing and assignments...

How many channels are available for your drum kit?

Second-during mixdown,the "sonic space"(where you place each element or drum) is vitally important.EQ won't help if you have everything panned to dead center,for instance.
Each drum needs it's own "space".

Third,each sound has it's own EQ built-in already determined
by decibel and frequency. A bass drum can never hope to sound like a flute,and vice-versa because the decibels and frequency are different from each other....think about it....you can't hear a dog whistle,but,your dog can.

Fourth,EQ is just another path to "fixing it in the mix"-It really doesn't do you any good if you didn't lay down quality tracks to begin with.You reap what you sow,so, plant your "signals" with care-the rest is levels and pan positions...
 
ya...just keep tracking until you are ready to hang yourself from the nearest tall object...then beat your head against a wall...until you pass out...then track again.

Yes, everything does have its own frequency, BUT it you don't EQ, you will have mud and flat sounding drums. Check out Blue Bears website, there is a great article on EQ...I was shocked at how much of the kick drum the bass guitar was eating up...I killed the frequencies on the bass below I think like 80hz...and HOLY SHIT...there is the kick drum!

I am just starting to learn this method...otherwise know as subtractive eq, and by no means am an expert...but take a read of that article and I think your drums will start coming out of the mix more. THEN you can figure out if stuff needs to be retracked.
 
Nice article. Read it, decihered it, wrote it down. Thanks man.
 
thanks

yeah, thanks man, i really did enjoy reading that article. Explains the mixing concept quite well!!
 
like anything else...it takes practice...I am still trying to strike balance between letting frequencies through and having the sound too tinny, and not letting enough through and it sounding muddy...but its a great place to start, and many times you find out things don't need to be retracked as often as people say they do. Of course, a bad track is a bad track...but when it sounds good alone, but sounds bad mixed with others...it is usually an EQ issue.
 
uh....

does anyone have a link to that article?

or a way I may find blue bear's site?

thanks,

scott
 
thanks for the link!

"Of course, a bad track is a bad track...but when it sounds good alone, but sounds bad mixed with others...it is usually an EQ issue."

tb - you hit my initial dilemma right on the head - this was what prompted my asking the EQ question in the first place. Wanted the same feel and sound in the mix as the drum tracks gave me when I listened to them "solo".

thanks to all for the links, articles and discussion....this is a pretty cool place!
 
not a problem at all...I just feel bad when someone has to retrack something because they were told its garbage when it isn't...Good luck!
 
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