EUREKA Wireneck where you at...

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VesuviusJay

VesuviusJay

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Hey metalheads!! \m/

Wireneck and I have been tweeking my metal mix here. Now I replaced the drum samples with the DKFH set.

Am I now approaching commercial mix?



Any thoughts?
 
The snare drum is insane.
I know you are going for a heavy handed blast-attack style of drum sound but this way just screams fake drums. Since you are asking if this is approaching a comercial mix then obviously you want this to be convincing to people, so here is my advice.
Listen to somebody like Derek Roddy or Tony Loreauno and check out the snare drum sounds. I'm sure you are familiar with them being a death metal dude. In addition to slight timing variations, there is also a big difference in the "velocity" of the individual hits. That is what makes the drums sound real.
In fact I think that in your case this is even more important than the tone of the drums. Also, be more mindful of what a drummer with two hands and two feet can really play, and use that train of thought in your programming. Trust me, I am aware of the mind blowing speed and precision of alot of DM drummers nowadays, but there is a limit. A good example is the really fast snare rolls that pop up at the end of some blast beat measures. Nobody can really play that, at least not with the full on velocity that you hear in your song. Perhaps if you brought the velocity way down during those rolls and had it fade out and maybe have one solid hit at the end. Think about when a drummer would have some real shit behind a hit, and when it would just be sort of a studder or a flick of the wrist type of hit like a quick shot at the snare drum like you have so much of in this song, and adjust the velocity accordingly. Especially with a snare drum and cymbals - a difference in velocity has a big effect on the sound or timbre of the drum as well. If you are using DFH you surely have a big library of drum sounds including various sounds for different velocities. Definitely use that capability!
All of this also applies to the hat/ride cymbals. Variations is speed and timbre is very important to make those drums sound more realistic.

Hope this advice helps.
 
Of course it helps bro!!! I will keep working it and repost later this week!!

Thanks!!
 
Jay just getting back in from a weekend recording session. I don't have my monitors hooked back up yet but I will definitely take a listen later tonight.
 
Then again... Mortician :D
I mean if they can do it for... how many CD's?

FWIW (very little) this version sounds much better than the one I heard previously
 
metalhead28 said:
The snare drum is insane.
I know you are going for a heavy handed blast-attack style of drum sound but this way just screams fake drums. Since you are asking if this is approaching a comercial mix then obviously you want this to be convincing to people, so here is my advice.
Listen to somebody like Derek Roddy or Tony Loreauno and check out the snare drum sounds. I'm sure you are familiar with them being a death metal dude. In addition to slight timing variations, there is also a big difference in the "velocity" of the individual hits. That is what makes the drums sound real.
In fact I think that in your case this is even more important than the tone of the drums. Also, be more mindful of what a drummer with two hands and two feet can really play, and use that train of thought in your programming. Trust me, I am aware of the mind blowing speed and precision of alot of DM drummers nowadays, but there is a limit. A good example is the really fast snare rolls that pop up at the end of some blast beat measures. Nobody can really play that, at least not with the full on velocity that you hear in your song. Perhaps if you brought the velocity way down during those rolls and had it fade out and maybe have one solid hit at the end. Think about when a drummer would have some real shit behind a hit, and when it would just be sort of a studder or a flick of the wrist type of hit like a quick shot at the snare drum like you have so much of in this song, and adjust the velocity accordingly. Especially with a snare drum and cymbals - a difference in velocity has a big effect on the sound or timbre of the drum as well. If you are using DFH you surely have a big library of drum sounds including various sounds for different velocities. Definitely use that capability!
All of this also applies to the hat/ride cymbals. Variations is speed and timbre is very important to make those drums sound more realistic.

Hope this advice helps.

Actually, this does help, although I am not using the DKFH software, only the samples in a program called PC drummer. Unfortunately this software doesnt allow for different velocities on the same sample, it only allows 1 sample per instrument but then varries the volume on that sample to vary velocity.

Anyone have a better drum software I can try? I think I am close to diminishing returns now with PC drummer. Thanks!
 
What kind of DAW software are you using? Can you edit the midi tracks there?
I don't do this myself but I'm planning to go that route soon.
I'm planning on purchasing DKFH Superior and upgrading to Sonar 4, hoping that I'll be able to meticulously create and edit sampled drum tracks. If I come up with any good info on the way I'll let you know.
 
Jay,
finally got my monitors and stuff hooked back up today. The snare/kick sound alot better now, definitely more up front and less "paper" like. I didn't catch any toms on this go round, i guess you took them out.
I think you might should consider a less is more approach since the drums are programmed. The beats you have programmed aren't unconceivable for a real drummer but they make the "programmed" aspect stick out a little more. The only other thing that seems a little awkward are some of the cymbal patterns. Very few drummers are going to be able to play that fast and keep the beat playing some of the cymbal patterns you have programmed.
Definitely an improvement. Could still use some tweaking but thats how it usually goes.
 
Thanks bro. I am definately moving in the right direction. By the way have you ever used the DKFH VSTi? If so how is the interface and does it have better product than all the hip hop loop softwares?
 
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