Fake Room For Sequenced Drums

[Doug H]

I've been experimenting with doing a mixdown of just drum tracks with the kick and snare levels lowered somewhat (especially the kick), running a non real time reverb effect against the mix with no dry volumn and producing a stereo "room" track to load back into the project.

It seems to be adding some depth to the drum sound. I still play around with snare verb on it's own track because the dsp stereo snare verb can get overwhelming, so I don't tend to mix to much into the drum mixdown.

Just thought I'd post the idea.

 

[mixsit]

Like printing effects returns, but used alone?

 

[Doug H]

I'm not sure what printed effect returns are (excuse my lack of lingo ). I just similate a "overheads" type of drum mix than use it to source a separate reverb track.

 

[mixsit]

Printing them is just a name for recording the effects as seperate tracks.
I'm still not sure what you're doing exactly either.
Lingo again.
Wayne

 

[mikeh]

Many years ago (when drum machines first became so popular) we would send the drums through speakers into the studio (to add room ambiance) and then record with a pair of "overheads"

I still do this from time to time- if the room is right.

As you say, this adds some "depth". naturally, if the room sound sucks this method can hurt more than help.

 

[Doug H]

Ya, printing is what I'm doing, but I don't suppose it matters much how you do it.

mikeh, ya I've got to mix the verb tracks pretty low. It's kind of cool to mix it loud for the hell of it just to hear that "studio" effect. Up to now I've been living with dry sampled drums and whatever verb I dared put on the master bus, so it's been a revelation.

 

[Kryogh]

Good Idea dude, I'll try it! thx for sharing

 

[Spitting Llama]

To get a more rowdy pumping drum sound from samples (without having a live room to split out to) you should try compressing your drum reverb return. Experimenting with different amounts of compression can yeild some interesting results and 'liven up' sampled drum kits.

 

[Doug H]

mixsit, I just figured out what you were saying, I still use the dry track, just trying to add some room ambience, but I guess that's obvious now after the last couple of posts.

I'm gonna try messing with compression as well, thanks.