Have you added drums to an existing track, and how did it go?

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junplugged

junplugged

Taking the slow road
If you can't record a group live, but you got drums down after other tracks, how was it?

I figure, it might be important to record the other tracks to a click to keep it steady, otherwise the drummer would have to chart out or memorize the tempo variations. It might make the music stiffer, but it's probably the best trade off.

Would it be best to have all the tracks but drums down? Or would it be better to keep them separate, or add them after the drums?

Anyone have experience with this?
 
You have to do this to a click. If anyone involved can't play to a click very well, it won't work. It is best if you lay down 1 guitar part (or what ever instrument is the basis for the rhythm of the song) to the click, have the drummer play to that, then add the other instrements.
If you have everthing but the drums recorded, when you record the drums, the drummer will normally be a little behind. The drums will be following instead of leading. Some drummers are good enough to overcome this, but it is a skill that comes with practicing this very thing.
 
I tried it with a few different drummers, all I would consider very good ones and I never liked the results. Better than a drum machine for sure but to me, it just didn't groove like it should've.
 
Drum tracks first - always - if possible. It's kind of like building a roof first instead of a foundation.

If you're tied up on how many members of the group you can get in one place at one time, just arrange to have a guitar player or a bass player sit in and play while you record the drummer's tracks. That will make the sound much more natural. After the drums are laid down, you can add the rest in hierarchical order---basslines, rhythm lines, lead lines, auxillary lines - like extra perc., noises, etc.

If you're talking about something that is 100 percent solo, where it's one guy on all instruments, I would recommend a click track. You'll find that different people recording seperately on a click track will interpret that click track differently; some will lay back on it, some will try to drive it. One person will approach it much more consistently, so you could get away with laying down, say, a bassline or guitar line first, then doing drums later, because all you're doing is interpreting your own sense of rhythm.

So yeah--with a few people, I'd go for drums first...with just one...you're pretty free to roam, but it's all going to boil down to preference and practice using different methods.
 
I would say that the strategy would be related to the familiarity with the song,(s)and time keeping skills of the drummer,if the drummer is not to good with tempo,you need to get everything in, and later that would facilitate patching him,(with mistakes),otherwise you are going to be in the studio forever.As session musician for me is better to have everything else in,or a recorded 'Demo' ,since I look for a lot of features in the song,when setting in drumming/percussion.And several times I have set up everything in the percussion,drum-set,congas,timbales,etc.Gerry Zaragemca.
 
Drums first, always! In the studio it is quite usual for a whole band to play along with the drummer whilst he is getting his part down and then to replace the other instruments later but keep the drum take. A good drummer should get it first or second take and everything else should sit on that.
 
Brother,you could not go to the studio with the mentality that there is only one way to do things.If I'm a producer,I would set up rehearsing with the bands to see the timing skills of the musicians,the structure of the music,instruments,etc.If I see that the drummer is a rookie with timing,I could not,and I would not make the rest of the band members go through the financial and nerve-breaking hours untill the drummer learn to play with the click.The songs could be squared with the musicians ready for it and later it would be easy to patch the drummer in.And some times a more experienced drummer is used for the recording,untill the other guy would be more proficient playing with the click.I have done as producer,and as session musician.Gerry Zaragemca
 
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I just recorded a song where I programmed a song in my drum machine and then put down a guitar track. I listened to the guitar track with the kick drum from the drum machine and a click while I recorded the snare hihat and cymbals with real drums. I think it all worked out pretty good because i can't play drums to save my life. I could have recorded everything and did the drums last this way.
 
zaragemca said:
And some times a more experienced drummer is used for the recording,untill the other guy would be more proficient playing with the click.I have done as producer,and as session musician.
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I have done many a session replacing drummer's parts but invariably the other instruments would have to be replaced at some point too since the track never 'felt' right. Playing along to a click but also keeping in mind the movement of the other musicians because the drummer was inconsistent is very hard.
 
I replaced a take played to a click, it was easy since the pattern wasn´t too complicated. I have to do the same to another song but I couldn´t cause everything was played by feel without a click or metronome. I think it all depends on the drummer and the pattern he has to play.
 
I do see what both of your TamaSebian and Commander are talking about,but as I do, even if I have to replace somebody as drummer for recording,I would listen if there is a'Demo',or would do rehearsal with the bands to feel the song,before getting in to the studio with the band,by the time I'm recording with the band I have all the (percussion/drumming),issues about the song(s) covered, and in the pocket.That's the way I worked.Gerry Zaragemca.
 
I managed to easily record drums to a pre-recorded track, It is hard to do because of the drummers natural flow doesn't allow any variation. I did it in 2 takes, and it sounds good expecially for fills, the main beats just sound rigid like a programmed beat.

A drummer needs alot of practice to be able to play well to a metronome
 
i agree for the most part, but the strong musicians can just do it. My drummer had never recorded before, but I recorded him last year to a click, and he just laid that stuff down like a pro.
 
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