how can i fix can i fix a really dull bas drum ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter papusnance
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Im of the opinion that although the kick sounds terrible you should be able to salvage a decent sound with all the tips you have gotten. Its too bad you just cant re-track and get it right from the start, Good Luck!
 
papusnance said:
I don't have the equipment to record drums , don't have the mics , don't have the multi channel interface.... so we went to a home studio, and the guy did all the mic placement and stuff... his gear, his rules you know.

I'm just starting, please be patient hahahaha.


but thanks anyway, all comments are apreciated
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Ahhh ok that's what a I thought! :) Honestly, almost anything would be better than that kick sound now. Even if you only had one mic (this is crazy but I'm stretching here :D) perhaps you could just record the kick again? Idk. It just has that dreaded "basketball" sound to it...either find a way to re-track it or follow some of the advice up there! ^^^ they've given you a great start.
 
I see that you're in Costa Rica! Next time you need to track drums, let me know, I have pretty decent mics, preamps (API) and compressors and probably charge cheaper than what you payed for tracking those drums! Pura vida!
 
Well, I'm going to go against the grain here. You say it's punk, right? Do you want it to sound sweet and polished? Maybe even beautiful???

NO! It should be raw and dirty. I say use as little processing as possible. I hear too many recordings that are so processed they sound fake and synthetic.

I listened to your sample. Cymbal bleed? Won't those cymbals be playing at that time in the final mix? You'll hear them then, right?

I've heard mixes where the drums are buried behind guitars and vocals. You could do that.

Or, you can start all over, have some MIDI guy use samples and lay down every single note digitally. It will be perfect then, right?

The bottom line is this: Do you want it to sound like Whitney Houston? I don't believe you do. Give it an edge. Keep it real. Make it YOUR sound.
 
boxy said:
Well, I'm going to go against the grain here. You say it's punk, right? Do you want it to sound sweet and polished? Maybe even beautiful???

NO! It should be raw and dirty. I say use as little processing as possible. I hear too many recordings that are so processed they sound fake and synthetic.

I listened to your sample. Cymbal bleed? Won't those cymbals be playing at that time in the final mix? You'll hear them then, right?

I've heard mixes where the drums are buried behind guitars and vocals. You could do that.

Or, you can start all over, have some MIDI guy use samples and lay down every single note digitally. It will be perfect then, right?

The bottom line is this: Do you want it to sound like Whitney Houston? I don't believe you do. Give it an edge. Keep it real. Make it YOUR sound.
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There's lots of punk that's raw and edgy while still sounding great. There's no reason to make purposefully bad mixes. You can claim it's an "artistic choice" and I'll still just think it's laziness and ignorance because I know better.
 
boxy said:
Well, I'm going to go against the grain here. You say it's punk, right? Do you want it to sound sweet and polished? Maybe even beautiful???

NO! It should be raw and dirty. I say use as little processing as possible. I hear too many recordings that are so processed they sound fake and synthetic.

I listened to your sample. Cymbal bleed? Won't those cymbals be playing at that time in the final mix? You'll hear them then, right?

I've heard mixes where the drums are buried behind guitars and vocals. You could do that.

Or, you can start all over, have some MIDI guy use samples and lay down every single note digitally. It will be perfect then, right?

The bottom line is this: Do you want it to sound like Whitney Houston? I don't believe you do. Give it an edge. Keep it real. Make it YOUR sound.
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WTF??? :confused:

Are you even aware of what is going on in this thread?
 
Greg_L said:
There's lots of punk that's raw and edgy while still sounding great. There's no reason to make purposefully bad mixes. You can claim it's an "artistic choice" and I'll still just think it's laziness and ignorance because I know better.
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I understand. I'm not saying to "purposefully" make it sound bad - Just not overprocessed and synthetic. I've heard stuff that is super produced and it sounds like crap as well.

guitaristic said:
WTF??? :confused:

Are you even aware of what is going on in this thread?
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Yep, and after I posted it I forgot all about the drum mix itself. I don't know how many other mics are on the kit but from what I have to go on, I'd say EQ that bass drum track a pinch, then bring the overheards up slightly and listen. Then, depending on how many mics are on the other drums, bring them up a pinch at a time. They may not have to come up much at all, just don't lose the bass drum. You may have to have everything more centered but it's not a lost cause.

Or, just start all over.
 
boxy said:
I understand. I'm not saying to "purposefully" make it sound bad - Just not overprocessed and synthetic. I've heard stuff that is super produced and it sounds like crap as well.
.
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Define overprocessed and synthetic. What's worse? Robotic fake drums, or really badly recorded and played real drums? How bout a cheap amp that's mic'd or an amp sim? Where do you draw the line? You also have to keep in mind who the potential audience is. Joe nobody music listener doesn't give a fuck about recording techniques, but they know when something sounds bad. I can get over some bad production if the songs are good. I listen to old punk all the time. Much of that stuff wasn't done in a big budget recording studio. The Misfits recorded Earth AD live in a concrete bunker under the stage at a gig they just finished. But then you have a band like NOFX whose production is about as slick and polished as you can get, and their shit sounds great. Even lowly punk bands try to record the best they can. It's not punk to sound like shit on purpose because that's what you think proper punk is supposed to sound like. That's not punk, that's poser.
 
When recording, place a heavy moving blanket over the kick to reduce the volume of ambient sounds coming in. I'm not sure what mic you're using, but I recommend something like the AKG D112 or Audix D6. They are "pre-EQ'd" and will help create that balance between thud and click that you're looking for. If re-recording is not possible and you're not experienced with drum replacement, you can definitely make improvements by adding a gate and working your EQ's. Look to add 80Hz and below (more muscle), but apply a hi pass filter at about 50Hz, reduce between 120 and 400Hz (less mud) by several dB, then add a few dB in the 5200 Hz range with a narrow Q (more presence and attack to cut through the mix).

That'll gain you some noticeable improvements.
 
May I ask, how does the kick drum sound acoustically ?

If it doesn't sound great to the naked ear, don't expect it to sound good no matter what else you do to it.

Get the sound right at the drum first.
 
maestro_dmc said:
May I ask, how does the kick drum sound acoustically ?

If it doesn't sound great to the naked ear, don't expect it to sound good no matter what else you do to it.

Get the sound right at the drum first.
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Yup. I tell people that all the time. It seems everyone would rather throw plug-ins and digital editing tricks at problems later instead of getting it right to begin with.
 
Besides using eq and compression one seldom trick yet effective trick that is used is pitch-shifting the kick drum.
 
Dude... seems you're using a very weak mic in a very weak signal path.
Place your mic inside the kick drum, about halfway the distance from the beater, using a kick mic stand. Doing so, you will get a louder and clearer signal without bleeding. Then, cover the front of the kick with a thick blanket to eliminate the rest of the cymbals sounds.
Next step is eq'ing. Raise lows a lil bit, kill some mids and add highs to your preference. REMEMBER: ensure your signal is not clipping (check your mixer or interface overload indicator, commonly a red led that will light when the signal is peaking (saturating). if so, turn down the channel gain a little bit. remember, adjust the gain, and not the volume fader as the fader won't affect the amount of power your mic is getting.
 
papusnance said:
Hi guys

Im recording a punkrock band
I some of the drum tracks resulted having a really "ummph" kick drum sound.. there is no attack, no punch
and i figured that some really punchy mid frequencies in a punkrock kickdrum are essential in order for it to survive all the distorted guitars and stick out on the mix.

We had like 8 recording sessions because the drumer is really bad, thats why some of the drum tracks are different than others

anyway

i have tried aplying distortion, drum triggering, exagerated EQ (which doesn't work because the mic catched a lot of cymbal spill,... so when i boost the mids i also boost a horrible cymbal sound)

I also tried gating it, and then EQing.. but it sounds really wierd.

im thinking about uploading a sample so you get what im saying !

any recomendations ?
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Haven't read the rest of the thread, but you could always trigger an attack sound. Usually easier to dub an attack in than to try to create one from non-existence.
 
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