Live Drums: Gating before or after?

C

CharlesThomas

New member
I was curious if the people here who record live drums a lot recommend gating during the recording process, or capturing the "full ring" during recording and gating during mixdown for maximum flexibility.

I can see advantages and disadvantages to each approach. Which method do you find gives the best sound?

Thanks!.

CT
 
I should clarify. By "Live Drums", I mean an actual acoustic drum set in a studio setting, as opposed to a drum machine or triggered drums.

Thanks.
 
It probably is 'best' to not allow unwanted noise to hit tape at all. But because I play em while I record em, I play it safe and don't gate at all during tracking. I'm just paranoid that when finally get the take right, I'll play it back and find that I'm missing some softer strokes. Though, I need the practice ... that just doesn't make for fun studio time. Even when I'm not playing them I leave the gates off until I mix. Just more flexbility I guess. Although, If I had a limited number of gates, I'd be more decisive in what to do while tracking. It sucks running out of gates at mixdown ... I guess there's always the mute button. :)
 
I usually prefer no gates at all for most stuff. But when I do use 'em, I do it on the computer after recording.

I'm a paranoid fucker... afraid the perfect take'll get ruined by having the threshold or attack just a hair too high.
 
I agree only after.
The only case for using before is if you don't have enough
gates for mixing then you could carefully record with one.

I fail to see the disadvantages for after.




[This message has been edited by Shailat (edited 06-03-2000).]
 
I agree that after the tracking is the best method.
Once it's on tape/disc you cannot change it. While you might have recorded the performance of a lifetime, you might be stuck with unforseen problems because of wrong settings.
But... this implies that you have sufficient tracks available to record the drums on. Gating in postproduction when you recorded on only 2 tracks is a living nightmare.
My opinion: record dry, using only a little bit of eq, maybe some compression (if you do not have enough free compressors at mixdown) or limiting.
A typical recording scheme without having a 24 track studio and 100 bank loans could look like this:
Record the drums on 6 tracks
T1: Bass Drum, T2 Snare, T3+4 toms in stereo submix, T5+6 overheads + HH.
Afterwards you can gate out all the unwanted spill in a computer editor like e.g. Wavelab. Gating these things out on a computer is quite easy, as you don't even need a gate. Just look at the waveforms and "silence" the unwanted parts in e.g. the overhead tracks.
Just a suggestion.

Cheers

Arthur
(a VS Planet refugee that received a warm welcome here)
 
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