Need suggestions and help

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RideTheCrash

RideTheCrash

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Okay, I don't record that much because my equipment isn't the greatest. I'll do a quick run through: Behringer 802 mixer and a Shure PG48 mic and 2 Radio Shack mics *shudder*. Bass is direct.

So I did this rough mix of a song called Highly Evolved by The Vines because, well, I like the song and it's only 1:38 (mine's bit shorter). My guitarist is out somewhere right now so I don't have a guitar track with it yet, just the bass and drums. I did the bass as well, I'm a drummer, so my guitar skills kinda lack.

I just need to be told, lower this, raise this, cut these freqs. all that stuff. And compression. There is no compression but I managed not to turn the waveform into a big brick with no spikes. I'm seriously no good with compression so if you guys want to compress something for me or tell me the settings, please do. So enough ranting, make the kill:

 
Dude, I'm probably the last person in the universe you want offering any kind of "advice" about drums, lol...but you look like you could use a bump, so my impressions are:

1. They're too dry...some more ambience would be nice...especially on the snare, but I don't think they're "wrong," it's just a preference thing. I don't really like "live" sounding drums on studio recordings. I like unreal drum sounds...you know, a kick drum that seems to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time...unidirectional, skull pounding punchiness. I like crashes that sound like water running down a hill, lol...that decay for about a week and a half.

2. The crashes are too loud...not all of them, but several of them. It'd be cool if you could compress them too, to make them a little less startling, lol.

3. The hat's too loud in this particular context, but it may work fine with guitars in the mix...I don't know. I know that I don't really dig the sound of the hat, but again, lol...I like unrealistic drum sounds that are softened up a lot.

4. The ride sounds great.

5. Timing gets weird @ 1:00 minute in, and about 1:20 also.

6. The bass doesn't bug me at all. I'm not familiar with the original tune, so I'm assuming you're copying the part...otherwise, I'd bitch about the monatony of the 1/8th note thing, but the tone, I personally like a lot.

*DISCLAIMER* - Again, if you ever listen to one of my mixes, you'll notice that the drums and bass suck, lmao.
 
Well earlier I accidently deleted half the drum track. My snare sounds bad, I know, I want a new head for it but the one I want is driving distance and I don't have my license yet, so yeah. I have no control really over loudness of the drums...well obviously I do, but I don't have things in separate tracks to make quieter.

Yes, the timing is bad, lol. The hi hat sucks, it's a Sabian Solar which sounds like a tin can, I also am trying to buy new hats.

And you have great mixes guy. Thanks.
 
Well-considering what you have in the way of mics--I'd say pretty good job(only 3 mics and 2 radio shacks????)-Its hard to make suggestions without hearing the drums in there full context...but sounds like the snare could use a little more high end snap-and the cymbals too---try rolling off the low end?? How were your mics configured?? Snare-Kick-room?? I hear alot of room in the sound-that can be desireable if the room is good..A bit of verb on the snare never hurts-compression on the kick and snare can keep there peeks from eating up your mix-if necessary...your kick sounds pretty good--if you can get the snare and kick sounds dialed in-I would back off the room mic--Hell I don't know lol my drums sounds are the worst....
 
I took pics of the 3 mics and where they are for recording. I do get a lot room noise... I know, this is the best I've ever gotten my drums to sound, you should of heard them last year, now that's a different story...

Overhead: http://www.quickclic.net/~jcrawford/oh.jpg

Snare: http://www.quickclic.net/~jcrawford/sm.jpg

Bass: http://www.quickclic.net/~jcrawford/bm.jpg

One thing, the crash you see in the overhead pic I only used once in the recording because it sucks... I re-did the song this morning and didn't use it. I dunno if you want a pic of the whole set to suggest something I'll take one, later.
 
Another thing, I can't put verb on the snare without putting it on a hi hat hit or something cause the drums are mixed down when sent to my computer. I can't compress, if you guys can suggest numbers for me to enter in then I will or I'd send the track.

The shack mics do not pick up at all very well, so I try to imagine what they sound like with good mics. I play in a band at my church as well and they have a bunch of mics, mainly SM58's I think, no 57s I don't believe, but I'm gonna see if I can borrow them for a few days. I mean hell they might not be the greatest mics for drums but it beats Radio Shack mics! Plus I can throw in a second overhead. I think the dude on here who covered Roadhouse Blues did it with all SM58s and it sounded decent...

My kick sounds pretty distance and not up front, but I like the sound of the punch I got from it. Powerstroke III head w/ Slam pad and hole in resonant. Plus 2 empty tom holder holes on the bass.
 
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