overhead processing

[Nakatira]

I usually cut a bit at the low end.
might add some highs if needed, but I try to leave it un touched if possible.

I allways use a small amount of compression with a slow attack.
I guess I just like the way it sounds.

But I guess in the end its each to his own

 

[Track Rat]

I'll amplify (forgive the pun ) on my general approach. I've heard it refered to as New York style parallel compression. I get a decent drum mix going on and buss everything except the overheads to a compressor and push it up under the drum mix. The overheads are the bulk of the drum sound, reinforced with the tight mics and given "beef" from the parallel compression. I don't have much of a room for room mics but I stumbled onto a trick that works here. I discovered that the drum leakage in a scratch vocal mic I had setup in the control room with the door open when squashed with a compressor can sound pretty cool pushed up under the rest. YMMV.

 

[Drewcifer666]

This is just my personal experience, but ...

Too much compression on the overheads, again in my experience, usually only serves to make the cymbals sound really splashy and pumpy
.

Not if done well. During 25 years of engineering, overheads have become a specialty of mine. I have certain pet mics I use, preamps, compressors, etc. I am known for getting a really nicely balanced, sheeny, glassy sound.

I typically compress going to "tape", with a medium attack and long decay, stretching the sustain of the cymbal crashes. One reason is because of the way cymbals sound on digital. In the analog days, crash cymbals went "Paaaaassssshhhhh" on tape. On digital, they go, "Krrshh!" and are gone really quick.

I also like to make sure there is a good full-kit sound from those mics too; not just cymbals, but toms and snare as well. When tracking the only EQ I use is a high-pass filter at 180hz.

In mix, and this is really important, try NOT to boost any highs. The secret to good overhead sound is surgical, SUBTRACTIVE EQ. Find the crappy frequencies and dip them. There's usually going to be a dip in the harsh high-mids (3K to 5K), another dip between 800hz and 2K, and maybe another one between 400 and 800. This will clarify and "glassify" the sound, making it big and transparent.

I also like to add a touch of 2-second plate reverb in mix, sometimes only to the ride-cymbal side.

Here's a big tip: When you record overheads with two mics as usual, label the tracks "Overhead Hat Side" and "Overhead Ride Side". Do NOT just label them "Left/Right". This will be helpful for whoever's mixing, even if it's you.

 

[TragikRemix]

OH's??

let them go kill themselves....

i use as little oh as possible because of my crappy room acoustics. they pick up the most 'crap' in the mix so i keep them to a minimum by close miking all the toms.

i was thinking about getting some more dynamics and close miking the cymbals, but i dont have a clue as to how that would work..

but i compress gently, sometimes a hi-pass filter (right? the one that takes out the low end??)

hey drew- i like your onomatopoeia skills.. Kraaaaas and paaaasssh you say???

 

[fuquam]

The overheads are the only things I don't touch. I put a 57 an inch away from the snare and a 52 inside the sound hole of the bass drum so the overheadds are the only mics not right up against something. Maybe slight EQ. Then again I've always found it hard to find the right mic placement to pick up toms and overheads equally. Unless your kit is funky generally the cymbals are closer to the overheads. It is all about placement.

 

[NL5]

I don't generally eq OH's at all.

Just a smidge of verb (I have a very "live" sounding room already), and I set up a parrallel drum compressor that I send the full room mic to and about 50-75% of the OH's to and slam the livin daylights out of it. I've been using a UAD 1176 "all-in", but just got my second distressor, so next mix is gettin' NUKED!

 

[orksnork]

NUKIN room mics as you said is fantastic...and nothing less...

i've been loving taking a stereo buss of my snare and toms and blasting that a bit and bringing it up under....

here's a question i pose...and you must answer as it's my birthday...

i've tried it with my overheads included, and while they sounded good alone, and i thought brought up underneath they'd sound great...the silibance (sp?) of the cymbals seemed to be a little higher...and gave it kind of a wavy feeling...phase maybe??? played around with eq and that didnt seem to be it...

any idears?

 

[Ironklad Audio]

i'd almost guarantee that the compressed sub-mix is creating phase cancellation...when doubling tracks and messing around with dynamics of just one of them, the slight changes in attack/release times can cause phase issues between the original and compressed tracks

the best solution, IMHO, would be a multi-band compressor, which would allow you to smash the stuff you want to smash in the sub-mix, and leave the frequencies that cause phasing when compressed alone

 

[orksnork]

*tips his hat*

 

[giraffe]

barring some type of unforeseen latency (due to processing, which may be the problem), there should be no phase problems between a kit and it's compressed submix.

ovrs:
i eq sometimes, usually something in the mids, but it depends mostly on the room the kit was recorded in. (not so much the mic's or the kit really)

usually a hi-pass unless i really-really-really like the kick sound in the overs.

some very light comp.

small amount of verb.

 

[xstatic]

i'd almost guarantee that the compressed sub-mix is creating phase cancellation...when doubling tracks and messing around with dynamics of just one of them, the slight changes in attack/release times can cause phase issues between the original and compressed tracks

the best solution, IMHO, would be a multi-band compressor, which would allow you to smash the stuff you want to smash in the sub-mix, and leave the frequencies that cause phasing when compressed alone

It seems to me like you guys worry way too much about "phasing" issues. Phasing is a part of recording, a part of listening, and a part of life. EVERY drum recording has phasing unless it was done with only 1 mic. There is NOTHING you can do to ensure otherwise. Phasing by nature is not bad. The only time that phasing is bad is when it has a negative (or perceived) sonic imprint. A multiband comp really would not acheive the effect desired. The Absolutely smashed room sound like mentioned above is a trick that has been used for 30+ years now, and phasing has NEVER been a concern.

 

[starsxandxslits]

except time aligning all of your drum tracks?

 

[BushmasterM4]

HPF and thats about it

 

[witzendoz]

except time aligning all of your drum tracks?

And that's the answer to a thread that was more or less wrapped up: 10-07-2006 01:13. Over 3 1/2 years ago.