Recording Drums

[JimmyofSND]

I have limited amount of space in my bedroom (11x12 which is where all my recording stuff is) to record drums. I know drums should be the first thing I lay down but I haven't figured out an efficient way to do this, but I haven't really tried either. I know a lot of bands all play together while recording drums but the drums are usually isolated else where and they all hear each other over the headphones. I don't have the space for that, so should I have the rhythm guitarist play with the drums and a click track to ensure timing. Then I will have guitar bleed through on the drum tracks so how do I go about recording drums only to prevent bleed through?


Maybe?!?!?!
I should mic the guitar, drums and then have a click track played through the monitors and record it all, then go back and let the drummer listen to only the guitar and click while recording the new isolated drum track, but I was thinkin there might be too much drum bleed through on the guitar track, it might confuse the drummer or mess him up....

I was also thinking about recording the guitar to a click track then have the drummer just listen to that and record but i talked to a few drummers and they don't really like to do it that way...

Anyone got any other methods, ideas or advice?

 

[ez_willis]

This is what I do. I don't have a band though, so I record all the tracks myself.

Usually, I record a scratch guitar track(one that can be scrapped and re-recorded) along with a click track. Then I lay down the drum tracks. The scratch guitar track helps get the groove for the drum tracks. Then I record the bass track, guitar tracks, percussion, keyboards, then vocals.

 

[guitarboi89]

i have got the gutiarist(direct) and singer to record scratch tracks to a click, the record drums. It seems to work okay for me

 

[Elton Bear]

I'm a drummer, and I like the way my band normally does it - loop a click track, then most importantly - ask the drummer what the use to play to... ie. I like bass and guitar so I can get a groove from the bassist while adding ornaments around the guitar, some people like guitar + vocal, some keys + vocal - whatever.

The point is, record everything instrument by instrument, making sure that each musician can hear a guide track that includes everything they need to work around.

If you're interested, I normally use this order:
Click track (run for number of bars in song, program in any tempo/time sig changes here)
Guide Guitar
Guide Bass
Guide Vox (If needed)

Drums
Bass
Main Guitar (Generally Rhythm)
Vocals
Lead Guitar (If you didn't do it when you did the rhythm)
Backing Vocals
Then... any bongos/horns/string orchestra/chimpanzees you want.

 

[RAMI]

I'm a drummer first. But I record all my tracks to a guide drum machine track, and do the drums last.

 

[EdWonbass]

When I recorded my band I did the drums first with bass, guitar, and vocal playing along but not being recorded. We then had the drum tracks down and we did a quick scratch vocal/acoustic guitar as a guide for the rest of the sessions.
When I record myself I do the drum machine part with scratch guitar track and then go back and record the drums while listening to the scratch guitar and click track.

 

[Farview]

I was also thinking about recording the guitar to a click track then have the drummer just listen to that and record but i talked to a few drummers and they don't really like to do it that way...

This is the way most drummer like to do it. This way, you don't have to worry about the guitar player screwing up and throwing the drummer off. In fact, you could do the guitar to the click a week early and let the drummer take the guitar/click home to practice with it. Then when he comes back, he is used to doing it.

 

[Dogbreath]

Just lately I've found that my drums come out better if I do them last. They seem to be more alive when I do this. I used to work from a click and a scratch guitar.... but drums last seem to come out better.

my 2c........

 

[RAK]

Have you tried just setting everybody up in the room you have and seeing what you can do to minimize bleed (via mic/musician placement/homemade baffles). With a disclaimer that every group and session is different, I always prefer to have the band playing together. That way you probably won't need a click either (hopefully).

 

[Dumby]

I'm a one man band also, I do the scatch track trick with the guitar, then I lay my drums...sometimes when I know exactly what I'm doing I just play the tune in my head no guitar no nothing to guide me....the more I get carried away the better the tracks sounds!

 

[FALKEN]

when recording my own music, I just play the drums with no scratch or click or anything...i just hit record, play a count in, and go.

with the band, the best experience has been when we had the guitar, bass, and vocals on DI in the headphones of the drummer, from another room. the drummer had a natural timing..he just needed us playing along to really nail it.

 

[jho1986]

for the method i usually use youll need a amp with a headphone jack and 2 inputs and a chord splitter. Usually little shitty combos have an aux input or 2 input jacks. I think it is important for the musicians to see each other while playing and that is why i always like the drums to be recorded while the drummer is listening to and seeing the guitar player or in some cases the bass player. Set the amp up near the drummer and do this: guitarist is plugged into one input, and a click is going to the other input. Do get the click i usually send one from my computer, but if your guitarist has a delay pedal, then he can just put it on a setting where it loops, and just have the guitarist have one very quick scratch on his strings. So now you have a click and the guitarist going into the inputs. Now take the splitter and plug it into the headphone jack. Give one line to the drummer, and one to the guitarist.