Recording Led Zep's Drums

[Tim Brown]

Tim's advise is totally spot on ---- the only problem is, Bonham could tune his kit. How many drummers can actually do that? In all my years of recording, I can count the ones I know on one hand

Hi sjoko2,

I think the problem stems from the fact that most drummers don't look at the kit as a "tuned" instrument, so they don't have a foundation in actually thinking in terms of notes.
I tend to look at the drumset as a "one man percussion pit" (i.e, toms taking the place of Tympani)...I've even gone to the point of tuning the kit to whatever key the song is i (Kick and snare tuned to the keynote, with toms being tuned to notes within that key...of course, that's only when I'm feeling somewhat masochistic! Hahaha)
I constantly try to stress properly tuning the kit, because it's 3/4's of the battle of recording it!

Tim

 

[sjoko2]

What a relief. That's one of the reasons why I always try and get the same people in for sessions. People like Jota Morelli - first thing he'll ask is what key a song is in - will listen to a demo or a rough - then go and tune his kit before we're getting sound. Sometimes saves me a days work per track.

 

[psmith66]

I'm not a drummer in any sense of the term, but I'm thinking that a pretty good example of where drums are tuned to the song is "Kashmir". This is perhaps accentuated via the flange effect on the drums toward the end (making the drums even more "melodic"). Would this be consistent with what you're talking about?

 

[Tim Brown]

I'm not a drummer in any sense of the term, but I'm thinking that a pretty good example of where drums are tuned to the song is "Kashmir". This is perhaps accentuated via the flange effect on the drums toward the end (making the drums even more "melodic"). Would this be consistent with what you're talking about?

I'd have to listen, I never really paid attention... but it probably is. Actually, Kashmir is one of my least favorites from Physical...I rarely listen to it. I prefer "In The Light", "Trampled Under Foot", "The Rover", or "In My Time Of Dying".
When I first got Physical Graffiti all those years ago, I listened to Kashmir so much, that I got burned out on it.

Actually, some friends and I get together and jam on Zep stuff just for the heck of it, and we do a killer version of "No Quarter"...The guitarist has some really crazy pedal he uses (it's some kind of Delay & Harmonizer" pedal) and He get's it to sound exactly like the John Paul Jones' keys on that.

I should tape it some time

Tim

 

[psmith66]

Tim,

At the risk of being out of context with this thread, I've chewed and digested everything Zeppelin several times over. I like all types of music, but I always go back to Zep. I have times where I become completely absorbed in particular Zep records (eg Presence was the latest) to the point where I'll get really sick of it. But several months later I can pop the CD in and it sounds fresh again. I can't say that, to the same degree, about any other band I've listened to. Also, I hate it when narrow minded people tag Zep in the "heavy-metal" category. They were as diverse a band as there ever was - no two songs are alike. Like Hendrix, Page would go out of his way to come up with new sounds and recording/production approaches. Fortunately, he had three guys with the zest to approach their roles in the same way.

Tim, if you ever record any of that stuff, let me know.

Now, in the interests of "staying with the thread", "...Bonzo's drums certainly were inspirational..."

 

[Tim Brown]

Tim,

Also, I hate it when narrow minded people tag Zep in the "heavy-metal" category. They were as diverse a band as there ever was - no two songs are alike.

Tim, if you ever record any of that stuff, let me know.

Now, in the interests of "staying with the thread", "...Bonzo's drums certainly were inspirational..."

I agree. Zep were certainly one of the "Godfather's of Metal", but they certainly weren't "Metal" themselves.
What I loved about Bonzo was his GROOVE! Man, these guys around here freaked out one time when I started playing a ton of Funk stuff, but hell-Bonzo definitely had a Funk Groove Happening! "Trampled Under Foot" is a great Example of that, and for a second witnes to that, "The Wanton Song" is it man!

They definitely some of the most innovative musicians around, and I continually learn from them.

Tim

 

[psmith66]

You think you've got them pegged, and they release a cut like "Darlene". Brilliant. Brilliant Bonzo (McCartney's third favourite drummer in fact, fwiw).

 

[coldoatmeal]

I know that this thread is really old, but I just think its interesting ps smith-I am the same way I listen to lots of different types of music but I always come back to Led Zeppelin and get totally absorbed in their stuff. Jimmy Page described the Zep catalog as a "textbook" and I think that is exactly correct-a textbook of how a perfect rock band would be in every aspect possible. I can't think of really anything that they didn't do right (in my opinion) in their approach to creating music. What an amazing group.

 

[VOXVENDOR]

You revived my first post I ever did here...

Cool!

Thanks.

 

[coldoatmeal]

Oh, the memories. Hard to believe you were a newbie once isn't it-you have come so far.

 

[darrin_h2000]

Yeah, But Im still waiting for him to post something useful

 

[rdfuze]

You need a big room , like a church or a castle , if not get a really good sounding reverb unit. I have used the eventide 2016 for a while and it sounds great on drums. Also Try a 1176 with the all button ratio compressor on a sub mix of the drums and put that signal underneath the drums.

 

[hasbeen]

Also, let's get something straight.

Bonham played the drums.

Page recorded and produced the drums.

Any sound that fell outside the actual playing can be 100% attributable to Page.

Hello...ever hear of Eddie Kramer?

 

[psmith66]

Yeah - I forgot. He's the guy who turned the knobs. Sometimes.

Seriously, he's got a great rep from being part of quite a few famous sessions. However, Page did a lot of outstanding production with a variety of engineers.

 

[Middleman]

rdfuze nailed it. You have to have an 1176 on the kick and overhead mic, pumping like crazy. Then you will have the Bonham sound.