SQUASHED drums

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ad0lescnts

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I'm starting a new project with this pop punk band, and they're talking about how they want that super compressed and squashed drum sound.

I listened to some songs that they're talking about and the sound seems fake and i don't like it, however that's waht they want and i figure it's good to broaden my capabilities anyway.

I know everyone here is against this kind of thing, but how do you do it? I was messing around with my compressors (in the box, RNC...) and when i compress the hell out of the tracks they just sound crappy and thin. The professional pop punk ones sound huge and consistant.

anyways... does anyone have any input on this?

thanks a lot,
T
 
Obviously you need a good drum sound to begin with. You might try serial compression. Put a limiter first in the chain to reduce the peaks then apply heavy compression.

You can also try mixing in a submix of the drums that is really pumping and breathing in with the original drum tracks.
 
yeah, i'm going to try messing with that serial compression idea. I've done it before but it still always seem to be inconsistant. It's compressed like crazy yet it's still not the same volume each stroke. It's really frustrating. I admire the pros.

How often do professionals cheat and use triggers instead of real drum sounds? Maybe it's common i have no idea

Thanks,
T
 
The rnc is fine for transparent compression but it has no character or beef to it. You want big fat compression, then youre talking the Empirical Labs stuff or a good LA2A (not the crappy plugin versions). You need something that fattens up as you hit it hard. Another great thing is if you can insert tape somewhere in there, or try one of the better tape simulators. In the end, it's usually the drums to tape that get the huge sound. I thinkg you'd like the sound of a (Empirical Labs)Distressor and a Fatso Jr.

H2H
 
It all depends ..... if you got junk goin in .... yer gonna have junk goin out. It's impossible to polish a turd. If you can't achieve a decent drum sound, then triggers are the next best thing. Then it's just a matter of finding which samples fit the bill and a decent sampler to play them.
 
I'd suggest pulling out the PSP Vintage Warmer and giving it a spin.

I don't know about all the warmth crap, but it does a pretty impressive job of squashing things like drums. The variable knee feature is the best part about it. Set it up to more of a hard-knee kind of thing, crank it up, and have at it.

You'll want to track in a fairly lively room, by the way.
 
ad0lescnts said:
yeah, i'm going to try messing with that serial compression idea. I've done it before but it still always seem to be inconsistant. It's compressed like crazy yet it's still not the same volume each stroke.
Click to expand...

Well, using compression to even out a bad drummer's inconsistent playing is a nightmare. If the drummer can't play consistently, you can try riding the fader (should be easy in your DAW) to even out the volume. Then when you apply compression, you'll get a much more consistent sound.
 
very interesting!
i havent had the experience with this kind of stuff this is exciting!

i was like "wicked!!" when i was looking up the empirical labs stuff until i found out they were 2000 bones a piece. soo...

a friend of mine knows a guy that built his own LA2A and has the plans for it. I think i'm gonna ask if ican borrow the plans. Or would the empirical labs stuff be much better?

thanks,
T
 
I would try chessrock's suggestion and give the PSP Vintage Warmer a shot before you go 'making an LA2A'. I have gotten very decent results for fattening and squashing with it. Worth a shot.

Good luck
 
Renting is a great way to try out gear you can't afford. Especially if you're getting paid for the sessions.
H2H
 
good idea, i think i'll try renting an LA2a.

i downloaded the demo version of that PSP plugin and it sure compressed the drums, but it didn't seem to fatten them up at all. WOuld the LA2a do a better job of this?

thanks,
T
 
here is a cool formula i have used to kill drums:

one buss squashing compressor. MONO. use what you have, symetrix seems to do it for me (i used to use a cl-150 for this, now a 501). the free blockfish plug works well too.

one buss to distortion. seriously roll off the top. this is your FAT track.

one buss clean.

mix them up to taste.
 
Chances are high that the 'squished' sound is a product of triggers and too-darn-loud mastering. Finch's album has got a terrible master on it--way too darn loud. It's a square wave.
 
to get the best of 2 worlds

If You Are Recording Daw And Using Software. Here Is How You Do It. Record Your Drums Dry And Get A Tight Solid "clean Drum Sound" Export Your Drum Tracks To Stereo Tracks, And Keep Your Clean Sound. Clone Your Tracks. Now You Have Two Seperate Drum Tracks. Compress One And Keep The Other Clean. Mix With One Another And Split The Difference. This Is How The Pro's Do It!! Don't Try And Use Alot Uf Plug-ins To Create The Sound. The Sound Will Form Naturally!! Sqash The Compressed Track Between 4:1 To 6:1 At -20 And Then Add A Small Room Reverb. Keep The Other Track Dry And Tight!! This Should Give You What You Want.
 
Cloneboy...I love the drum sounds on Finch's album. Mark Trombino gets some great drum sounds. That album is also a good example of what home recording can be. The whole album was recorded in a rented house somewhere in Cali. It is definitely a loud album, but I mean...it's screaming music. No offense intended.
 
I agree with crankZ1. You can't polish a turd. But you can polish the plate it was on after you ate it.
 
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