Drum Demo Help
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Posted on Aug 06, 2009 05:20 pm
A Constant End
Member Since: Apr 27, 2007
Hey all. We recently sat down to do an industry demo, but i can't seem to get a good drum sound. This is what i came up with - www.myspace.com/unnaturalinnature (Through The Static)... I just don't think it sounds good... Any suggestions? I'm not the best with mastering, and i have little to no expertise in the area. All i know is what sounds good, and this... isn't it.
P.S. I also have the drum tracks in .wav floating around my comp in case anyone wants to try for a better sound... it'd be much appriciated.
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pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Aug 06, 2009 06:25 pm wow, not trying to be ill, but yeah, they do come across pretty weak.
They sound like the old mid 70's drum sound.
Anyway, have you thought about drum replacement? Reaper's got a vid showing how to selectively find the drum you want, then replace it with a sample of some sort.
www.cockos.com/wiki/index..._-_Using_ReaFIR
Here's a thread on a user's built drum replacer for reaper :
forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=20462
It varies the playing, making more realistic.
Not that you have to use reaper, as drum-a-gog is basically what this is emulating: replacing your existing hits with samples.
I guess I should say too, that the tracks are probably usable, but I was thinking it may be quicker to add assistance (samples), instead of the run around of trying to fix them. I know I go round and round trying to fix things if I don't know clearly how to fix something.
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Aug 06, 2009 06:50 pm Fill out your gear bio, and describe your technique for recording drums. Knowing what gear you use and how you use it will help us make suggestions on how to get a better sound.
Aug 06, 2009 07:42 pm Thanks guys. I'm going to try some new stuff this weekend early next week. I'll fill in the information requested alongside the new drum track. Thanks.
Aug 07, 2009 03:15 am To me, and experienced drummer, It sounds more in the drum setup itself than the mixing is why your drums come across sounding weak.
Get some larger cymbals!! When playing live I usually have a 14 and 16 A Custom crashes, a beat up 20 ride, and 14 high hats, but recording I use the aforementioned 16 crash, an 18 crash, 22 A Custom ride and 13 high hats. You just need more ring on everything!!
That snare.... idk. What do you have a pillow in it? Get some ring in that biatch, and turn it up in the mix. I'd tighten her up a good deal and take off anything that you have muffling it (except one of those rings or a little piece of duct tape). Give it a good eq (cut some mids, crank some highs and lows) and make her sound fat. (As well as routing her and the whole kit through descent reverb).
For the bass, same thing, cut some mids (between 300hz to 400hz) boost the low end (I'd say around 80-90hz) and the high end to give it a little *tick.
Personal note: I mix until I like the sound. A lot of bands these days cut the cymbals (including hh's) to almost nothing. I like my uniqueness of having them constantly shining through loudly all the time. My snare rings like a bell (not like Firecracker or anything, though, I hate that high of a sound), and my bass drum has enough high end so a listener can hear the distincness of it, without it sounding like someone punching a cat downstairs.
More ring, highs and lows, and play around.... A LOT!
Here's my stuff and I bet my budget was lower and my drum set worse than yours (unless you're doing everything one mic'd and live): (vox not good, but drums came out well) www.myspace.com/productofsouthernlongcut
Aug 07, 2009 03:16 am Oh and shoot me those .wavs!!! as long as they're broken up (ie snare bass, etc) I could probably crank out a little somthin' somthin'
Or at least tell you for sure to melt those cymbals down into pennies to buy some good ones ;)
CptTrippsCzar of Turd PolishMember
Since: Jun 20, 2006
Aug 07, 2009 12:29 pm I could drumagog the crap out of them for ya, but they would have to be seperate files for sure.
