Gearslutz.com - View Single Post - How can I remove ringing from a nasty snare?

GuitarRuss · 13th June 2007

It sounds like it's too late for this but this is a great trick before the track is recorded. Some of the Motown drummers used this sound, I've heard it referred to as the "Fatback" sound. Bob Ohllson would know more...

You take a nice fat wallet and put it on the snare. It helps if you tune the thing well too, but some snares, especially cheaper ones are really ringy. This trick is just the ticket in those situations.

I'm a pretty crap drummer, so I always get far better drummers than me to do the playing, but I've learned to tune drums really well and I've tuned the drums for a lot of sessions because a lot of drummers either don't have good tuning technique or have a very bad ear for pitch. I always keep a drum key with my guitar because you can't always rely on a drummer to have a drum key.

I learned a lot about drum tuning my first recording date. The drummer came in with these huge Slingerland shells - very big and boomy. The engineer asked the drummer if he really liked the drum tuning or if he thought it could be improved. The engineer proceeded to make the set sound so much better, tighter and focused, and did it pretty quickly - he also wasn't a drummer and gave me a few tricks while doing it.

That was the best money spent, got a good sound and it got me on track with being involved in the sound of the drums. I believe this will largely define the sound of your recording. Everything else fits in. If you wind up with 80's rock drums sounds, you aren't going to have a good blues album etc.

13th June 2007	#35
GuitarRuss Lives for gear Joined: May 2006 Location: Taiwan (Canadian Citizen) Posts: 706	Getting the ring out before. It sounds like it's too late for this but this is a great trick before the track is recorded. Some of the Motown drummers used this sound, I've heard it referred to as the "Fatback" sound. Bob Ohllson would know more... You take a nice fat wallet and put it on the snare. It helps if you tune the thing well too, but some snares, especially cheaper ones are really ringy. This trick is just the ticket in those situations. I'm a pretty crap drummer, so I always get far better drummers than me to do the playing, but I've learned to tune drums really well and I've tuned the drums for a lot of sessions because a lot of drummers either don't have good tuning technique or have a very bad ear for pitch. I always keep a drum key with my guitar because you can't always rely on a drummer to have a drum key. I learned a lot about drum tuning my first recording date. The drummer came in with these huge Slingerland shells - very big and boomy. The engineer asked the drummer if he really liked the drum tuning or if he thought it could be improved. The engineer proceeded to make the set sound so much better, tighter and focused, and did it pretty quickly - he also wasn't a drummer and gave me a few tricks while doing it. That was the best money spent, got a good sound and it got me on track with being involved in the sound of the drums. I believe this will largely define the sound of your recording. Everything else fits in. If you wind up with 80's rock drums sounds, you aren't going to have a good blues album etc.