Recording your own drum kit and processing

[mrwonderful]

Sequence them.

[spielemusik]

Originally Posted by mrwonderful

Sequence them.

When I want to keep the groove I played, I use my own loops. I like to sequence the individual samples though too when going for a more blatant quantized or swing feel.

[mrwonderful]

I was just pulling your leg.

Convolution reverb & reversal on samples is pivotal in my production.

[lemonsquash]

if mic'd right i wouldn't do any processing. what's your recording chain?

[spielemusik]

Originally Posted by mrwonderful

I was just pulling your leg.

Convolution reverb & reversal on samples is pivotal in my production.

I haven't done much with reversing samples - but was just thinking about that today w/ a current tune I'm working on...reversing a snare to blend w/ the regular snare for a 'whip' like effect before the snare hits.

[spielemusik]

Originally Posted by lemonsquash

if mic'd right i wouldn't do any processing. what's your recording chain?

More often than not I'm not going for a 'realistic' drum sound - at least not as a whole organic kit. I intentionally use a decent amount of saturation or a bit crusher effect more often than not. Sometimes it's just for color, other times it might be more heavy. The snare always gets processed somehow - I love a dry, raspy snare. I rarely do much w/ the kik except eq and compression. The overhead track will sometimes get 'severely' manipulated.

I mic my kit w/ just an AKG D112 on the kik, SM57 between the snr and hats, and a single SM81 for the overhead. Very simple. All my compression and effects are done ITB.

Sometimes I won't even really use the oh track, except for more of a background rhythmic loop, processing it w/ filters and distortion.

[Ward Boss]

I like to record myself playing the groove. Then replace or reinforce the weaker elements with better one-shot hits. Basically manual sound replacement. Sometimes it's just using a better snare if the snare is weak. Or replacing it with a different element entirely, like good finger snaps or rims. Layering in other kicks or replacing them entirely. That way I keep my groove but get a punchier, more unreal quality in the drum track. Sometimes there's not much audio left from the original tracking, but who cares?

Instead of in-the-box processing, I'll track drums with a separate dynamic mic on the snare with a 1/4" plug going into a distorted tube guitar amp and then mic that with a 57. The amp can be in the next room or right there with the kit if desired. I have an old Astatic mic with a hardwired cable with a 1/4 plug that is good for this. A similar effect can be achieved by slamming the inputs on an analog tape machine; a crappy reel-to-reel can sometimes be just the thing.

I also usually put up a weird mic in an unusual spot just to see what happens. Sometimes regular well recorded drum sounds are boring.

[mrwonderful]

Originally Posted by spielemusik

I haven't done much with reversing samples - but was just thinking about that today w/ a current tune I'm working on...reversing a snare to blend w/ the regular snare for a 'whip' like effect before the snare hits.

I do that sometimes I find a stick sample reversed into a snare works quite nicely

[spielemusik]

Originally Posted by Ward Boss

I like to record myself playing the groove. Then replace or reinforce the weaker elements with better one-shot hits. Basically manual sound replacement. Sometimes it's just using a better snare if the snare is weak. Or replacing it with a different element entirely, like good finger snaps or rims. Layering in other kicks or replacing them entirely. That way I keep my groove but get a punchier, more unreal quality in the drum track. Sometimes there's not much audio left from the original tracking, but who cares?

Instead of in-the-box processing, I'll track drums with a separate dynamic mic on the snare with a 1/4" plug going into a distorted tube guitar amp and then mic that with a 57. The amp can be in the next room or right there with the kit if desired. I have an old Astatic mic with a hardwired cable with a 1/4 plug that is good for this. A similar effect can be achieved by slamming the inputs on an analog tape machine; a crappy reel-to-reel can sometimes be just the thing.

I also usually put up a weird mic in an unusual spot just to see what happens. Sometimes regular well recorded drum sounds are boring.

I'm w/ you on this, on keeping the original feel but yet possibly replacing or augmenting individual hits. Since I will often just use my oh for a rhythmic texture, I'm usually sequencing w/ a new hi hat on top of my recording kit. Or like you I'll layer/replace drum hits per taste...whatever fits the current vibe or tune.

I'll DEFINITELY be trying out the trick w/ the tube amp and snare. Usually I like to record dry so I have more 'control' when arranging...mixing becomes more sound design in the initial phases for me, and it plays a part in shaping my arrangement actually - I like to keep options open. But I'll definitely try that trick!

[chk23]

Originally Posted by spielemusik

Anybody else here recording your own drum kit? Being a drummer, and having space in my house for one of my kits to be set up and miced at all times, I have the luxury of recording my own grooves, or chopping them up and using my own individual samples.

My question is, what do you guys use to treat your acoustic drum kit samples / loops? I love that gritty sound, w/ a raspy snare. Usually I'm going for the bitcrusher in Logic, and also using a filter effect. Compression is an obvious choice to make the overall kit slam in the mix, especially parallel compression to retain some of the dynamics/sound of the unprocessed tracks. I know your choice depends on the sound you're after. Sometimes I'll layer samples, like use an electric kik blended with my kik from my acoustic drums. What do y'all like to do w/ your acoustic loops / samples?

I use a high end electronic kit w. mesh heads - so I get the advantages of both worlds: Keeping my own groove and being very flexible with later editing. Not to say that I spare myself the complicated craft of drum mic'ing. But as I live in a rental, I won't be able to set up an acustic set anyway...

[spielemusik]

Originally Posted by chk23

I use a high end electronic kit w. mesh heads - so I get the advantages of both worlds: Keeping my own groove and being very flexible with later editing. Not to say that I spare myself the complicated craft of drum mic'ing. But as I live in a rental, I won't be able to set up an acustic set anyway...

I used to own a Roland TD20 - wonder if you have the same? I loved the kit, very diverse especially w/ world sounds and percussion. I sold it though, since I needed another acoustic kit for gigging. The Roland was nice, sometimes the compression bothered me, but it was a good piece of kit. I had a special snake made up for me to take advantage of the multiple outputs on back of the brain.

[chk23]

Originally Posted by spielemusik

I used to own a Roland TD20 - wonder if you have the same? I loved the kit, very diverse especially w/ world sounds and percussion. I sold it though, since I needed another acoustic kit for gigging. The Roland was nice, sometimes the compression bothered me, but it was a good piece of kit. I had a special snake made up for me to take advantage of the multiple outputs on back of the brain.

My kit is compiled of different parts from different manufacturers (kick and one tom are rolands for example, rest is Yamaha and some real Toms refitted with meshheads), I built it around the megadrum DIY-module, which has about the same triggering features as the top Roland models (nearly zero latency, positional sensing, support of triple zone pads, continous Hi Hat controller and so on) and some advantages over it, like endless (56) trigger inputs, so you can almost endlessly extend your set with additional Cymbals, percussion pads and so on.
But it lacks an audio synthesis section - as this is my studio only set this is no problem, I trigger into Superior Drummer 2.

[Ward Boss]

Originally Posted by spielemusik

I'll DEFINITELY be trying out the trick w/ the tube amp and snare. Usually I like to record dry so I have more 'control' when arranging...mixing becomes more sound design in the initial phases for me, and it plays a part in shaping my arrangement actually - I like to keep options open. But I'll definitely try that trick!

If you have the amp separated from the kit, like in a closet or another room, you can keep that completely isolated from your normal mic setup. Then you haven't committed to anything.

I don't have great plugins, so I tend to use low tech OTB processing. I have amps, pedals, tape machines, etc lying around, so I'll go that route. I know some engineers will even mic up a kit with a live PA setup and then record the speakers.

[Ward Boss]

Along the lines of this topic, I would like to hear what others do with their acoustic hi hats? I mess around with eq, filters and stuff like that, but usually end up with minimal processing and a natural type sound. They're okay, but usually boring.

[spielemusik]

Originally Posted by Ward Boss

Along the lines of this topic, I would like to hear what others do with their acoustic hi hats? I mess around with eq, filters and stuff like that, but usually end up with minimal processing and a natural type sound. They're okay, but usually boring.

Based on my mic setup, my hh and snr are together on one track. But as I mentioned, I do some sample manipulation besides just using effects on my oh track. Perhaps you could do the same? Ableton Live is my favorite 'sampler,' I get fast results w/ resampling and using the envelopes in the clip, or changing the tempo using the repitch warp mode, giving classic DJ results. So, DAW specific tricks aside, I like to actually manipulate the sample to create a different rhythmic track almost. You can get some sounds that, when played w/ the original drum tracks, act as a compliment to them - given them a polyrhythmic nature depending on how you manipulate the sample. On any given tune I'm working on, I can get multiple rhythmic 'filler' loops from one groove recorded from my kit. These loops aren't usually used as the main drum beat, but rather as extra rhythmic devices.

As far as effects though, sounds like we both stick to the same usual suspects, viz. eq, filters, compression, and distortion.