Those 70's drums

Saucyjack · 2nd February 2004, 07:51 AM

I've got a band coming in this weekend and the band have decided to try a couple of songs using a late 60-70s drum sound. Best Reference.....Mmmm.....maybe Beatle's Abbey Road or God forbid the Eagles.
I'm thinking real dead and close miced.

This is the opposite of how I usually record drums...

I believe Ringo used "tea towels" on the drums a lot during this period.
Any good ideas or drum treatment/tuning tips?

I've got the usual suspects Micwise(57,421,441,Royer,Aea R84,SDU195,SDU99,Beyer 201,Josephson c42s).
Distressor,Trakker.....blah ,blah ,blah

swede · 2nd February 2004, 10:11 AM

For that dry Eagles sound i have been putting foam rubber in the drums with great results.Just take of the drum heads and fill the drums.

Hans Hitmachine · 2nd February 2004, 11:46 AM

Tune the drums down........ Sm57 on snare, akg d12 on kick, u87's or km84's on overheads and toms with md421.
Use cool, gritty compressors like urei's and dbx's.

kato · 2nd February 2004, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Saucyjack
I've got a band coming in this weekend and the band have decided to try a couple of songs using a late 60-70s drum sound. Best Reference.....Mmmm.....maybe Beatle's Abbey Road or God forbid the Eagles.
I'm thinking real dead and close miced.

70's drums require 70's attitude, man.
Your drummer should probably have a neatly trimmed mustache and a big-collared shirt, to start with.

To keep this post from being utterly worthless I will suggest some good reference material: David Bowie, "Low" and Joan Armatrading "Back to the Night." IMO, dry, close miked drums sound best on quieter, more intimate songs.

"Man, I ****in hate the eagles,"
Kato

Sometimes I try to get that "80's drum sound."
And for that, I use a drum machine.

Gulliver · 2nd February 2004, 04:00 PM

..lots of the drums recorded in the 70's had the bottom heads removed altogether. This was the heyday of drumkits that were manufactured with top heads only ("concert toms") I remember seeing 421's or 57's shoved up inside 'em from the bottom...dugga-dugga

jbuntz · 2nd February 2004, 05:17 PM

If possible, use gritty 70's type pres a la Neve etc.

Mark · 2nd February 2004, 10:50 PM

What about emulating the drum sound on the three Neu! LPs for a 70s drum sound!?

Bob Olhsson · 3rd February 2004, 02:34 AM

The Brits definitely started taking the front heads off kick drums and I think they started the single-headed tom thing too. The Americans were hung up on the Brits and the Beatles so they tended to copy anything ever seen in a picture of an English studio.

I actually saw an Eagles' session setup around 1975. It didn't have single headed toms and looked just exactly like what most contemporary drum setups look like. I keep waiting for somebody to do something truly different!

Beezoboy · 3rd February 2004, 04:00 AM

Don't foget that the seventies used some horrid drum heads. I think Remo Ebony heads, and those old "Powerdot" heads could yeild some of the sound you are looking for. Also don't forget the use of 13", 16", and 18" drums. Most drums from that era also have little mufflers built in, to deaden the sound.

Beez

Saucyjack · 3rd February 2004, 04:34 AM

Doubt I'm gonna be able to get the drummer to change heads or pull off reso heads om his kit but maybe.....

I'm thinking 421 on Kick,Beyer 201 or 57 snare.

Don't know about the OHs....maybe Mono?

Hans Hitmachine · 3rd February 2004, 09:03 AM

No. VERY stereo. Same with toms. So that it goes:
(L)toeka-ta-(M/L)toeka-ta-(M) toeka-ta-(M/r)toeka-ta-(L)boem!

Hans Hitmachine · 3rd February 2004, 09:04 AM

sorry:

(L)toeka-ta-(M/L)toeka-ta-(M) toeka-ta-(M/r)toeka-ta-(R)boem!

cajonezzz · 3rd February 2004, 09:08 AM

Easy.

take the bottom heads off the toms and shove a 421 or 57 in there.

Detune the snare, trya a deep 7 or 8 inch wood drum. wallet tapped to head.

I did this not to long ago and it worked great. Would have been better if our room wasn't so damn live.

mixer · 3rd February 2004, 02:18 PM

the way we used to get that awful sound was lots of paper towls or toilet paper with duct tape on the drums...sometimes they would be noise gated with kepex..and then compressed with gain brains....mic were usually 421s on toms 441 in the kick and 57 snare overheads were low over the cymbals and rolled off to limit the lower frequencies of the toms and kick..also back then we always used a drum booth...why anyone would want that sound is beyond me but it was the style back then for pop...

mitgong · 3rd February 2004, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Saucyjack
Doubt I'm gonna be able to get the drummer to change heads or pull off reso heads om his kit but maybe.....

Well, if he's not into it, what's the point? Tell him that the sound he wants comes from those drums. As many of these posts have indicated, it's not the processing that made that sound. it's the drum, and almost as importantly, the room (or lack thereof).

7rojo7 · 3rd February 2004, 07:03 PM

Tape and paper towels top and bottom, a square of towel placed at th edge of the drum and a piece of tape to hold it down. Rings work wonders you can even make your own. Front head off of the kik with all the lug retainers taped down, a hand towel folde to covr the square end of a cement block pushed against the beater head just enough not to completely mute it. Cymbal mics. instead of overheads, infact the whole stereo image is better "synthesized" instead of captured, the room should be dry and closed sounding, if you have problems with boominess open the door to the drum booth. kik beater 58 and shell 414, snr top 57 and bottom 57 (for depth not for the snares) hat 451 and cymbals 451s many (dry), toms whatever. no room, (reverb and delays (many)). use whatever mics are similar, in the end it's more important where you put them.
mixing is a different story, gating actually works with this type of sound and is easy to do, take all your multi mics. to single or stereo tracks, make the decisions beforehand.
Hugh Masekela's "Uptownship" is a great example of this sound working well. It's like a forerunner of the drum machine.

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2nd February 2004, 07:51 AM	#1
Saucyjack Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Knoxville,Tn Posts: 569	Those 70's drums I've got a band coming in this weekend and the band have decided to try a couple of songs using a late 60-70s drum sound. Best Reference.....Mmmm.....maybe Beatle's Abbey Road or God forbid the Eagles. I'm thinking real dead and close miced. This is the opposite of how I usually record drums... I believe Ringo used "tea towels" on the drums a lot during this period. Any good ideas or drum treatment/tuning tips? I've got the usual suspects Micwise(57,421,441,Royer,Aea R84,SDU195,SDU99,Beyer 201,Josephson c42s). Distressor,Trakker.....blah ,blah ,blah __________________ If you really want to make orginal results,work fast and cheap,because there's more of a chance that you'll get somewhere that nobody else did. Brian Eno

2nd February 2004, 04:00 PM	#5
Gulliver Gear Head Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Nashville Posts: 41	..lots of the drums recorded in the 70's had the bottom heads removed altogether. This was the heyday of drumkits that were manufactured with top heads only ("concert toms") I remember seeing 421's or 57's shoved up inside 'em from the bottom...dugga-dugga __________________ "Thou must make full thine art, do soon your all and then some"

2nd February 2004, 10:50 PM	#7
Mark Gear addict Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: I'm Behind You! Oh, okay, I'm in England. Posts: 357	What about emulating the drum sound on the three Neu! LPs for a 70s drum sound!? __________________ "I can hear you. Coming to find you. Coming to find you"

3rd February 2004, 02:34 AM	#8
Bob Olhsson Motown legend Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Songwriter Gulch, Nashville TN Posts: 5,273	The Brits definitely started taking the front heads off kick drums and I think they started the single-headed tom thing too. The Americans were hung up on the Brits and the Beatles so they tended to copy anything ever seen in a picture of an English studio. I actually saw an Eagles' session setup around 1975. It didn't have single headed toms and looked just exactly like what most contemporary drum setups look like. I keep waiting for somebody to do something truly different! __________________ Georgetown Masters 615 254-3233 Bob's room 615 385-8051 Music Industry 2.0

2nd February 2004, 10:11 AM	#2
swede Gear Head Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 43	For that dry Eagles sound i have been putting foam rubber in the drums with great results.Just take of the drum heads and fill the drums.

2nd February 2004, 11:46 AM	#3
Hans Hitmachine Gear maniac Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 204	Tune the drums down........ Sm57 on snare, akg d12 on kick, u87's or km84's on overheads and toms with md421. Use cool, gritty compressors like urei's and dbx's.

2nd February 2004, 05:17 PM	#6
jbuntz Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 1,650	If possible, use gritty 70's type pres a la Neve etc.

3rd February 2004, 04:00 AM	#9
Beezoboy Gear addict Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 490	Don't foget that the seventies used some horrid drum heads. I think Remo Ebony heads, and those old "Powerdot" heads could yeild some of the sound you are looking for. Also don't forget the use of 13", 16", and 18" drums. Most drums from that era also have little mufflers built in, to deaden the sound. Beez

3rd February 2004, 04:34 AM	#10
Saucyjack Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Knoxville,Tn Posts: 569	Doubt I'm gonna be able to get the drummer to change heads or pull off reso heads om his kit but maybe..... I'm thinking 421 on Kick,Beyer 201 or 57 snare. Don't know about the OHs....maybe Mono? __________________ If you really want to make orginal results,work fast and cheap,because there's more of a chance that you'll get somewhere that nobody else did. Brian Eno

3rd February 2004, 09:03 AM	#11
Hans Hitmachine Gear maniac Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 204	No. VERY stereo. Same with toms. So that it goes: (L)toeka-ta-(M/L)toeka-ta-(M) toeka-ta-(M/r)toeka-ta-(L)boem!

3rd February 2004, 09:04 AM	#12
Hans Hitmachine Gear maniac Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 204	sorry: (L)toeka-ta-(M/L)toeka-ta-(M) toeka-ta-(M/r)toeka-ta-(R)boem!

3rd February 2004, 09:08 AM	#13
cajonezzz Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Carlsbad Ca. Posts: 1,723	Easy. take the bottom heads off the toms and shove a 421 or 57 in there. Detune the snare, trya a deep 7 or 8 inch wood drum. wallet tapped to head. I did this not to long ago and it worked great. Would have been better if our room wasn't so damn live. __________________ Craig Zarkos http://www.myspace.com/cajonezzz http://tybridroom.com/ z-orama TourstopLIVE! Calavera Proving Grounds (record & ride!) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

3rd February 2004, 02:18 PM	#14
mixer Gear addict Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: ft lauderdale florida Posts: 318	the way we used to get that awful sound was lots of paper towls or toilet paper with duct tape on the drums...sometimes they would be noise gated with kepex..and then compressed with gain brains....mic were usually 421s on toms 441 in the kick and 57 snare overheads were low over the cymbals and rolled off to limit the lower frequencies of the toms and kick..also back then we always used a drum booth...why anyone would want that sound is beyond me but it was the style back then for pop... __________________ Gary M.Vandy Audio Prod.

3rd February 2004, 07:03 PM	#16
7rojo7 urumita Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Spoleto, Italy Posts: 1,284	Tape and paper towels top and bottom, a square of towel placed at th edge of the drum and a piece of tape to hold it down. Rings work wonders you can even make your own. Front head off of the kik with all the lug retainers taped down, a hand towel folde to covr the square end of a cement block pushed against the beater head just enough not to completely mute it. Cymbal mics. instead of overheads, infact the whole stereo image is better "synthesized" instead of captured, the room should be dry and closed sounding, if you have problems with boominess open the door to the drum booth. kik beater 58 and shell 414, snr top 57 and bottom 57 (for depth not for the snares) hat 451 and cymbals 451s many (dry), toms whatever. no room, (reverb and delays (many)). use whatever mics are similar, in the end it's more important where you put them. mixing is a different story, gating actually works with this type of sound and is easy to do, take all your multi mics. to single or stereo tracks, make the decisions beforehand. Hugh Masekela's "Uptownship" is a great example of this sound working well. It's like a forerunner of the drum machine. __________________ love and light

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