Mixing Scratches & Sampled Drums?

DowntownScience · 30th April 2007

Hey Guys...

I'm Currently Working On A Hip Hop Album (Quite Mellow, Surprisingly) & The Producer Has Used Samples For Every Instrumental. So From Flutes To Koto's It's All Samples.

Luckily, They're Are ALL Purchased Samples From Sample CD's So Are All Very Well Tracked & Very Clean...

But I Am Finding Myself With 2 Dilemmas:

1. Scratch FX, Like Vocal Scratching On The Bridge Or Chorus - What Is The Primer To Mixing These? I Assumed The Dynamics Should Not Be Touched, But Do They Tend To Sit Center, Pan Wise? Is Reverb Usually Applied, Are They Copied To 2 Tracks & Effected Differently? I'm Quite Lost On Them, Because All Other Instruments Fall Into The Brass, Wind, String etc. Categories. Should I Treat It As A Vocal?

2. ALL The Drums Kits On EVERY Instrumental Are Summed. So i Can't Effect The Kick Or Snare Without Effecting The WHOLE Kit... I Don't Know Much About These Sample CD Companies, Do They Tend To Ensure The Kit Is Already Sitting Correctly?
They Do Sound very Crisp & Seperated, But I Don't Want To Get In Over My Head, When I Get To A Point Where One Element Is Bringing Down The Whole Mix... And It's The Drums... Does Anyone Have Experience Mixing With These Types Of Compiled Sounds?...

Thanks In Advance For Any Help & Thanks For The Constant Info & Entertainment Which Is GS...

DTS
www.downtownscience.com
www.myspace.com/downtownscience

Kiwiburger · 30th April 2007

Very Odd Use Of Capitalisation You Got Going On There ...

The only constant in mixing is that every mix is different. It's art - there are no rules, so you've got to make them up as you go.

Having said that - some general opinons:

Fake reverb on drums tends to sound fake. As do samples - so sometimes you gotsta do what you gotsta do. Maybe consider reamping through speakers, or using convolution of guitar cabs or small room sounds. Try narrowing the stereo wide - to mono if necessary.

Distortion and compression can help pummel percussive sounds into the background. Try parallel distortion or compression too.

Sample drum libraries vary all over the place. Some sounds are just raw and need a lot of processing. Some are ready to eat.

There are no rules with electronic music. Sometimes lofi sounds good. Try everything you've got - filters, amp sims, modulation, sound replacement ...

Sometimes the best way to hide a defect is to draw attention to it. Cheese factor. Like the old blues guitarist trick - it isn't a mistake if you repeat it ...

DowntownScience · 30th April 2007

Quote:

Very Odd Use Of Capitalisation You Got Going On There ...

Yeah... Sorry About That... Nervous Computer Habit..

Quote:

Like the old blues guitarist trick - it isn't a mistake if you repeat it ...

HaHa... Understood... I Guess That Mentality Goes Along Way...

Thanks For All The Help Kiwiburger, I Really Appreciate You Taking The Time To List The Possibilities & Methods. After Testing A Few Filters I Definately See The Vantage To Running The FX Through Them.. And I've Got Some Small Spaces Mic'd As We Speak...

Thanks Again... Hope I Can Return The Favor...
All The Best...

DTS
www.downtownscience.com
www.myspace.com/downtownscience

spitfire8898 · 30th April 2007

Why isn't this in the hip hop forum? You would probably have better luck...

30th April 2007	#1
DowntownScience Gear maniac Joined: Mar 2007 Location: www.downtownscience.com Posts: 254 Thread Starter	Mixing Scratches & Sampled Drums? Hey Guys... I'm Currently Working On A Hip Hop Album (Quite Mellow, Surprisingly) & The Producer Has Used Samples For Every Instrumental. So From Flutes To Koto's It's All Samples. Luckily, They're Are ALL Purchased Samples From Sample CD's So Are All Very Well Tracked & Very Clean... But I Am Finding Myself With 2 Dilemmas: 1. Scratch FX, Like Vocal Scratching On The Bridge Or Chorus - What Is The Primer To Mixing These? I Assumed The Dynamics Should Not Be Touched, But Do They Tend To Sit Center, Pan Wise? Is Reverb Usually Applied, Are They Copied To 2 Tracks & Effected Differently? I'm Quite Lost On Them, Because All Other Instruments Fall Into The Brass, Wind, String etc. Categories. Should I Treat It As A Vocal? 2. ALL The Drums Kits On EVERY Instrumental Are Summed. So i Can't Effect The Kick Or Snare Without Effecting The WHOLE Kit... I Don't Know Much About These Sample CD Companies, Do They Tend To Ensure The Kit Is Already Sitting Correctly? They Do Sound very Crisp & Seperated, But I Don't Want To Get In Over My Head, When I Get To A Point Where One Element Is Bringing Down The Whole Mix... And It's The Drums... Does Anyone Have Experience Mixing With These Types Of Compiled Sounds?... Thanks In Advance For Any Help & Thanks For The Constant Info & Entertainment Which Is GS... DTS www.downtownscience.com www.myspace.com/downtownscience __________________ It Is An Old & Ironic Habit Of Human Beings To Run Faster When We Have Lost Our Way Don't Ever Think You Know What's Right For The Other Person. He Might Start Thinking He Knows What's Right For You By Three Methods We May Learn Wisdom: First, By Reflection, Which Is Noblest; Second, By Imitation, Which Is Easiest; And Third By Experience, Which Is The Bitterest A Dreamer Is One Who Can Only Find His Way By Moonlight, And His Punishment Is That He Sees The Dawn Before The Rest Of The World

30th April 2007	#2
Kiwiburger Lives for gear Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 4,075	Very Odd Use Of Capitalisation You Got Going On There ... The only constant in mixing is that every mix is different. It's art - there are no rules, so you've got to make them up as you go. Having said that - some general opinons: Fake reverb on drums tends to sound fake. As do samples - so sometimes you gotsta do what you gotsta do. Maybe consider reamping through speakers, or using convolution of guitar cabs or small room sounds. Try narrowing the stereo wide - to mono if necessary. Distortion and compression can help pummel percussive sounds into the background. Try parallel distortion or compression too. Sample drum libraries vary all over the place. Some sounds are just raw and need a lot of processing. Some are ready to eat. There are no rules with electronic music. Sometimes lofi sounds good. Try everything you've got - filters, amp sims, modulation, sound replacement ... Sometimes the best way to hide a defect is to draw attention to it. Cheese factor. Like the old blues guitarist trick - it isn't a mistake if you repeat it ... __________________ My carbon footprint is bigger than yours.

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30th April 2007	#4
spitfire8898 Lives for gear Joined: Oct 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 502	Why isn't this in the hip hop forum? You would probably have better luck...