Adding length to snares?

[DirkB]

Hi All,

What is your method to add length/sustain to a snare? I like for example what AW did on the last Chevelle cd, which sounds like a sample mixed in (which of course is an option...).

I love room mics and love to get the Distressor working on room and close snare mic's, but it does not always get me what I want.

So, please share your secrets !
What are your favourite reverbs (model, settings, stereo/mono), your reamp tricks, creative compression ideas?

Thanks,
Dirk

[chrisso]

Transient Designer
SpectraSonics 610 Compressor
or sample back up.

[Jules]

SPL Transient Designer
Sony Trans Mod plug in
SansAmp hardware & Plug in
ADR Vocal Stressor on undrsnare while tracking
Distressor on room mic(s) when tracking and on mult of snare mic while mixing

[mixer]

the way i do it when i get a bad recording of a dead snare (usually no snares on it) i use filtered pink noise notched and gated triggered by the snare ..(used to use kepex now a waves gate) set the length to whatever you want...shorter can be very natural ,longer starts to sound like a disco drum machine,.

[2A Batterie]

I think an aspect that has been overlooked in this topic is performanc, or basically who is hitting what. I'm all for getting natural sounds (as oppossed to using samples, timestretching, etc.) and feel that getting the right snare drum tuned in the right fashion is a big part of the puzzle. Think about it, you wouldn't want a 311 snare sound to achieve your goal.
More importan is who is playing that drum. I really don't feel that a drummer smashing the snare is going to help achieve your desired results. A drummer like Jim Keltner always makes his drums sing and he creates a huge sound too. However, he uses finese and never pounds the drums. Bonham too was a guy who had a huge sound (probably the biggest ever) but did not hit hard. It is all about striking the drum in the most effecient manner that will produce the biggest and most musical sound.
I really feel if some attention is given to these initial aspects, then creating your desired effect will be much easier.

[brownmouse]

i would echo the spl transient designer suggestion. it works very well in that application.
joshua

[manuel alcaraz]

Always trying with some triggered snare samples, alhought you think the kind of music is not suited for this tips. Try with samples from the same player and drum, but with diferent damping,etc.

Found great global snare sounds layering some samples with short and gated verbs and Logic "Enveloper" plugin, a kind of SPL Transient designer.

[chrisso]

Originally posted by 2A Batterie
I think an aspect that has been overlooked in this topic is performanc, or basically who is hitting what.

I agree with you, especially the bit about not smashing the drums. However, I believe a lot of Gearslutz are working with drumsounds that were recorded when they weren't present.
In those circumstances it's no use to suggest the drums could have been played better.

[DirkB]

Originally posted by 2A Batterie
I think an aspect that has been overlooked in this topic is performanc, or basically who is hitting what.

Well, yes and no. Of course a great drummer who knows how to hit a solid backbeat but doesn't kill the snare is great, but even then, most in rock music what you hear is not without processing. Even when it was played great.

I'll think finally the time has come that I really have to get me one of those SPL TD thingies .

Greetings,
Dirk

[Henchman]

The last 2 mixes I have done where I needed a bit more length on the snare it was a combination of UAD 1176, into UAD Pultec with air added using the top fregqunecies, a tiny bit of distortion using the Nuendo distortion plug-in, and then the UAD EMT plate verb using the drumroom preset and some Realveb pro as well.

[2A Batterie]

Originally posted by DirkB
Well, yes and no. Of course a great drummer who knows how to hit a solid backbeat but doesn't kill the snare is great, but even then, most in rock music what you hear is not without processing. Even when it was played great.

I totally agree the most drum tracks we hear are not without processing. Like you said, processing the drum tracks are necessary in creating a certain sound even if the performance is great. However, I was suggesting that the performance is the root of what you work with. It basically is the base of the pyramid in the sense that everything you do in the mixing stage is based upon what was recorded/performed. In other words, the stronger the performance the stronger your mix is and/or the easier the process is. For example, having Bonham perform the track would make getting your desired sound (as well as a killer performance) an easier task than having Timmy from "Vomit Belt" record the track.
Of course I realize that you are seeking advice in how to create your desired effect after the drums have been tracked, but I'm just suggesting something to keep in mind for the next time.

[Drumsound]

Parallel compression on the drum group and/or SD does a lot for me. Often on the drum group I'll take out the BD so the SD is really making it work, from both the SD mic and the OH mics.

[warhead]

I love to take a dynamic mic like an SM57 and float it in EXTREMELY close to the outer edge of the batter head (I'm talking almost touching it) for a ring / sustain track. Most of the crack comes from the overheads and room mics, but ring typically gets lost in the mix.

Having that track enables you to blend in a really BIG sound, and of course some medium attack slow release stuff is great for breathing it.

If it works for you, no purchase necessary.

War

[AnalogBob]

SPL TRANSIENT DESIGNER WORKS FOR ME, QUICK EASY
A.Bob

[max cooper]

Another good way to emphasize the ring is to bring the snare back in on another track with some distortion; lately I've been using the sine warp function in Master Destrukto from audiodamage.com but there are lots of ways to get distortion happening

...usually gets you a nice "klang" if there was any at all to begin with. Of course, sometimes you don't want "klang", in which case some white noise mixed in can really help.

[bobby yarrow]

If it works in your platform, the dominion plugin from digitalfishphones is in the neighborhood of transient designer, works real well on something like snare, and is free.

Like Warren, I usually find I have more ring than I know what to do with off the close mic on the snare, especially if I compress it pretty hard. Transient designer or dominion work well in that way too.