Examples of exemplary drum production

[Dean Roddey]

The 'Toms are the Hardest Thing' thread (wasn't that a soul song back when?) got me to thinking about exemplary examples of drum production. I I figured I'd see what you guys think are particularly great efforts.

The ones that come most immediately to mind for me are:

1. Natalie Merchant, Tiger Lily, "I May Know the Word". That song is just so tastely produced all around that it makes me want to quite trying. But the the drums are just stupidly good. They are enormous and really up front, but are so within the context of a very laid back song, without ever getting in the way or overwhelming the song. I've always looked at this tune as ones of those 'when I can do that' type of songs.

2. Roger Water's, Pros and Cons of Hitchiking, "Every Stranger's Eyes". The great tom fills in the quiet part of that song. They are also huge, but within the context of a very quiet part of a quiet song, and they sound really good, with some amazing ambience on them.

3. Thea Gilmore, Avalanche, Avalanche. This one isn't for immaculate production but for extremely creative use of lo-fi, non-standard drums. It's an amazing song all around, with use of huge, enormously long decaying cymbals in the big parts, and the use of very cheap, flappy sounding drums that just fit the song perfectly.

4. Smashing Pumpkins, Mellon Collie, [all of it pretty much]. Some amazing production all around here, and the drums are no exception. Very creative use of the drums, with a lot of that 'immaculately lo-fi' thing going on.

[BLueROom]

was watching "The Departed" tonight ... the Dropkick Murphys track on there has a pretty freakin amazing drum sound!

[allencollins]

Highway to Hell @ BIB
Yes 90125 maybe anything with Alan White
All the Zep records
Whitesnake - Slide it in or anything with Cozy Powell
Sabbath Mob Rules actually almost all the records with Vinne Appice
Slip Knot
All the Pantera records


This gets me thinking, I guess It's safe to say it's pretty much all the drummer and the room that makes great drum sounds. I mean how tough is it to put q few mics up and run them through a $100,000 console and get a great drum sound if you are tracking guys like Bonham or Phil Rudd? Wouldn't be too tough. Since when you watch live footage of all these guys, they still have great drum sounds even with 57's through a cheezy soundcraft board or whatever. Hell I've seen video of bonham and it sounded great


It also may prove why so many bands have poor drum sounds. Maybe cuz the drummer sucks? or has bad sounding drums or didn't tune them? eeeh Maybe it was just the engineer. I will say the worst drum production ever is on the first Pearl Jam record. What's up with that snare? Was he hitting a kitchen cabinet tuned to E6? Or a trash can tuned to E flat

[James Meeker]

The drum production on The Talking Heads "And She Was" is awesome for a hi-fi, yet naturalistic drum sound.

I love the sound on the album "Mind Bomb" by The The--the highly tuned snare coupled with a verb decay is really nice.

INXS' "Shabooh Shoobah" album has some awesome early 80's production, although the ludicrous 3 second verb on the snare (turns off in the choruses) is a bit much for me.

Most Pat Benetar records had some off-the-hook natural drum sounds.

The advent of sample replacement has shot us in the foot for getting characterful sounds. I don't think I've heard any new drum sounds in.... 10 years?

[James Meeker]

Originally Posted by allencollins

I will say the worst drum production ever is on the first Pearl Jam record. What's up with that snare? Was he hitting a kitchen cabinet tuned to E6? Or a trash can tuned to E flat

That record suffers from reverb overkill. It's like they put a 480L on the master buss and just let it rip.

In general, most of the classic Ozzy records have drum sounds on them that I really hate. The snare is just too much for me.

[hiamex]

I love the drum production of the Porcupine tree's "In absentia", amazing room.

[rebuskyle]

Anything with Matt Chamberlain.....seriously......

OH and:

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
The Bad Plus - any album....mmmmm Tchad Blake
John Mayer - Continuum
Foo Fighters - ANY (I know...I know....loudness wars)

I could go on and on and on

[juniorhifikit]

Originally Posted by James Meeker

The drum production on The Talking Heads "And She Was" is awesome for a hi-fi, yet naturalistic drum sound.

I love the sound on the album "Mind Bomb" by The The--the highly tuned snare coupled with a verb decay is really nice.

INXS' "Shabooh Shoobah" album has some awesome early 80's production, although the ludicrous 3 second verb on the snare (turns off in the choruses) is a bit much for me.

Most Pat Benetar records had some off-the-hook natural drum sounds.

The advent of sample replacement has shot us in the foot for getting characterful sounds. I don't think I've heard any new drum sounds in.... 10 years?

Since we're hitting the way-back machine and pulling out the guilty pleasures, Sparks "Angst In My Pants", and Billy Squire "Don't Say No" both have really cool drum treatments done by Mack thumbsup

[Chris Williams]

Almost anything of Tool and Danny Carey.

I'm also loving the drums on Underoath's - Lost in the sound of separation

One of my all time favorites is the drums on Ben Harper's - Jah Work

[icebox]

Los Lobos. The song 'Rita' from an album called 'The Ride'. The room is astounding! That record was self-produced after their long stint with Blake-Froom, and they obviously learned a lot from it. Freaks me right out every time I hear it.

[DeanS311]

Anything by the The Deftones. Abe Cunningham's drums just sound SOO good.. especially on White Pony

[5down1up]

everything Obrien touches when it comes to pop, rock ... i love those drums.
Led Zeps drumsound is still the holy grail speaking that kind of music imo.

theres so many great recordings out there, jazz, drumnbass, hiphop

the drumsound on the latest sofa surfers cd is very nice.

to many to mention

[beef]

Originally Posted by DeanS311

Anything by the The Deftones. Abe Cunningham's drums just sound SOO good.. especially on White Pony

Yes sir!! -great snare, 14x6,5" bellbrass.

[warhead]

I love the drums on things like:

Metallica: Black Album
Pink Floyd: The Wall
Soundgarden: Down on the Upside
Stone Temple Pilots: Core
AC/DC: Back in Black

but you gotta admit the biggest most huge-est most insanely-est drum sound in the world is:

TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART (Bonnie Tyler)

War

[Nishmaster]

Originally Posted by hiamex

I love the drum production of the Porcupine tree's "In absentia", amazing room.

+1.

Gavin Harrison is a complete monster on the kit. Just to show you just how close to done your recordings should sound after tracking, Gavin has said on the drummerworld forum that the final mix sounds pretty much like how it sounded after they were done tracking. Very standard drum setup, C12s on OH, 421s on toms, D112 in the kick, U47 outside, 57 top and bottom snare, into a Neve 8068 at Avatar in New York. Sixteen drum tracks total. Album was mixed on an SSL at Larrabee North, I think.

[britdick]

Agreed on the 90125 record. The new Angels and Airwaves (i know - it is a guilty pleasure) might be the best sounding record of the year, and i don't say that lightly. It is certainly the best work that TLA has ever done. F'ing magnificent. U2's "Unforgettable Fire" was a major moment. Big Country's "Peace in Our Time". Pete Townshend's "White City". Can't **** with Jay Z's "99 Problems" - i know it ain't real...but that drum beat is impossible to ignore! If you haven't checked out the drum solo 3/4 of the way thru Roger Daltrey's "Under a Raging Moon" (the album version) - DO IT - it features, in this order:

Martin Chambers
Roger Taylor
Cozy Powell
Stewart Copeland
Zak Starkey
Carl Palmer
Mark Brzezicki

Speaking of Zak; his work on Oasis' "Don't Believe the Truth" is beautiful. Even if you don't like the band, check out his drumming and D. Sardy's production. Awesome.

[FireMoon]

The drum sound on Robin Trower's "For the Earth Below album" is pretty damn good..but the snare sound on the title track is just bloody wonderful...

[firby]

Originally Posted by juniorhifikit

Since we're hitting the way-back machine and pulling out the guilty pleasures, Sparks "Angst In My Pants", and Billy Squire "Don't Say No" both have really cool drum treatments done by Mack thumbsup

Yes brother. I really love some of the drums off of the old Billy Squire records. I forget who the drummer was but he is a monster and the sound is one that I adore, kind of trashy in a good way.

It's not rock but I really like the sound of Elvin Jones on a wayne shorter record called "JuJu".

Other than that I am down with all of that old Stewart Copeland from the Police I like the vibe they get off of the snare/rim shot work, and the old 4 on the floor with just 8ths on hihats still works for me.

Very lately I am all about this drumsound.

www.ninomoschella.com - Nino MoschellaÂ*

[Tranny-Cap-Tube]

Rage Against the Machine.

Drums on track 14 of LIVES's 'Throwing Copper'

[Alex Specht]

+1 on Led Zepplin

The classic of classic drum recordings.

Got a cathedral and a 2"?

[slopeshoulder]

one word: Aja

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by James Meeker

That record (Pearl Jam's
"Ten") suffers from reverb overkill. It's like they put a 480L on the master buss and just let it rip.

I thought that was room mics, i guess I was wrong . . .

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by Tranny-Cap-Tube

Drums on track 14 of LIVES's 'Throwing Copper'

That whole album sounds amazing. Made TLA's mixing career.

[riffster]

Originally Posted by allencollins

Sabbath Mob Rules actually almost all the records with Vinne Appice

Freaking brilliant album. One of a kind.

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by James Meeker

In general, most of the classic Ozzy records have drum sounds on them that I really hate. The snare is just too much for me.

Really? I love the diary of madman drum sound. Not 'roomy' not processed but nice and punchy. That opening fill in 'over the mountain' is a classic.............

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by Gordon

I thought that was room mics, i guess I was wrong . . .

Really bad sounding room then

[warhead]

Originally Posted by Gordon

I thought that was room mics, i guess I was wrong . . .

Whatever it was, it really was very washy though and took away from the drums in my opinion. I think it's the only "grunge-era" record that suffers from too much reverb!

War

[Shadows Within]

Anything by Ensiferum or Amon Amarth and Andromeda's II=I album.

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by warhead

Pink Floyd: The Wall

War

The young lust track is great for drums.
I always though he should have hit harder
in some places but that record is huge

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by riffster

Freaking brilliant album. One of a kind.

When I hear the opening drum groove in 'Slipping Away'
I just want to quit