Tracking Drums in a MASSIVE empty room - advisable?

Hashbrown · 20th April 2010

Hey guys and girls,

I just walked past an absolutely huge room:
They are busy renovating a store, one of those big wholesale floors you get in strip malls. It has fairly low ceiling, but the sheer length and width make it a very reverberant room.

Has anybody successfully tracked a rock drummer in a space like this?

Is there a point when a space is too reverberant or big?

I'm happy with the space i'm tracking in now, but just thought it might be fun to go and jam there and see what i get. I will be recording myself playing the drums, so no customer worries.

Worth a try?

Darm · 20th April 2010

low ceilings and parallel walls will create flatter echo...
that's not too cool.
If the space is huge, and the walls are not parallel- that's cool

Jules · 20th April 2010

Test it out with just a few mics.

Kick and overheads -

If that sounds good - go for it!

Huge rooms CAN sometimes sound small.

Clap your hands in studio 2 of Abbey Road and the sound back - is tight! And nothing like you would think you would get standing in such a big room.

A producer client of mine recorded a few tracks of an act on a stage of huge convert auditorum / theater. He thought it would give the recordings a "big sound" It ended up the most dreary closed mic'ed, vibeless sound ever! it was a failure as an expiriment and a total b!tch to mix.

amishsixstringe · 20th April 2010

I'm still building my new place from the ground up. The concrete shell is done. It's 40x30x15 (feet) and we put some drums in there just for fun, because it was so live. I put 8 gobos around the drums that were really just 2x4 foot sheets of 703. The drums were WAYYYYY to roomy and washy for anything useful. Sounded coool, but not something I'd want to try mixing.

Neil

Drumattacks · 20th April 2010

I've tracked in huge empty warehouse spaces pretty similar. But with much higher ceilings.

Transient shaper/designer on OHs helped a bunch.

Jules · 20th April 2010

On 'found' locations its a real lottery IMHO - some work some dont.

You just have to try it..

Some folks think studio design is a lottery too!

Vum · 20th April 2010

Maybe track without cymbals and overdub them later. Will definitely sound huge without those things ringing for hours.

20th April 2010	#1
Hashbrown Gear maniac Joined: Jun 2009 Location: Joburg, South Africa Posts: 232 Thread Starter	Tracking Drums in a MASSIVE empty room - advisable? Hey guys and girls, I just walked past an absolutely huge room: They are busy renovating a store, one of those big wholesale floors you get in strip malls. It has fairly low ceiling, but the sheer length and width make it a very reverberant room. Has anybody successfully tracked a rock drummer in a space like this? Is there a point when a space is too reverberant or big? I'm happy with the space i'm tracking in now, but just thought it might be fun to go and jam there and see what i get. I will be recording myself playing the drums, so no customer worries. Worth a try? __________________ http://www.broadjam.com/artists/home.php?artistID=69120

20th April 2010	#3
Jules Gearslutz.com admin Joined: Apr 2002 Location: A Yank in London, UK Posts: 17,808 1 Review written	Test it out with just a few mics. Kick and overheads - If that sounds good - go for it! Huge rooms CAN sometimes sound small. Clap your hands in studio 2 of Abbey Road and the sound back - is tight! And nothing like you would think you would get standing in such a big room. A producer client of mine recorded a few tracks of an act on a stage of huge convert auditorum / theater. He thought it would give the recordings a "big sound" It ended up the most dreary closed mic'ed, vibeless sound ever! it was a failure as an expiriment and a total b!tch to mix. __________________ Jules Add your reviews to the new reviews area! Gearslutz on Facebook Follow my GS picks on Twitter

20th April 2010	#4
amishsixstringe Lives for gear Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Athens, Ohio Posts: 1,267	I'm still building my new place from the ground up. The concrete shell is done. It's 40x30x15 (feet) and we put some drums in there just for fun, because it was so live. I put 8 gobos around the drums that were really just 2x4 foot sheets of 703. The drums were WAYYYYY to roomy and washy for anything useful. Sounded coool, but not something I'd want to try mixing. Neil __________________ My Recording Studio Build Thread: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/photo...hens-ohio.html Photobucket Page with TONS more studio photos: http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s...ding%20Studio/ www.myspace.com/amishelectricchair www.gcrecords.com

20th April 2010	#7
Vum Lives for gear Joined: Dec 2006 Location: Dallas Posts: 1,045	Maybe track without cymbals and overdub them later. Will definitely sound huge without those things ringing for hours. __________________ "Don't even pick up the phone to book me without porn in your socks" - Me

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20th April 2010	#2
Darm Lives for gear Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 827	low ceilings and parallel walls will create flatter echo... that's not too cool. If the space is huge, and the walls are not parallel- that's cool

20th April 2010	#5
Drumattacks Gear Head Joined: Jun 2009 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 43	I've tracked in huge empty warehouse spaces pretty similar. But with much higher ceilings. Transient shaper/designer on OHs helped a bunch.

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