Kick and Snare tests

[eyesore]

I'd appreciate any comments as to anything that could be improved in either of these drum sounds. I plan to try recording this set outside this weekend with a real drummer. He fashioned a speaker mic that I haven't yet tested also. However. it sounds like I need to worry more about the other end of the spectrum still. unless I use a mic without much lowend inside the drum instead? Thanks.

[eyesore]

Anything you can hear that I should do differently so that I don't waste his time tomorrow? Thanks.

[norwood]

I can't tell all that much from the samples you provided. I'd guess that they'd be ok. As long as you get good solid drum sounds while tracking, you'll be able to get what you want in mixing. If I got those sounds to mix with I'd be just fine. Just hit the snare harder.

[eyesore]

Originally Posted by norwood

I can't tell all that much from the samples you provided. I'd guess that they'd be ok. As long as you get good solid drum sounds while tracking, you'll be able to get what you want in mixing. If I got those sounds to mix with I'd be just fine. Just hit the snare harder.

Thanks for the reply. Yeah I was wondering how much difference someone hitting it with some real authority will make - I am not a drummer but I played these just to get some sort of a test as I had no drummer on hand. The funny thing is that I had to force myself to hit as hard as I did(I know it still wasn't very hard though)! It seems to me here and when I have tried recording drummers before that it never sounds like the drums were being hit as hard as they actually were, at least on close mics... Is that always the case? It doesn't seem like that in a room mic, however.

From everything I've read, I gather that a drummer needs to hit the drums hard and the cymbals lighter for a good recording...True? What about an instance of a softer section of a song? Or is the answer that he'd play lighter than on harder part but still harder thn I was in the example?

To me these samples sound better than many attempts I made back when I tried to record drums before, but they seem to sound somehow 'mushy' and not as present or 'clear' as well recorded ones still. I am still skeptical that playing them harder is all they need, but I am really not sure what else it might be. To me that kick sounds too much like what it is - inside the drum.

Thanks.

[norwood]

In my experience it takes some effort to get good tone out of the drums. Kenny Aronoff, probably the most prolific session drummer in the world, beats the hell out of his drums. Kenny also wears out a section the size of a silver dollar on his heads because he hits the drums in the same place every time. Hit them hard but still controlled.

As far as louder and softer sections of music, just let the drummer control the dynamics. A drum hit hard and turned down will sound alot different than a drum hit more softly. Let the drummer give the performance rather than trying to create it in the mix.

What mics/pres are you using? Mic'ing techniques? OH configuration? Room size? All of these factors and many more are going to play a huge role in the sounds you get. Control the ones you can. Good mic'ing, good placement within the room, quality well tuned drums. And if you have any extra mics, throw 'em up... you can never have to many room mics.

Most of all, don't take any shortcuts. Try to get good sounds with mic'ing not eq/compression/gating. You can always compress/eq, etc. later. Just take your time and be willing to try something else if somethings not working.