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Thread: Drum Sound - Natural vs. Processed and EQ'd

  1. #1

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    Default Drum Sound - Natural vs. Processed and EQ'd

    I was reading another thread and it was mentioned that alot of newer drummers have no idea what I good sounding drum sounds like in reality, they think all drums should sound they way they do on an album recording after they have been EQ's, compressed and processed. It occurred to me that in my case this is absolutely correct. I have played for about a year and a half and have been trying to get my drums to sound as close as possible to come of my favorite recordings and I havnt had much luck for obvious reasons. I know drumming is personal and that what one person thinks sounds good, sounds awful to another but I am looking to have people post here some sound/video clips of unprocessed and EQ'd drums so I can see in reality what a drum sounds likes before you hear the final product on a CD.

  2. #2

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    You'd be amazed by how different your drums sound if you had somebody else play them while you stood out front.

    As far as studio wizardry goes, EQ is pretty easy to understand. Compression can be used in a number of different ways, depending on the desired effect. In general, it makes soft things sound louder. It can also be used to enhance attack or smooth things out. Then, there's gating. A gate can be set to open/close based on time or dynamics. Gating on room mics or reverb tracks was extremely popular on 80's pop drum tracks where it was used to cut off the sound after a preset length of time. Think Phil Collins. Gates can also be used on the front end to keep softer sounds from coming through (beater bounce, snare buzz) because the gate doesn't open and allow sound through if the initial attack is below the volume threshold.

    I'm sure that there are others who understand this far better than I do. I'd suggest browsing the "recording drums" section to see what you can learn.
    Mmm... Saturns.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by weezy View Post
    You'd be amazed by how different your drums sound if you had somebody else play them while you stood out front.
    Absolutely! This is something I don't often get to experience, but one Christmas me and another drummer were splitting Christmas Eve services with the praise team, and we decided to use my kit for all services. I had the chance to go stand out in the auditorium and listen while he was playing my kit, and I couldn't surpress a grin because of how danged good everything sounded, and not just the sound coming out of the PA, but the actual sound coming off of the drums. I knew my drums sounded good, but out front in the auditorium they really came to life.
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  4. #4

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    What can a studio do?
    Pearl Forums with Pearl cymbals.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CUp_Tmg2Y0&feature=related"]Eric Singer Pearl Promo Video drum solo FULL - YouTube[/ame]

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Drum Sound - Natural vs. Processed and EQ'd

    Live unproccessed drums.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ5B6...ature=youtu.be

    I hope you dont mind me using your vid Rick.

  6. #6

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    Many major recording studios are usually jam packed with high end gear and an environment the average musician simply cannot afford. They've got a soundguy who knows his stuff and is often a holder of some kind of degree in sound engineering, professionally done sound treatment, tons of expensive microphones, mixers/interfaces, preamps, and sometimes a very talented session player comes in to lay down a track. Can't really expect a 30 dollar CAD mic to do the same thing as something costing around 10 times more, but you can still get a good sound with inexpensive gear- it just takes a little work and practice.
    ZildjianLeague/LP/Aquarian/Mapex/Pearl
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  7. #7

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    My drums are in a very small room in my basement (approx. 12x8), all the walls are concrete block and all my drums seem to have a fair bit of high end to them no matter how I tune, I suspect its the room. This is the second set of drums I have owned and I had the same problem with both. Could the small room and the fact that I am surrounded by concrete be causing the higher pitches to bounce back at me more so than the lower pitches?

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by brandonv25 View Post
    My drums are in a very small room in my basement (approx. 12x8), all the walls are concrete block and all my drums seem to have a fair bit of high end to them no matter how I tune, I suspect its the room. This is the second set of drums I have owned and I had the same problem with both. Could the small room and the fact that I am surrounded by concrete be causing the higher pitches to bounce back at me more so than the lower pitches?
    Very much so. The room is one of the biggest factors in how a kit sounds.
    try hanging some heavy blankets or area rugs on the walls to absorb some of those high frequencies bouncing around the room.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Northern Redneck View Post
    What can a studio do?
    Pearl Forums with Pearl cymbals.

    Eric Singer Pearl Promo Video drum solo FULL - YouTube
    Damn....studio guys could make cardboard boxes sound good

  10. #10

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    OMG those toms are massive in that pearl video.
    "The chances of being attacked and killed by a terrorist are less than the chances of being attacked and killed by your own heart"
    Carrying the message to Garcia. Today and everyday.
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  11. #11

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    Way to go Eric.. They even got the cymbals sounding awesome. I wonder if those are any different from the brass ones Pearl has used recently. I could not stand those things, they had this broken glass crashing sound that would test the limitations of my eardrums every time I struck them. I happily upgraded.
    ZildjianLeague/LP/Aquarian/Mapex/Pearl
    Snares: 4
    RIP- Frank, Wolvie, Les Paul
    Quote Originally Posted by Pearl MCX Man View Post
    I wish I was your wife
    Quote Originally Posted by amdrummer View Post
    if double bass is cheating then so is using two sticks

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    No metronome?
    The Rudiments

  12. #12

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    Those are stock Pearl cymbals, same ones they give away with todays kits.

  13. #13

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    In the 70's there was a studio philosophy of strangling the drums dead and devoid of anything resembling "tone" and then putting it all back through EQ and other board effects. Never understood it. Now, I think the drums are allowed to show through more naturally, at least it sounds to me.

    For those searching out a certain particular sound, why beat yourself up with all the head selecting and tuning etc...etc...? when you can likely find samples of the sounds you like and trigger them. After all, this is 2012!!

    all the best...

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by brandonv25 View Post
    My drums are in a very small room in my basement (approx. 12x8), all the walls are concrete block and all my drums seem to have a fair bit of high end to them no matter how I tune, I suspect its the room. This is the second set of drums I have owned and I had the same problem with both. Could the small room and the fact that I am surrounded by concrete be causing the higher pitches to bounce back at me more so than the lower pitches?
    The only thing that you have working in your favor there is that the room isn't totally square. Hard surfaces tend to promote very bright reflections. As NR stated: blankets, rugs, sleeping bags, etc. on the walls would help reduce this. A heavy piece of carpet under the kit wouldn't hurt either. Also, don't put the kit dead center in room. You typically get the most standing waves i.e. destructive interference at the center of a room.
    Mmm... Saturns.

  15. #15

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    Default Re: Drum Sound - Natural vs. Processed and EQ'd

    Quote Originally Posted by brandonv25 View Post
    My drums are in a very small room in my basement (approx. 12x8), all the walls are concrete block and all my drums seem to have a fair bit of high end to them no matter how I tune, I suspect its the room. This is the second set of drums I have owned and I had the same problem with both. Could the small room and the fact that I am surrounded by concrete be causing the higher pitches to bounce back at me more so than the lower pitches?
    Absolutely.
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  16. #16

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    I use my ear muffs as a gauge to how the drums actually sound. LOL. I play with bare walls too. Lots of high end in there.

    Now, my living room on the other hand...the drums sound MAGICAL in there. Problem is my wife is not fond of the drums being set up in there.

  17. #17

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    i did a little experiment ...using only a rode nt4

    natural and Processed

  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by marko138 View Post
    I use my ear muffs as a gauge to how the drums actually sound. LOL. I play with bare walls too. Lots of high end in there.

    Now, my living room on the other hand...the drums sound MAGICAL in there. Problem is my wife is not fond of the drums being set up in there.
    You tell her that in your castle you are the KING and you are going to have YOUR WAY. And afterwards... let me know how that goes.
    "The chances of being attacked and killed by a terrorist are less than the chances of being attacked and killed by your own heart"
    Carrying the message to Garcia. Today and everyday.
    Temple Beth Snare Buzz-Head Rabbi

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kazaamski View Post
    You tell her that in your castle you are the KING and you are going to have YOUR WAY. And afterwards... let me know how that goes.
    Ok, that made me literally laugh out loud. Bet there would be a lot of this
    TAMA- '2018 Star Walnut, ‘99 Starclassic Performer, '89 Granstar, ‘93 Rockstar
    Gretsch- 1963 Round Badge
    Zildjian
    Remo
    Vic Firth
    Speed Cobra Double Pedal Blackout Edition
    Speed Cobra Hi Hat
    Hardware- TAMA Roadpro
    Snare Drums- various TAMA, Gretsch, Ludwig, Leedy
    Mic's- Sennheiser, Shure, AKG

  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by itchie View Post
    i did a little experiment ...using only a rode nt4

    natural and Processed
    Drums sounded great in both takes.. It was hard to ascertain, but was a slight bit of reverb added to the processed soundclip? It seemed to sound 'bigger' in a way that I can not otherwise pinpoint.
    ZildjianLeague/LP/Aquarian/Mapex/Pearl
    Snares: 4
    RIP- Frank, Wolvie, Les Paul
    Quote Originally Posted by Pearl MCX Man View Post
    I wish I was your wife
    Quote Originally Posted by amdrummer View Post
    if double bass is cheating then so is using two sticks

    Forum Rules
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    No metronome?
    The Rudiments

  21. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by itchie View Post
    i did a little experiment ...using only a rode nt4

    natural and Processed
    Nice comparison itchie. With only the one Rode mic, there is a clear difference in the sound. From there, you can imagine what additional mics, and sound shaping would do.
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  22. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by Northern Redneck View Post
    Live unproccessed drums.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ5B6...ature=youtu.be

    I hope you dont mind me using your vid Rick.

    Not at all. That is, of course, hoping you aren't using it as a way of saying "this is not the way to tune drums".

  23. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by Russ View Post
    Drums sounded great in both takes.. It was hard to ascertain, but was a slight bit of reverb added to the processed soundclip? It seemed to sound 'bigger' in a way that I can not otherwise pinpoint.
    first i used a multiband dynamic compressor to make the kick punchy and give a more "hi-fi sound", then added a loudness/maximizer plugin to get final result to commercial volume -0.3 db

  24. #24

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    i had to put a small couch 4 ft in front of my kit recently, i had my kit tuned great, put couch in front, totally destroyed my tuning.
    couch gets moved today.
    ive had one other person play my kit, i went to the other end of the house to listen, sounded great. behind the kit it always sounds different.

  25. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kazaamski View Post
    You tell her that in your castle you are the KING and you are going to have YOUR WAY. And afterwards... let me know how that goes.
    If I disappear from the forum and you guys never hear from me again you'll know the result!

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