Quantising Drums

[Cuban]

At the back end of last year, I was asked to do my first session for a production team since my return to drumming. 26 years of advances in studio technology was quite an eye opener!

I have worked a lot with a click track since my return, both in my own practice and in live shows, so I am quite comfortable with it.

However, I was nervous after such a long break away from being recorded, especially as I was asked to play the track in three different ways to the same R&B track (which is not my natural style of music.)

It was a typical session fast paced and each varying rhythm was down in just one or two takes and then that was it, I was told I could pack up and go.

They seemed very happy, but myself, I was less so as I felt I was not spot on with my timings and when I mentioned this, they said, no problem, we will simply fix that with quantising.

Naturally that was something I had never encountered before, but they reassured me that it was common place these days.

Knowing a few famous drummers, I've since asked them about this and to my shock, all said, sure everything has it these days.

Over Christmas, I watched the Foo Fighters documentary and they talked about recording their last album raw and without quantising for the first time and how difficult they had all found it.

Tonight I got the raw drum track and was disappointed to hear 3 lazy snare beats. My wife can't hear them, but I can and it has bugged me.

However, this is pre quantising and I am told that will cure them and I'll get that version via email tomorrow.

I still don't know whether to be mad at myself over those snare beats. I knew it at the time, but was not given the chance to correct them, but now I start to wonder, did I do a good job after all?

If most recordings use quantising, am what I am hearing on the radio and cds from no end of drummers, is it not really what they played?

I'd welcome your thoughts and experiences on this.

[itchie]

imo quantizing sucks

why bother getting a drummer in if they are going to chop it up

[nucjd]

I prefer elastizing rather than quantizing but it is definitely helpful. Elastizing will keep the human element as you can dial in the amount in percentages and it will allow the natural ebb and flow to remain and not be so mechanical.

[itchie]

what disturbing is the auto quantize ..like predetermining the placement of notes

really... we need this?...

[funkyruss]

Well, it seems as if you no longer have to be a good drummer because they can "fix " that...so i think in your mind, you just try to do the best ya can. You don't get a chance to redo your track because they can "fix" that...technology has grown way too quick for humans to keep up....that's what's wrong with the world....too fast, not fast enough no time blah blah blah....
Hey did ya notice the correct spelling and usage of the word "too"?