J.J. & Others -

J.J, I used your advice and tried the Glynn Johns triangle method you so graciously described in another thread some time back. I am pleasantly surprised with the stereo image I am getting now. Thanks!

Here is where the advice part comes in…

I have a potential paying session coming up. I’d like to send the interested potential client a sample of my drum sound, since I am, more than anything, pimping my drums.
My studio is fairly simplistic – refinished basement, Nuendo rig, a few decent mics and a couple of light weight pres. The room sounds ok in my opinion… with “some” treatment. I’m looking to charge next to nothing for this work.

Question: listening to the attached sample, would you recommend that it is usable for my purposes? (I am going for a middle of the road, solid drum sound… with good definition and a clear representation of the drums, with a bit of edge – for more of a pop/rock type sound… maybe jazz, but with less eq than this sample)

i.e. – does it sound semi-professional and in the least bit impressive, Or do you have any recommendations for me to improve the sound/image? Your thoughts (and others thoughts) would be much appreciated.

Yes, I know, what sounds good to one may sound like crap to another… and this is very subjective… however I’m simply looking for opinions/advice.


Drum Kit = old 80’s tama kit… pearl maple piccolo
Mics:
Overheads (in your prescribed method) = studio projects B1’s (directly overhead & peeking over floor tom)
Front of Kit = 4033
Snare = 57 top, 57 bottom
Toms = 10” beta 57, 13” senn. 421
Kick = D112
Hats = C1000

Pres are DPM-3 … with a bit of audio buddy & behringer thrown in
I put a bit of Waves reverb to open the room up. Room is approximately 16’ x 25’ (with low ceilings… 7’ish)


drum sample

Thanks, Chuck

by the way... i thought i would post a couple of pics... i mean, what the he;ll, why not?

still looking for advice/suggetions!!!

Chuck,it would help if you played a steady beat with fills and crashes to tell what's going on. From what I hear so far though, the snare's a little pingy for my taste. Could use more crack. But play a beat and all so I can hear how everything sits.

10-4 J.J.

i basically took a couple of quick sample beats and muted certain parts... so that you can hear some things seperately. similar to your sample posted some time ago

1. (intro) full kit
2. overheads only
3. then room only
4. then kick/snare only
5. back to full kit as beat changes
6. then to room + overheads
7. snare/toms/hats only
8. full kit through the end

p.s. - there is a different snare on these samples... last sample was a maple piccolo... this is a 5&1/2. completely dry... with eq/compression/light gating on toms.

drum sample edit

thanks!!! Chuck

Piccolo! No wonder it was pingy. I'll give it a listen when I get on real speakers.

cool, thanks. the new sample i put up is not a piccolo - but the first sample was. yea... i have heard from more than a few people that the piccolo sound is a bit "rah-gah".

it was cool in the early 90's though. then again... so were the spin doctor's. ouch

bags, your recording is fine. beyond that, it comes down to personal tastes in the drum sounds themselves, therefore if you have the kit sounding the way the client likes it, it seems like you are on the right track to recording it well. just check your phasing between the OHs and the close mics. while the drums are playing, flip the phase of the OHs and the room, and see what happens.