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The right balance DRUMS ARE AN important part of the mix because they help establish the groove. Where I place the drums in a mix often depends on the genre of music. Generally, in my mixes, the drums are out front because I like to quickly establish a groove so the listener can quickly connect with the song on a rhythmic level. Drums also help create or maintain a certain energy level in the song. For example, in rock, country and pop mixes, drums are more prominently featured in the chorus than the verses. On the other hand, electronic/dance mixes feature driving drums throughout the entire song to maintain a consistent energy level. Here are some of my tips and tricks for making the drums sound just right in the mix: * Kick and snare should be the focus of the drum mix. * A lot of reverb and decay can be derived from the overhead mics and room mics.
PHOTO: TOONTRACK
Electronic drumming is not just about triggers and modules. Increasingly, thanks to VSTs, e-drummers are getting involved in music production and mixing their drums into music tracks. Award-winning producer Allen Morgan offers some practical tips.
And a few things to avoid: * Stop drummers playing between takes! Ha ha. * Avoid overplaying or underplaying - but this is really dependent on the circumstances. * A particular bugbear is overplaying the hi-hat. This bleeds into the snare microphone and really drives me crazy! * Nothing can kill a drummer’s momentum as much as “over-producing” a take.
* Keep a tight control over the bass of the kit; people tend to overcompensate by adding a lot of bottom to toms and snares and this eventually leads to drowning out the drums.
Ultimately, a great production is a sum of all parts, including the song, musicians, engineers, studios, etc. The drums certainly are a key element of a song, but improper mixing of the drums is a sure way to ruin a track. All elements of the track should ultimately support the vocal nothing should be competing. However, a vocal that is supported by a solid groove can really emphasise the song’s meaning and impact.
* Creative use of compression on overhead, room and drum buzz mics gives the drums more pop and presence when used correctly.
Allen Morgan’s Music City Presets was released as an add-on to Toontrack’s Superior Drummer 2.0 system.
* I’m not a fan of using gates on drums; I typically spend a lot of time with the tracking engineer making sure that the bleed is minimal in order to avoid using gates.
digitalDRUMMER, NOVEMBER 2011
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