+SpectreSoundStudios Hey! I have a very Serious question here: is not a bottom mic?? by the way, English is not my language, but i Love this videos... so, I am not sure I understand everything... sorry. Oh, and the sound of that fat snare!! I love it.
+SpectreSoundStudios this is remotely related to drumming but something i wanted to ask for a while: any experiences with tinnitus? if yes, how does one cope with that as a sound engineer? do i have a chance to become a half way decent engineer despite having tinnitus? i mean it's ignorable in every day situations, but if you work with sound you automatically end up focusing on your hearing and then it pops back up :( maybe you can cover this in your next Q&A video or maybe you can dedicate an entire video to this topic. thanks a lot for your work uncle Glenn!
+s0me1up I've got it and still manage to do live sound OK. Never seems to really bother me much though, aside from times where the ambient sound is pretty low, like if I'm at home reading or doing something quiet. Soon as there's any sort of background ambient it basically disappears, at least for me.
These drum recording videos have been invaluable to me. That is really the hardest thing for a fledgling recording engineer to get right. By the way I did sound and lighting at a local metal fest last weekend and wore my cupping the mic shirt. Figured I could just wave and point to it! Had one guy spend 5 minutes trying to explain to me why he does it before his set like it was a valid technique. The guitarist of the first band recognized the shirt so you have some fans here in the waterbury ct area.
+SpectreSoundStudios It reminds me of the Chris Adler snare sound, that really cracky and bright snare sound from Ashes of the Wake sounds killer for groove metal.
+László Szerémi I've heard of 2 methods for the St Anger sound but I've never tried them. The first is to have a bunch of vocalists cup all the drum mics for the whole recording. The other is to jam sharp objects into your ears until the canals are completely full of blood. I have heard the effect creates an almost identical snare sound!!
Finally a guy who talks about audio with actually good audio on the video. Nothing bugs me more than RU-vid "experts" talking about recording or mixing while their voice over was recorded with a crappy headset, left unprocessed at -30db and then comes fully mastered outro song that explodes my speakers and ears. Also entertaining. Great stuff.
When they were still in production, I used to use Vic Firth tapered timbale sticks, they gave the best attack without wrecking your tuning mid-song. They had that butt-end stick sound, but didn't change the dynamic of your playing as far as the stick weight-to-hit strength ratio.
For snare mics I use an SM57 on top and a Sennheiser E906 on the bottom. These mics work very well together for recording the snare drum and for 80% of all metal stuff I record, I use a DW Collectors Bell Bronze. Depending on the room, I would sometimes throw on a snare weight m1 to control a little bit of the ring, But I like to keep it as open as Possible.
Hi Glenn. I started learning how to record heavy drums by religoiusly following this series. However, when experimenting with mic placement, I found a different method for micing up the snare and got (at least to my ears) some very nice results. I put the Audix i5 about 2-3 inches above the snare, 1 inch (maybe more) past the rim towards the center of the snare, angled down at a pretty steep angle, pointed about an inch away from the center of the drum, while the back of the microphone was pointing straight at the hihat (it's really just the most commonly used method, just little exaggerated). 57 on the bottom of course. I'd be happy if you tried it, maybe used it in a video if you liked it, and maybe you could therefore give some inspiration to people for trying different stuff. Thanks for the great tutorials. Cheers from Slovakia.
Glenn, thanks so much for this video! I've been trying to record drums on a budget for ages and thought that having just 2 mic inputs in my interface (using 2 SM58s or an SM58 with a condenser) wouldn't be enough to get a decent sound. However, just hearing your drum mixes here with different channels removed, I realized it's possible to get a much better sound even if I don't have overheads, and I realized the trick was putting just a subtle touch of reverb on that snare mic. I took the dry drum mix I recorded last week, added just a bit of reverb to the snare mic track and got an AMAZING sound compared to what I had before. I'm going to be saving up for a pair of nice overheads and a new interface to handle more mics to make sure I can capture a more natural reverb to the sound. Just listening to a few of your isolated channels led to a massive breakthrough in how I'm thinking about mixing drums, and this is giving me a lot of creative juice to try some new ideas.
I've used the butt end of the sticks with both sticks since I learned how to play. I first saw Roger Taylor doing it on footage from old Queen concerts, and I also saw Nikko McBrain do it on an Iron Maiden concert video I bought years ago. When I can find them I like to use Pro Mark Rock knockers, it's just a solid stick with double butt end.
Thank you Glen for all these awesome tips! I'm a bedroom musician that plays songs for fun, but still likes to sound well. I've taken all your advice to heart and it improved my experience greatly. Cheers from Flipland (Philippines)!
Tip for less bleed: if you have the Granelli, it allows for placement between the toms. Less hihat bleed. Worked pretty well with a Sennheiser e906 aswell.
Great video ! You can hit rimshot with longer stick. I mean don't hit the dead center hit 2-3 cm above the center of head. You can achieve similar effect (but more body-sounds from shell) and you don't have to flip your stick backward (can be tricky during song with different sounds from snare). Vinnie Colaiuta and Todd Suchermann do this all the time.
I just watched this episode on RU-vid - Mike Plotnikoff - Pensado's Place #228 Plotnikoff was asked if he uses drum samples. He answered "yes, to enhance the kit". He, however, uses samples of the kit that's being recorded so it doesn't sound like a "foreign" kit. I had never thought of that approach. I find it interesting. At least that way, you're not using the same samples a million other people are using. I just found it insightful. Have a good one.
Hey, Glenn. Just want to say thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. I'm sure you had to shell out a ton of money and time to acquire such an understanding of audio engineering and it's nice to have a good resource for young people looking to get a sneak peek at how much work goes into it.
I've actually always really enjoyed the sound of a really tight and high tuned snare. I loved the sound of Portnoy's snare on the Change of Seasons DT album and ever since I heard how that cuts through I've always loved the sound of my drumkit with that snare in it. Just my personal opinion.
If there is anything I have ever disagreed with you on, it is the rimshot. The rimshot is a drum playing technique, it has nothing to do with making your recording job easier! It may be your desired sound, BUT you aren't the one playing the drums. I'll agree with anything else; reducing bleed by raising the cymbals, having the toms positioned proper, and the throne. All of those tips make everyone's lives easier! Telling the drummer to play a rimshot when he doesn't want that particular sound is a step over the line. It also affects the pitch of the hit according to the position of the strike...so if you want a higher pitch snare hit, just tighten the damn head, and if you want more attack just use a larger stick. I think it is ridiculous to ask a drummer to adjust his playing in order to make your job easier or get a certain sound in this regard.
"step over the line?" Oh please! Want your snare to sound weak? Don't play rimshots. Doing what you're suggesting is the easiest way to get replaced by samples.
@@SpectreSoundStudios What about fills? Like a eigth note fill, bapabapa...does it have to be rimshots too? I guess I just don't understand the purpose or why you favor the technique so much
@@SpectreSoundStudios "sound weak?" Aren't you the one who says beat the fuck outta the drums? A piccolo snare don't sound weak son...you want a pop, buy the right drum or tune it. You just want drummers to play your way...same as any other instructor who can't actually play em. Name one album where the drummer plays "rimshots" to get the sound he wants to achieve..."Oh yeah, i played those rimshots and it made the album sound so much better" gtfo here man..it's your personal preference and you're preaching like gospel..even the guy who makes all the metal songs for your channel doesn't do that shit
I love that you use a Sonor Steve Smith signature snare. So different sounding from how Steve tunes it. But great sound. Really good all round snare. jazz too metal. love the lessons btw.
You help me out alot thanks for everything I don't know what I wouldn't of done without you bc I'm kinda shy talking to people who know alot about audio and software stuff bc they kinda get jumpy when u say something wrong
I personally prefer the hi tuning with the snare wires kinda loose, mainly because portnoy's snare sound really grew up on me and I love it, so I did his tuning trick but with a slightly different tuning to adjust it to my own taste without taking the hi pitch and punchy sound out
Just a suggestion: Check out Mike Mangini's "The Grid," and on his larger drum kit, his main snare drum is tuned lower to get more power, and he didn't use that many rim shots when demonstrating various aspects of his kit. To me, it didn't seem like a rim shot was necessary for your "larger than life sound," (totally amazing, by the way). Have you ever considered that?
Hey, Gleen. Love your channel, especially the tutorials. Great stuff. Some years ago I was involved in a project where I had to record a band as if it was the mid-eighties. Just a fun thing among friends (I am by no means a professional) but I still tried to make it sound as good as possible. They wanted a Master of puppets sound and although we were in a pretty fancy studio (designed for big-band recordings) we obviously did not have the equipment Metallica had back in the day. I did as best I could though. However, when it came to the drums I was completely lost. No matter what I did it always ended up sounding too "modern". Listening to the original the drums sound real compact and tight, but everything I was doing made them sound too big. Not bad, just not right. Now it was obviously just a fun thing and they were happy with the outcome. But it's just been bugging me ever since. Was the whole approach to recording and mixing drums really so very different back then? Thanks for your time and greetings from Sweden.
I got the Yamaha HS1100 when i was like 15 years old. I JUST found out the rod is shorter than most hat stands. I'm 6'1. It's time for an upgrade haha!
Just wanted to say thanks Glenn! Your videos are super helpful to us guys just starting out! Speaking of just starting out, what is your opinion on EZdrummer for guys like myself who don't have the money to record real drums or are in a home studio situation? Thanks!
Personally, I prefer the non-rimshot technique because that's just what's been working for my bandm and other bands I've recorded. I will admit though, that the drummers you've brought in in the past have gotten a pretty explosive sound; which inspires me to try to work on rimshot recording a little more. Also, is there a chance we could get a video on reamping? I'm new to the process so it's all a bit confusing to me.
Is snare-wire ring really all that bad? I actually really preferred the sound you demonstrated at 7:40 I understand it might not be a conventional snare sound in metal music, but it sounds like it'd work just fine in pop or lighter rock music.
+Nick Kapp Nevermind, I just clicked on the time code you had, and I was thinking of the super choked up sound. I kinda liked the high tuned one with one moon gel. Sounded like George Kollias's snare on At the Gate of Sethu.
I'm curious as to your opinion on using timbale sticks for recording snare. I find holding the stick backwards to get the butt-end rimshot to be a bit uncomfortable, but I feel like this could be a good compromise.
Would love to see a Snare drum mic shoot out/various snare micings. As you said, the 57 is pretty much the sound of metal, but would be cool to see what else is out there :)
@@jakeseitz sOrRy hEs NoT qUaNtIzEd A good drummer should REALLY play tighter than that. A drumming like this would not get you a hit record. Not even 50 years ago. Listen to the old records and tell me if those unquantized drummers sound as sloppy as this drummer. You'll find that this is not the case.
The other thing about miking a snare with a 57 is that when the drummer screws up and whacks it with a stick, no huge loss because they are crappy anyhow. They do work though..... usually even *after* they get whacked.
Hi! Could you please share us your thoughts about blackstar amps? Some feedback from your experience when recording bands? Cheers from Costa Rica! Love your videos.
The butt end rimshot technique sounds Frickering awesome! ... If I ever end up recording drums, I wanna get that sound Dave Grohl got on "Smells Like Teen Spirit" or Chad from the Red Hot Chili Peppers got on "Give It Away". That's still some of the hardest drumming I've ever heard!
Those aren't bad but I feel like Gucci has been in the business for so much longer, and you can really hear it in their leather. It gives your sound so much sass.
Hey man, love the videos. Just wondering when you mix your drums if you use outboard eq, compressors, limiters, ect. or if you use plugins and which ones you would recommend. Thanks.
I’ve went through the video talking about the snare trigger and using it as a gate and I’m still a bit confused as to how to set it up in my DAW in general. Would you plug the trigger directly into the interface or would you plug it into a module first like normally? Also would that same gate technique possibly word for kick drum as well?
Hey Glen, are we hearing " off the mic " sounds with no post processing ( eq, compression, etc) or are we hearing sounds that has been tweaked? If so, maybe you can give us a before and after? Thanks
yes, like everything in audio, turning one thing up = turning everything else down, like in the hihat/snare bleed scenario! Also, have the drumer play the hihat quietly/properly
correct me if i'm wrong but i think nick menza doesnt use the butt end technique, but he use the double butt drumstick, which mean the drumstick have no tip and have a two butt end on each side
Rimshots are cool but the butt-end thing doesn't make enough difference to justify the lack of comfort. Also, if you place the snare mic between the toms, wouldn't it eliminate most of the hi-hat bleed without moving it away?
+SpectreSoundStudios Thank you, I'm just talking out of curiosity, I've just started drumming for fun but I'm mainly a guitar player. Thanks for the awesome content!
+MrGabbo97 At first I was like that's a great idea, but I just realized that you're going to kill your hi- hats when you add room mics (other mics). They'll be out of phase with the hi hat.
+Sam Calin No, drummers that know how to tune save lives. If you know what you're doing, tunig with you ears ist alot faster and way more accurat, than a drum dial. The only thing that comes close to the ears is the Tune Bot Drum Tuner, but still not quite as good as set of ears. ;)
Hey dude....little trick of the trade....those cheap, fridge magnets, the thin deals that come in the mail with some lawyer on em work best in my opinion....... cut a little rectangle and slide it up on those snare wires, big help with buzz off the snare drum, without going in heavy with the mustard,still allowing room, for the wires to still function.
Question, my friend uses Reaper to record all his stuff, but we have had a very hard time recording good quality vocals on it. I get much better vocal sound quality on my Pro Tools without difficulty. How do you set up your compressor, reverb/delay, and eq plugins for your vocal tracks on reaper?
Do you not tune the snare to the key of the song? Because that way the ring will not only disappear in but also contribute to the mix with some nice harmonic.
hi, question here! if you were to use a dual mono mic pre and the rest of the mics just bare naked using the pre amps of the interface, where would it be better to use the mic pre on? overheads? kick and snare? toms? thank you
Something that has always mystified me is how a top snare mic nearly parallel to the head could be 180 degress out of phase with a bottom snare mic pointing straight up. I mean, in my experience flipping the phase on the bottom mic always seems to work, but the physics just doesn't really make sense to me. They are essentially at a 90 degree angle to each other. And don't forget the trick of adding a SDC aligned with the top mic to get a bit of a different texture to the snare. The OH and rooms will do a lot of the heavy lifting, but the combination of a 57 and a SDC can be pretty magical (as long as they are in phase - I either tape them or use a hair tie to keep them lined up).
Hey Glen question of preference single, double ply, coated I've read read single play are best for the studio, but I don't like the sound personally, like cheese and wine singles to me sound like they pair best with shit cymbals. What do you prefer and why?
Since the release of this video, you've began using a new snare tuning technique from Masshoff, right? Why not do a Part 7 Redux with the new technique?
I've found that sliding a business card between the bottom skin and the snare wire can remove a lot of wire buzz without taking away from the snare's crack.
4:48 Mike Portnoy uses it because his sticks are so whimpy that he can't get a powerful sound if he plays it the right way round. They're basically Jazz sticks. Another tip: if you hit your snare too hard, you're not doing anything for the sound. Actually, you're sucking out the life of the drums. Todd Sucherman mentioned this in a video about what a Rock drummer needs.
Very true. Rimshots are important obviously, but play it like an actual musical instrument, don’t just wack the thing. And with hi hats that high up you can’t really do anything that swings are has intricate hi hats whatsoever
I want to learn that what was wrong with Beck's main theme cover video? Why people hated and why u deleted? I watched that anime and i know that soundtrack. I think yours was better than orginal.
hey glenn! been a fan since day one:) question about monitors though. do you ever turn yours off or do you just leave them on constantly? i leave mine on day in and day out and i fear they may short out or something. thanks for the awesome videos! keep it up
