Drums & Percussion feature articles
learningAcoustic Drumhead Setting - Getting it Right - How to Tune a Drum Kit
Tuning a drum kit is in itself an art, which many drummers don't really master. It's no wonder then that many professional drummers rely on specialists for the task, especially for recording sessions. And it's true that properly tuning drums requires a lot of experience, just like tuning a piano. In this article we'll try to give you some basic un…
- learning
Mixing your drums Part 3 : the toms - Mixing Toms
Toms are an interesting part of the kit that often add flare and excitement to a drum track, just look at the intro to Enter Sandman by Metallica, or the fill before the chorus of Africa by Toto. They are probably also the area of the drum kit that will give you the most grief. Lets dive straight in and take a look at some useful ways to get those…
- learning
Mixing your drums Part 2 : the snare - Mixing A Snare Drum
Next to the Kick Drum, the Snare Drum is the most important component of the Drum Kit. So its paramount that we get it to sound as good as its potential.
- learning
Mixing your drums Part 1 : the kick - Mixing The Kick Drum
In most Genre’s the Kick Drum will be the Low End foundation of the song. So really we should treat it with respect and try and get the best out of it while mixing. If you have recorded the Kick Drum well then you have a much easier time ahead, but we still want to give it the old “Spit ‘n’ Polish”.
- learning
A Love Affair With Channel One - The Mighty Kick Drum Microphone: Part 1
Though there are other conventions, it is generally agreed that the kick drum goes into the first channel of the console, and for time immemorial, inordinate efforts have gone into tediously adjusting it.
- learning
Exploring the Art of Filthy Signal Mutation - Extreme Drum Processing
I like music with a distinctly electronic edge, but also want a human "feel." Trying to resolve these seemingly contradictory ideals has led to some fun experimentation, but one of the more recent "happy accidents" was finding out what happens when you apply heavy signal processing to multitracked drums played by a human drummer. I ended up with a…
- learning
How to Get the Most Out of Them - Multitrack Drum Libraries
More drum libraries are showing up in multitrack format from companies like Discrete Drums, Wizoo, East-West, Reel Drums, etc. Although these are sold on the basis of being useable out of the box for drum parts (with the additional advantage of being mixable), I see them more as a gold mine of raw materials for creating custom drum loops. Being ab…
- learning
The Difference Between Bronze and Brass Cymbals - The Cymbal Rap for Newbies
For simplicity’s sake, there are basically three types and price levels of cymbals: beginner brass, intermediate sheet bronze and professional cast bronze. The brass are usually used only by young beginners and are the least expensive. The sheet bronze cymbals, while most fall in the intermediate price range, are used by beginners and pros, and th…
- learning
EQ and Compression Techniques Pt.2: Drums - EQ and Compression Techniques Pt.2: Drums
Despite the preponderance of exceptional drum samples and loops on the market, for certain genres of music (notably country and rock) there is no substitute for a great session drummer playing on a well-recorded and mixed drum kit. One thing that samples and loops can’t provide is the great rhythmic instincts an accomplished live player draws upon…
- learning
Recording Drums Part 2 - In the Studio with Michael Wagener - Part 2
After explaining how he mics up drums, Michael Wagener now talks more about ribbon microphones, which he considers much less understood than their condenser or dynamic counterparts.
