Stop Trashing the Drums
Posted on | September 3, 2008 |
I’ve blogged before about drums, as well as had an article published in EQ magazine about how to more successfully record them.
I’m thinking about drums now because I just did a sample for a potential client. It’s a good recording, but two things made it tough. First, it’s HEAVY stuff. Second, the cymbals were eq’d pretty heavily on the bright side.
These two things don’t go together well. The more you squeeze (smash) a mix in mastering, the brighter and edgier it gets…and the more it breaks up on the high frequencies. So, if you’re starting with an already “trashy” cymbal sound, you’re in trouble.
Honestly, I don’t really care how people record drums. There are various good ways for different styles of music. But learn how to get a good drum sound without processing. It’s going to make your mixes (no matter what style of music you record) sound more professional.
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From Ohm to Om reflects the opinions of mastering engineer Paul Abbott, owner of San Diego's ZenMastering.
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