Replacing recorded drums with samples (1 Viewer)

[Beanstalk]

This seems to becoming more and more common, especially for Kick and snare drums. So is it a cardinal sin? An admittance of mic placement failure?

Or just a sensible tool to use to compensate when you have poor quality mics/drums available for recording, and limited technique?

I think its quite useful, as some of my drum recordings to date needed cosmetic surgery, but I would hope to use it less and less as my technique improves. I think listening to the difference between some of my recorded drum mics and the 'ideal' samples, gives me a good grounding on what I am aiming for at times so my ear is also being trained for future recordings. But at the same time I cringe when I hear something like the drums on Green Day's American idiot album.

So where do you stand on this, and if you are partial to a bit of cheating* what do you use...sound replacer, drumagog, BFD?




* As opposed to delay, distortion, compression, EQ, etc...which is not cheating at all...oh no siree.

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

If you want super modern heavy heavy sound, you're gonna be grabbing some samples.
I mostly use 'em for rescue purposes.

 

[ernesto]

yeah, if a drummer keps goin out of time or is inconsistant with the hitting of a drum well then ye have to sample and rebuild the drums. quite funny when you send them away for an hour or two, and the drummer comes back thinking he's the shit and he's totally in time when really yove been breaking your balls to make him not sound like the crap bastard that he is

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Mind you, the best use I've found for replacers are the comedy gold moments when you slap an 808 miami vice snare sound onto someone's o-so-serious tune. mehehe.

Anyways, plenty of dudes go out of their way to make sure their replaced drums don't sound like replaced drums. That'd be the way to go, I reckon.

What kinda things are making you unhappy about some of the drum hits you've got there, Beany?

Also, I've keep forgetting to start a topic on how much I'm HATING ringy snares at the moment.
I'm gonna fucking ban them, seriously.

Baaoooommmm.
Baaoooommmm.

*applies 2db of compression*

Baaoooommmm.
Baaoooommmm.

 

[Beanstalk]

What kinda things are making you unhappy about some of the drum hits you've got there, Beany?

Hmmm, hard to explain when I don't have the Wavs to listen to here at work...I have yet to get stuck into them but there's generally too much spill between snare and Kick mics...when I gate & compress the individual mics to tighten them up, they sound too choked and thin, even in the mix...I do like a crisp dry drum sound so hard to find a nice release time which tightens the snare & Kick, and doesn't allow the bleed to seep in.

Looking at that phase thread, it occurs to me I must look into flipping some stuff about...granted it should have been done before recording, but hindsight...

I'll process some of the takes over the next few weeks, post them up here, and hopefully ye can throw your tuppence in...

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Yeah, why not.
Let us know where+what mics were involved too.
Definitely try flipping around the phase.

Maybe even start with the OHs and mangle kick and snare from there until they add what you want to the OH sound. Assuming you like that.

 

[dudley]

it can be quite handy. sometimes you might be thick in the mix and realise you went for the wrong snare sound or something, not that it was recorded badly.

we did it for one mix on our new record, at dave odlums suggestion, and i was wary of it til i actually heard it, the difference was fantastic, really gave the mix a focus it lacked. there was nothing wrong with the original snare, it just weren't the right sound for the song

 

[kings lead hat]

you gotta be really careful when u do it, if its not in phase/time itll sound so crap in a nightclub or really loud.
but does help
but you shouldnt need to do it
but i have on occasion
but is this an answrer?

 

[Pantone247]

Also, I've keep forgetting to start a topic on how much I'm HATING ringy snares at the moment.

stick yr wallet on the top skin, deadens the snare right up

it's what Hal Blaine would do

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

T-shirt over the snare is fun too.
Ringo-tastic.

 

[Pantone247]

T-shirt over the snare is fun too.
Ringo-tastic.

or on the tom!

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

*squint*

 

[the departed]

a really good way of "isolating" and "killing" the ring and not "killing" the "snare" is to put a little bit of tape over a coin and try different spots until you find the "sweet" spot. now i have to go rest my arms because i just did a lot of "this".

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Solution is to get a drummer who can tune a snare.
Or learn myself argh.
Another thing I keep meaning to do.

Last time out it was taping a bunch of bog roll to the snare.
Which revealed an even nastier sympathetic ring in the rack tom.
SIGH.

IHATERINGYSNARES

IHATERINGYSNARES.

 

[the departed]

i like a ringey snare. once its not ALL ring. i like a good SNARE!!!-0-0-with a really slight ring undertone.

 

[Space]

Solution is to get a drummer who can tune a snare.
Or learn myself argh.
Another thing I keep meaning to do.

Last time out it was taping a bunch of bog roll to the snare.
Which revealed an even nastier sympathetic ring in the rack tom.
SIGH.

IHATERINGYSNARES

IHATERINGYSNARES.

Ever try using one of them drum tuner yokes?

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Ever try using one of them drum tuner yokes?

Like Drum Dial ?
I'd fuckin LOVE one, man.
Damn, gotta wait another year for Santy.

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

ARGH

There's some song on 6 music.
With ringy snare of Godzilla proportions.
JESUS.
STOP THE HURT.

 

[ernesto]

Solution is to get a drummer who can tune a snare.
Or learn myself argh.
Another thing I keep meaning to do.

Last time out it was taping a bunch of bog roll to the snare.
Which revealed an even nastier sympathetic ring in the rack tom.
SIGH.

IHATERINGYSNARES

IHATERINGYSNARES.

i prefer non-ringing snares 90% of the time

 

[Space]

Like Drum Dial ?
I'd fuckin LOVE one, man.
Damn, gotta wait another year for Santy.

Yeah we used one we borrowed off someone years ago before a recording session. Found it quite hard to use and I've a funny feeling we gave up in the end.

When I say we I mean the drummer in my old band with the rest of us looking on in bewilderment.