[mjs[_2_]]

When it comes to mixing snare drums, I can't seem to find a way to have my
cake and eat it too.

I want them to snap. I can achieve that by thinning the snare out a bit, and
compressing (or Trans-X'ing) it. It'll snap beautifully, even when the track
is then routed to a stereo bus that has ALL the drum tracks, and slightly
compresses them together.

However, I then hear complaints that although they snap like there's no
tomorrow, my snares may be too thin. If I bring back some of the low end I
took out, I lose the snap.

How do the pros do it? What do you do to a snare track that needs to sound
relatively full/round, yet snap at every hit?

Any technique tips/advice to share?

[david correia]

In article ews.net,
"mjs" wrote:

When it comes to mixing snare drums, I can't seem to find a way to have my
cake and eat it too.

I want them to snap. I can achieve that by thinning the snare out a bit, and
compressing (or Trans-X'ing) it. It'll snap beautifully, even when the track
is then routed to a stereo bus that has ALL the drum tracks, and slightly
compresses them together.

However, I then hear complaints that although they snap like there's no
tomorrow, my snares may be too thin. If I bring back some of the low end I
took out, I lose the snap.

How do the pros do it? What do you do to a snare track that needs to sound
relatively full/round, yet snap at every hit?

Any technique tips/advice to share?



My technique tips/advice if in fact you are recording and not sequencing
drums: Next time, get the snare sound you're looking for before you
press record. As you've found, "fixing it the mix" is for people that
know they can fix it in the mix.

Practice makes perfect. Or at least it might getcha to a nearby
neighborhood.

And don't count on a compressor to save your snare sound. I rarely use
compression on snare. Get on your drummer(s) to be consistent for the
whole song. Studio playing is quite different than banging onstage.
Point it out on playback. They gotta hit that thing right every time.

And when you can, use great drummers with great drumkits and lotsa
studio experience. They will make you sound good.

Keep on!



David Correia
www.Celebrationsound.com

[Scott Dorsey]

mjs wrote:
I want them to snap. I can achieve that by thinning the snare out a bit, and
compressing (or Trans-X'ing) it. It'll snap beautifully, even when the track
is then routed to a stereo bus that has ALL the drum tracks, and slightly
compresses them together.

However, I then hear complaints that although they snap like there's no
tomorrow, my snares may be too thin. If I bring back some of the low end I
took out, I lose the snap.

How do the pros do it? What do you do to a snare track that needs to sound
relatively full/round, yet snap at every hit?

When you walk into the room, what does it sound like? Does it snap, and
then rumble?

To some extent, you can exaggerate the rumble without killing the snap by
using a compressor with a long attack time.

But if the sound isn't there in the room and it's not in the track, it isn't
going to be in the final mix. Compression and equalization can only remove
information from the track, they can't add anything that isn't there.

Tuning the drum and using a good head is 90% of the solution.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[max rock[_2_]]

Another method if you're only using one mic on snare is to clone the
track. Give one snare track the body you want and give the other the
snap. I usually compress the heck out of the "snap" channel and put
my reverb on that track. Then mix the two until you get the blend you
need.

HTH

max rock

On Nov 17, 3:36 am, "mjs" wrote:
When it comes to mixing snare drums, I can't seem to find a way to have my
cake and eat it too.

I want them to snap. I can achieve that by thinning the snare out a bit, and
compressing (or Trans-X'ing) it. It'll snap beautifully, even when the track
is then routed to a stereo bus that has ALL the drum tracks, and slightly
compresses them together.

However, I then hear complaints that although they snap like there's no
tomorrow, my snares may be too thin. If I bring back some of the low end I
took out, I lose the snap.

How do the pros do it? What do you do to a snare track that needs to sound
relatively full/round, yet snap at every hit?

Any technique tips/advice to share?

[Steve Karl]

The mid range holds it all together in my opinion.




"mjs" wrote in message reenews.net...
When it comes to mixing snare drums, I can't seem to find a way to have my cake and eat it too.

I want them to snap. I can achieve that by thinning the snare out a bit, and compressing (or Trans-X'ing) it. It'll snap
beautifully, even when the track is then routed to a stereo bus that has ALL the drum tracks, and slightly compresses them
together.

However, I then hear complaints that although they snap like there's no tomorrow, my snares may be too thin. If I bring back some
of the low end I took out, I lose the snap.

How do the pros do it? What do you do to a snare track that needs to sound relatively full/round, yet snap at every hit?

Any technique tips/advice to share?

[rboy]

When I listen to my favorite rock recordings from 1965-1990, one thing
I always notice is that the drums as a whole fit into the song, and
they're not amazing or impressive sounding, but it all comes
together. My least favorite personal recording era is when I worked
with a weekly show's musical director who was also the drummer. The
drums were never allowed to sit in the background pocket and just be
drums, every drum had to be a star studded firecracker and I was never
able to finish a mix to my happiness after he started it. (He'd make
it crack and then tell me to make it fatter, then he'd put an insane
slamming hi and low eq on the drum bus and tell me to fit it better in
the track) When I listen back to some older rock recordings that I
think are really satisfying the sacrifice you have to make makes
sense. Sometimes the snare cracks nicely, and yeah, it's a little
thin and someone could have made it fatter, but then it wouldn't have
been what it was, and it turned out great. I don't think you can
make a snare that has every positive snare trait, because some of them
will take attention away from another trait. So, long story
short, : ) sometimes you CAN'T have your cake and eat it too. Stop
that!! : )

I also listen to old recordings I made and some of the ones where I
fussed all day over the drums don't have the mojo that ones where I
just took the drums and put them in their place have.

[rboy]

On Nov 17, 9:26 am, "Dave (Mod Bod) Modisette"


Or it could be that you just prefer a sound that others don't like.
Bill Bruford could post a drum track in certain audio groups and I'll
guarantee that you could find someone who wouldn't like how his snare
drum pings. You just have to decide whether it's a hill worth dying for
and is a part of your musical vision.



When I first heard Bruford's snare on the radio I thought it was the
stupidest thing ever. 20 years later I would turn it up full blast
because it I liked it so much.

[[email protected]]

On 2007-11-17 said:
Or it could be that you just prefer a sound that others don't
like. Bill Bruford could post a drum track in certain audio
groups and I'll guarantee that you could find someone who
wouldn't like how his snare drum pings. You just have to decide
whether it's a hill worth dying for and is a part of your musical
vision.
When I first heard Bruford's snare on the radio I thought it was the
stupidest thing ever. 20 years later I would turn it up full blast
because it I liked it so much.

FOr comparison, listen to the way Bruford's drums blend in
with the arrangements on those yes tracks, then listen to
Alan White's drums. DIfferent approaches, but Bruford's
snare cut through all that in their mixes much easier imho.

tHen for a third point of comparison, listen to Bruford's
drumming on the Anderson Bruford Wakeman and HOwe album from
a decade and some ago. Iirc he changed his snare drum
sound.



Richard webb,
Replace anything before the @ symbol with elspider for real
email address.



Great audio is never heard by the average person, but bad
audio is heard by everyone.

[D C[_2_]]

wrote:

FOr comparison, listen to the way Bruford's drums blend in
with the arrangements on those yes tracks, then listen to
Alan White's drums. DIfferent approaches, but Bruford's
snare cut through all that in their mixes much easier imho.

tHen for a third point of comparison, listen to Bruford's
drumming on the Anderson Bruford Wakeman and HOwe album from
a decade and some ago. Iirc he changed his snare drum
sound.

There are some free downloads here, well worth the slight inconvenience
of registering. They feature Bill Bruford by himself, Pat Mastelotto by
himself, and the two together (all from the same recording). Bill's
snare sound is unmistakable, but I love how they work together.

[D C[_2_]]

There are some free downloads here, well worth the slight inconvenience
of registering. They feature Bill Bruford by himself, Pat Mastelotto by
himself, and the two together (all from the same recording). Bill's
snare sound is unmistakable, but I love how they work together.

http://www.dgmlive.com/archive.htm?&...oup=doubletrio

[Ty Ford]

On Sat, 17 Nov 2007 11:44:09 -0500, rboy wrote
(in article
):

So, long story short, : ) sometimes you CAN'T have your cake and eat it
too. Stop that!! : )

I also listen to old recordings I made and some of the ones where I fussed
all day over the drums don't have the mojo that ones where I just took the
drums and put them in their place have.

Nicely said.

Now about micing the hi hat.......or not...(not in the disco era mind you).

Regards,

Ty For


--Audio Equipment Reviews Audio Production Services
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