This two part article will cover these methods. I believe… and many others will agree, that in order to get great sounding vocals is to get it right, or at least the best you can, in the initial stages of the recording process before any mixing or fairy dust tricks have been applied.
In Part 1 my fiancée and song writing partner Georgie Gillis will cover the important performance techniques required when tracking vocals based on her 13 years experience as a vocal instructor, performer and recording artist. In Part 2 - I will cover the technical processes for recording great sounding vocals.
The Singer's Guide - 12 Steps To Prepare For Your Best Vocal Take By Georgiana Gillis.
They say Success is 90% preparation and only 10% perspiration”. Unlike the other instruments in your mix, your voice requires a very different kind of preparation. Whether you're a professional singer or hobbyist, the following tips can help you get the very best from your voice.
Before You Arrive At The Studio - Sleep Before The Big Day
Singing requires energy - fact. Tired bodies create flat notes. I always tell my singing students to approach a performance as if they were entering a boxing ring - pumped. When it comes down to it, you will want to channel all of your energy into a great vocal take. If you are ill, have not slept well or have had a late night you will not be able to give it your best.
Water Is A Singer's Best Friend
Water to your voice is like oil to an engine. Stick to still water as your drink of choice and always keep a bottle available for sipping. This can be done as frequently as you need during vocal takes. Beware of dehydration - your body will allocate water to other body parts before it reaches the mucous membranes aka your larynx. Room temperature is always best as it is absorbed more quickly than cold.
Don't Eat A Heavy Meal Before Singing
Approach eating and singing in the same way you would swimming. Don't eat a heavy meal right beforehand. A full stomach encroaches on your breathing space - not to mention diverting your energy to digestion. Ideally, eat little and often in the run up to keep energy levels high or if this isn't possible, make sure you eat your meal a couple of hours before recording.
Plan To Sing When You Feel Fresh
Usually not first thing in the morning or last thing at night, but in the fresh part of your day according to your own body clock. Your concentration levels peak and fall during the course of any given day. A good time to record vocals would be when you are usually at your most energetic. For most of us for e.g. that is not near the afternoon ‘slump' or late in the evening.
At The Studio - Use Gentle Vocal Warm Ups
Save yourself for the effort to come. Humming and speak singing are effective warm ups without requiring much effort. Humming creates nice reverberations that gently ease away any lingering mucous and can be done almost inaudibly (ideal if you are shy about warming up in front of others). Following that, ‘speak' sing something simple to get your voice nice and warm without being too taxing.
Save Your Energy
Try to save your best performance for the actual take. Adrenaline + excitement = conviction in your voice. It's hard to fake that if you end up having to endlessly repeat yourself. This goes for you too - try to make your journey to the studio the least physically tiring as is possible. If you must cycle, jog, walk miles to get there then make sure you're feeling rested before your take (and drink water!).
Don't Tire Your Voice
You're keen and you want to give your best effort but you should never max out your voice. A performance should sound effortless to the listener and straining your voice to reach difficult notes will tire your voice faster than you can say ‘blow out'. This seems like a no-brainer but so many fall trap to this. Resist the urge to ‘show off'.
Keep Your Lyrics To Hand
No matter how well you know your lyrics, always have easy access to them. This is because you are shifting your focus 100% to your vocal performance and the critical listening that goes along with that. Your memory may not be as reliable when you are feeling pressurised to perform well. You will also be concentrating on visual and/or auditory cues/instructions from your producer.
It's Time To Sing - Mark Your Breathing Points On Your Lyric Sheet
Using a pen or pencil, mark in capital B's where you can take a full breath and lower case b's where you can only get a quick breath. Even though you may have sung the song 100 times, recording is a different experience altogether and alters your focus as a singer. You may find yourself fixated for e.g. on your timing and your breathing may become an afterthought.
Are You Feeling Nervous?
Understand adrenaline and the affect on the human body. It is good for giving our performance that special ‘lift' and thus can be harnessed for a good outcome. But if we're too worried, we may become tense. Tension equals tight muscles - tight muscles equal sharp notes. When standing up at the mic, unlock one knee to relax your entire body. Alternate legs periodically as is comfortable.
The Correct Approach
Singing while standing doesn't come naturally to all but sitting down obstructs your deep breathing space by as much as 30%. If you must sit and sing for e.g. at the piano, balance your weight on the front of the stool to tilt your pelvis down or in the case of a low chair, position one leg underneath you to open up your abdomen. Remember that breathing to a singer is paramount.
Performing To A Pop Shield
It will feel unnatural regardless of the type of singing you've done before. This is when you must combine your imagination with technical ability. Keep your distance and don't touch the pop shield - your producer will have positioned it proportionately to the mic. Close your eyes to sing when you can (you can still glance at your lyrics when you need to). When your eyes are closed, your other senses become more focussed - in this case your hearing which in turn heightens your ability to pitch. In addition, you can visualise something more natural to perform to - like an audience - blocking out the static mic in front of you as well as the studio environment.
Do's
Eat little and often beforehand to keep energy levels up or make sure you eat your meal a few hours before recording.
Hydrate - especially if you've been doing a lot of sport, it's hot or you've been drinking diuretics (for e.g. coffee, tea, alcohol, cola).
Wear comfortable clothing and shoes - unless you're filming there is no need to dress up for the studio. Anything tight around your waist will be difficult to breathe against and standing in high heels is tiring.
Keep your arms and hands at waist height during your vocal take so they can remain expressive - don't let them hang at your sides or put them in your pockets.Talk to your producer if you're unsure of what to expect or are feeling nervous. Ask them to explain anything you do not understand.
Don'ts
Absolutely no fizzy drinks before a vocal take - bubbles like to resurface at the worst moments.
Avoid chocolate, milk and anything else which coats your throat as you will be left trying to clear your throat - ‘ahem'.
It might be seen as rock'n'roll to have a heavy night the evening before you go into the studio but - alcohol + tiredness = bad performance.
Salty snacks and baked goods will undo your hydration efforts as salt dehydrates and bread absorbs fluid. Choose fruit and protein instead.
Showing posts with label expert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label expert. Show all posts
Sunday, 2 October 2016
Friday, 30 September 2016
8 Tips For Getting A Great Bass Guitar Sound — Pro Tools Expert
It's one of the things we get asked a more than anything else when it comes to recording instruments, how do you get a great bass guitar sound?
If you are a veteran to recording then this list should come as no surprise, but if you are new then try these and see how much difference they can make to getting the right bass sound on your tracks.
Quality Counts
They say that a bad workman blames his tools, that's partly true, give a great bass player even a cheap instrument and they will do amazing things. However it's not just about the playing but it's also the sound of the instrument. Get a great bass guitar - bass is one of those instruments that shows when the money has been spent. That's got a lot to do with the wood and the quality of the instrument - with bass you can hear it!
String Theory
Try Different strings; they all have different sounds. A decent bass player will already know this, but if you are new to bass then take a trip to a decent music store and get some advice on the different types of strings and their different weights, you'll be surprised by how much they can affect both sound and performance.
Tone Bank
Experiment with the tone before you record, most basses have a huge variety of sound just built into the pickup pots and switches. Some tracks lend themselves to nice low non-descript brooding bass sounds, other tracks work better with a more punch mid tone. If you have a good amp then use it and use the tone built in; again there's a vast amount of variety with a good bass amp. Spending some time before you hit record can make a heck of a difference.
Style Council
Experiment with the playing style - some songs need hard finger style playing and other songs need a pick style - it can make all the difference. Try a few takes with a few different styles then listen back. A pro bass player will also use several different styles in one song to help differentiate between sections.
Mic Check
Try different mics on the bass cab; ask 10 engineers which mic to use and you'll get 10 different answers, but some favourites are Sennheiser 421, EV RE20, Shure SM57, AKG D12 or 414. Experiment with mic positioning on the cab and distance too, both have a bearing on the final result.
Tracks DI And Amp
Try and get a track of both the amp and the DI sound by using a splitter before the bass hits the amp and then try them both in the mix afterwards. Often the final bass sound in a mix will be a combination of both DI and amp.
In The Mix
Once you have your bass tracked then try adding a boost at around 80-100Hz, be bold and then add a compression to keep it all under control. If you have a DI and a cab take then use one to accentuate the bottom end and the other to give some detail, for me that's normally the mic take. Transient shapers are a great tool when mixing bass, they allow you to add punch, reduce it, extend sustain or even pull the bass forward or push it back.
Experiment With Augmentation
Try adding in a synth bass line with the original, this trick has been used a lot on some top tracks over the years. Another nice trick is to copy the bass part with an identical guitar part and mix them together. Or try adding in a kick drum sample to add and edgy punch to the bass line - you'd be surprised at the results.
These are some of our favourite tricks and tips, what are yours?
If you are a veteran to recording then this list should come as no surprise, but if you are new then try these and see how much difference they can make to getting the right bass sound on your tracks.
Quality Counts
They say that a bad workman blames his tools, that's partly true, give a great bass player even a cheap instrument and they will do amazing things. However it's not just about the playing but it's also the sound of the instrument. Get a great bass guitar - bass is one of those instruments that shows when the money has been spent. That's got a lot to do with the wood and the quality of the instrument - with bass you can hear it!
String Theory
Try Different strings; they all have different sounds. A decent bass player will already know this, but if you are new to bass then take a trip to a decent music store and get some advice on the different types of strings and their different weights, you'll be surprised by how much they can affect both sound and performance.
Tone Bank
Experiment with the tone before you record, most basses have a huge variety of sound just built into the pickup pots and switches. Some tracks lend themselves to nice low non-descript brooding bass sounds, other tracks work better with a more punch mid tone. If you have a good amp then use it and use the tone built in; again there's a vast amount of variety with a good bass amp. Spending some time before you hit record can make a heck of a difference.
Style Council
Experiment with the playing style - some songs need hard finger style playing and other songs need a pick style - it can make all the difference. Try a few takes with a few different styles then listen back. A pro bass player will also use several different styles in one song to help differentiate between sections.
Mic Check
Try different mics on the bass cab; ask 10 engineers which mic to use and you'll get 10 different answers, but some favourites are Sennheiser 421, EV RE20, Shure SM57, AKG D12 or 414. Experiment with mic positioning on the cab and distance too, both have a bearing on the final result.
Tracks DI And Amp
Try and get a track of both the amp and the DI sound by using a splitter before the bass hits the amp and then try them both in the mix afterwards. Often the final bass sound in a mix will be a combination of both DI and amp.
In The Mix
Once you have your bass tracked then try adding a boost at around 80-100Hz, be bold and then add a compression to keep it all under control. If you have a DI and a cab take then use one to accentuate the bottom end and the other to give some detail, for me that's normally the mic take. Transient shapers are a great tool when mixing bass, they allow you to add punch, reduce it, extend sustain or even pull the bass forward or push it back.
Experiment With Augmentation
Try adding in a synth bass line with the original, this trick has been used a lot on some top tracks over the years. Another nice trick is to copy the bass part with an identical guitar part and mix them together. Or try adding in a kick drum sample to add and edgy punch to the bass line - you'd be surprised at the results.
These are some of our favourite tricks and tips, what are yours?
Monday, 19 September 2016
How To Record Drums Like An Expert
Drum recording is one of those things that you need to get right. There is much less room for experimentation in drum sounds. What I mean to say is, you can have the most alternative guitar sound or effected vocal sound in the world but if the drums don't sound right nobody is going to care.
Sure, you can experiment with different mixing techniques and try different production tricks later down the line, but the first order of business is to nail that drum sound. If your kick drum sounds like a cardboard box beaten with a marshmallow then no amount of mixing is going to fix it. Get it right at the source or don't do it at all.
Correct placement and microphone selection is important to the sound of your recorded drums, but so is the room you are recording in. Let's get busy with some drum recording tricks.
Room
Clap your hands say yeah! Indie music aside (not a big fan), clap your hands. Do it. Right now. If you're in a typical office or living room then chances are it's not going to last that long. The echo will die down within a second since the size of your room don't allow for a lot of buildup of reverb or reflections.
Now, imagine if you were in a gymnasium and clapped your hands. The perceived bigness” of the echo and reverb of the sound is dictated by the size of the room you are in, therefore clapping your hands inside a big gymnasium will result in more reflections, a larger reverb and a longer decay” time for the sound of your handclaps to die down. For more on reverb and reflections see my other Basix tutorial How the Hell do I Use Reverb Anyway?!? ”
So, if we intend to record drums we need to take the room into account, since those reflections from your handclap are just peanuts compared to the amount of echoes and reflections a whole drum kit will make inside a gymnasium. Your ears heard them, and your microphones will most surely do so too.
If you have a mobile recording rig, which today means a laptop, an interface and some microphones and access to some different rooms you can create a whole different feel to your drum sound depending on which you choose. Many engineers opt for a dead, or a very quiet room to track drums in since that will allow them to add the type of reverb they want later on during the mixing process. While this method is sound and valid, just look at all those great rock records that were made before the advent of digital reverb. Recording studios used to have amazing sounding live rooms to track drums in, and that became an inherent part of the drum sound.
If you want to go the safe route, try to find a nice (preferably acoustically treated) room that doesn't have a whole lot of liveness. But if you are up for experimentation then finding an interesting or great sounding room might yield some impressive results.
Pre-production
Gourmet dishes are not cooked from leftovers. You don't wear dirty clothes to a wedding. And you certainly don't record worn heads and out of tune drums if you want great results.
Make sure to replace each drum head and tune it so that each drum sounds both great in its own right and as a part of the kit. If you, or the drummer don't know how to tune a drum properly (I don't really know how, and most drummers are pretty bad at it) get someone that can.
A great sounding drum kit in a great sounding room and you've won half the battle. Next we have to look at what types of microphones we want to be using.
Microphone Selection
A few considerations when choosing the right microphone for recording drums.
How Many? - How many microphones are you going to be using? Are you trying to mike up the kit with only one microphone? Then a full sounding large condenser should be the best bet. It has a broad frequency response and will most accurately capture the kit, especially compared to a dynamic microphone.
Condenser microphones - Condenser microphones (small or large diaphragm) are usually the default microphones of choice used as overheads. Overhead microphones are placed over the drum kit to capture the overall sound of the drum kit from a close distance. Condenser have the capacity to capture all the nuances of the drum kit, from the low end of the kick drum to the swash of the cymbals.
Dynamic microphones - Dynamic microphones can take more volume, but they lack the frequency response and accuracy of a condenser. They can take the pounding and volume of the kick drum and they have no problem with the incredibly loud whack of the snare. If you decide to close mike every drum, then you would usually opt for a good sounding dynamic at each drum; kick, snare and each of the toms.
Ribbon microphones - Ribbons might be a good choice if you can afford it, especially if you are only using a few microphones. Ribbons have a smoother sound, but they are more delicate than the average condenser, and way more fragile than a sturdy dynamic.
Remember, each microphone sounds different and they will all act as a piece of the drum recording puzzle.
Collection of Instruments
One of the things you have to be aware of is that recording drums can be much more complex than recording a regular” instrument that only has one sound source. Take vocals for example, the most standard way of recording vocals is placing a microphone in front of the singer's sound source, i.e. his mouth.
But when you are recording drums, every single drum is a sound source, and you also need to portray the overall sound of the kit as a whole. That's the reason why modern drum recording puts a microphone on every drum and then some overhead mics to capture the complete kit.
People want to control each drum as a specific sound source and then treat the whole drum kit as one sound source as well. Then, by mixing and matching the overall volume of all the tracks in the mixing phase people have more control over what kinds of sounds they can get from their drums.
Kick Drum
I don't care what anybody says. The kick drum is the most important part of the drum sound. You can argue that the snare sound is all you want, and it certainly is important, but if the kick drum lacks power and definition the overall drum sound is going to suffer. The kick drum is also the trickiest sound to get right since the placement of the microphone plays a pivotal role.
Microphone - Your best bet, if you are just using one microphone to record the drums is a large dynamic microphone, such as the AKG D112, Audix D6 or Shure Beta 52A. They will usually have the frequency response needed to get the thick low end coupled with the snap of the beater.
Placement - The default position to try is just inside the outer head (I hope there is a hole in the outer head) pointing at, or just a little off axis towards the beater. In this position the microphone is far enough away as to capture both the boom and the snap. Microphones placed too close to the inner head (the beater side) can't capture the full resonance of the drum since they are facing away from the drum and are picking up too much click” from the beater.
Placing the microphone outside the shell can give you great results, but there is a possibility of the microphone capturing too much bleed from the other drums and that it will lack definition from the beater. Great if you want a natural bass drum sound, but bad if you want a isolated and click” heavy sound.
Best of both worlds? - By using two microphones you can capture both the beater and the boom by placing the microphones at different positions. Positioning one inside the kit close to the beater head and the other just outside the shell will result in two different sounds that can be mixed together to great results. Boundary, or PZM (Pressure Zone Microphones) work really well on the inside since they react well to transients and can usually just sit on the shell.
By combining a PZM that reacts well to transients (initial attack) at the beater and a big dynamic picking up the low end on the outside you can get the best of both worlds.
Snare Drum
The snare drum is the master of the backbeat, and thus must sound great in order to capture the groove. Whether you are producing a heavy rock song or light jazz, careful consideration must be put into the snare drum sound.
Microphone - A trusty Shure SM57, or any other type of dynamic is a great starting point when capturing snare drum. If you looking for a different, more vintage sound then using a large condenser or a ribbon can give the snare a much different feel. Take into account how loud the drummer will be hitting the drum. If he's going to be whacking that drum for all he's got then a condenser might overload too easily, leaving you with a distorted snare instead of a smooth and full sound.
Placement - Consider angling the microphone 45° into the middle of the drum to get the right amount of attack from the snare. For a rounder sound you can angle the microphone into the edge of the drum. Make sure that the microphone isn't in the drummer's way since whacking the microphone will not result in a better sound. In general, for more harmonics angle the mic towards the edges, but if you want more resonance and/or attack then angling the microphone more towards the middle and center will yield greater results for each respective sound.
Above & Below - If you want to achieve a direct sound from the top but want to accent the rattle the snares you can place another microphone underneath the snare pointing up. If you decide to do this make sure you flip the phase of the under-mic either during the recording or at the mixing stage. Most audio programs have a phase invert switch that allow you to flip the phase of your waveform. I touched upon the why's and how's of this practice a long time ago in A Guide to Effective Drum Mixing Part 1
Hi-hat
If you want to have added control over the hi-hat during the mixing stage, then adding a separate microphone for it wouldn't hurt
Microphone - You usually want a small condenser to record the hi-hat. Due to the fast transient nature of the hi-hat you want to capture all the definition and clarity of the hi-hat, even though you're recording a garage rock track.
Placement - Placing the condenser by the edge give you a much different sound than placing it at the center bell of the hi-hat. Also, try placing it in the middle and angle it to or from the edge until you find the sound you are looking for.
Over or under? - Some people swear by under-miking the hi-hat, others don't see why anybody would do such nonsense. Personally, in live situation I place the microphone underneath the hi-hat, facing up but during recording it's the other way around. Why? I don't know. Probably just force of habit.
Toms
Those drum fills need to sound good. The toms need to sound clean, defined and tuned. There's nothing worse than a tom that rings for seconds after it's hit. Assuming you have made all the necessary arrangements and made sure each drum sounds as good as it can then you only have to worry about the right microphone and placement thereof.
Microphone - Dynamic microphones such as an Audix i5, Shure SM57 or a Sennheiser MD421 are a good bet to capture a full and powerful tom sound. Especially if you are playing any sort of hard music then going for dynamics is the way to go. Experienced engineers sometimes use condensers and even ribbons(!) but as always, you have to careful about not overloading those more delicate microphones. In live sound I used to use AKG C519 clip-on condensers for toms. They work really well through a powerful P.A. and can also work well in the studio. Each sound company has a drum miking package that is usually a good bet if you don't have anything to work with.
Placement - The microphone placement is very similar to that of the snare drum. If you want more attack and stick sound from the toms you should angle them towards the middle. If you want a thicker, boomier sound you should angle them straight down towards the edge of the tom so that the microphone picks up the full resonant sound of the toms.
Underneath as well? - If you have a crazy amount of microphones, an amazing kit in a sweet sounding room then more microphones will add to the sound right? Yes, well and no. If you have the resources to mike both sides of the toms then you probably shouldn't be reading this article. But the same rules apply as if you were recording the snare with two microphones. Beware of phase and make sure both microphones are capturing something different.
Overheads
Overheads are usually placed over the drum kit, both to capture the complete kit but also to accent the sounds of the cymbals. There are a few microphone techniques that you can use to accurately and effectively capture both the cymbals and overall drum kit.
X/Y - The X/Y microphone technique can be used effectively as overheads. You don't have to worry about phase problems when using this stereo technique since they are a coincident technique. Meaning that you place them beside each other at a 90° angle facing down onto the drum kit.
A/B - This is the typical one microphone over each side of the drum kit. It's a good rule of thumb to adhere to the 3:1 rule so that if you place one microphone a foot (30 cm) over the cymbal the other microphone must be placed at a distance of 3 feet (or 90 cm).
Accent the cymbals - Just like engineers that place microphones on the hi-hat, some engineers want to accent specific cymbals. For example, if we're recording a minor blues shuffle we might like to record that crucial ride cymbal, giving you added control over its sound during the mixing stage.
Room/Ambience
We've talked about how to mike up every individual sound source of the drum kit. That is, every drum has been covered as a single sound source. Now we need to step back and look at the drum kit as one instrument. When we use room microphones we want to capture the complete kit as well as the room that is complimenting it. If you are in a dead room there should be more thought put into capturing the kit as one instrument, whereas in a great sounding room, there is more preference to finding a good spot where the room and reflections help heighten the drum sound to a different level.
Microphone - I'd like to say that anything goes here. If you are trying to get a nice sounding complete drum kit” sound then a large condenser will do the trick. However, ribbon microphones can do a very similar job, and often a better one since they sound so good. Even normal dynamic microphones can be used to get an extra dimension to the drum kit by placing it in the room.
Placement - Placing a simple SM57 in front of the kit facing up towards the ceiling can give you some ambience from the room. A condenser that you want to use to capture the complete drum kit without adding too much room ambience should be placed at around waist level facing towards the kit. To get the drums an extra stereo dimension, two condensers can be positioned in the upper corners of the room.
Experiment - Lastly, room microphones and ambient miking is very fun to experiment with. There might be a weird place in the room where the drums just really work. Walk around with headphones and try to find where the best place to position your mics is. A long hallway outside the drum room might have a great alternative sound that can work for you.
Throw up a few room microphones all over, record a few measures and see which ones work best.
Conclusion
We've covered some important aspects of recording one of the most complex instruments that us engineers face. The complicated puzzle of multiple types of microphones, placements and techniques is sure to make the beginner engineer nervous. But if we break it down into small pieces, looking at each drum as part of the puzzle and then combining it into one sound source we can more easily understand what makes drum recording such a difficult, but ultimately enjoyable subject.
Sure, you can experiment with different mixing techniques and try different production tricks later down the line, but the first order of business is to nail that drum sound. If your kick drum sounds like a cardboard box beaten with a marshmallow then no amount of mixing is going to fix it. Get it right at the source or don't do it at all.
Correct placement and microphone selection is important to the sound of your recorded drums, but so is the room you are recording in. Let's get busy with some drum recording tricks.
Room
Clap your hands say yeah! Indie music aside (not a big fan), clap your hands. Do it. Right now. If you're in a typical office or living room then chances are it's not going to last that long. The echo will die down within a second since the size of your room don't allow for a lot of buildup of reverb or reflections.
Now, imagine if you were in a gymnasium and clapped your hands. The perceived bigness” of the echo and reverb of the sound is dictated by the size of the room you are in, therefore clapping your hands inside a big gymnasium will result in more reflections, a larger reverb and a longer decay” time for the sound of your handclaps to die down. For more on reverb and reflections see my other Basix tutorial How the Hell do I Use Reverb Anyway?!? ”
So, if we intend to record drums we need to take the room into account, since those reflections from your handclap are just peanuts compared to the amount of echoes and reflections a whole drum kit will make inside a gymnasium. Your ears heard them, and your microphones will most surely do so too.
If you have a mobile recording rig, which today means a laptop, an interface and some microphones and access to some different rooms you can create a whole different feel to your drum sound depending on which you choose. Many engineers opt for a dead, or a very quiet room to track drums in since that will allow them to add the type of reverb they want later on during the mixing process. While this method is sound and valid, just look at all those great rock records that were made before the advent of digital reverb. Recording studios used to have amazing sounding live rooms to track drums in, and that became an inherent part of the drum sound.
If you want to go the safe route, try to find a nice (preferably acoustically treated) room that doesn't have a whole lot of liveness. But if you are up for experimentation then finding an interesting or great sounding room might yield some impressive results.
Pre-production
Gourmet dishes are not cooked from leftovers. You don't wear dirty clothes to a wedding. And you certainly don't record worn heads and out of tune drums if you want great results.
Make sure to replace each drum head and tune it so that each drum sounds both great in its own right and as a part of the kit. If you, or the drummer don't know how to tune a drum properly (I don't really know how, and most drummers are pretty bad at it) get someone that can.
A great sounding drum kit in a great sounding room and you've won half the battle. Next we have to look at what types of microphones we want to be using.
Microphone Selection
A few considerations when choosing the right microphone for recording drums.
How Many? - How many microphones are you going to be using? Are you trying to mike up the kit with only one microphone? Then a full sounding large condenser should be the best bet. It has a broad frequency response and will most accurately capture the kit, especially compared to a dynamic microphone.
Condenser microphones - Condenser microphones (small or large diaphragm) are usually the default microphones of choice used as overheads. Overhead microphones are placed over the drum kit to capture the overall sound of the drum kit from a close distance. Condenser have the capacity to capture all the nuances of the drum kit, from the low end of the kick drum to the swash of the cymbals.
Dynamic microphones - Dynamic microphones can take more volume, but they lack the frequency response and accuracy of a condenser. They can take the pounding and volume of the kick drum and they have no problem with the incredibly loud whack of the snare. If you decide to close mike every drum, then you would usually opt for a good sounding dynamic at each drum; kick, snare and each of the toms.
Ribbon microphones - Ribbons might be a good choice if you can afford it, especially if you are only using a few microphones. Ribbons have a smoother sound, but they are more delicate than the average condenser, and way more fragile than a sturdy dynamic.
Remember, each microphone sounds different and they will all act as a piece of the drum recording puzzle.
Collection of Instruments
One of the things you have to be aware of is that recording drums can be much more complex than recording a regular” instrument that only has one sound source. Take vocals for example, the most standard way of recording vocals is placing a microphone in front of the singer's sound source, i.e. his mouth.
But when you are recording drums, every single drum is a sound source, and you also need to portray the overall sound of the kit as a whole. That's the reason why modern drum recording puts a microphone on every drum and then some overhead mics to capture the complete kit.
People want to control each drum as a specific sound source and then treat the whole drum kit as one sound source as well. Then, by mixing and matching the overall volume of all the tracks in the mixing phase people have more control over what kinds of sounds they can get from their drums.
Kick Drum
I don't care what anybody says. The kick drum is the most important part of the drum sound. You can argue that the snare sound is all you want, and it certainly is important, but if the kick drum lacks power and definition the overall drum sound is going to suffer. The kick drum is also the trickiest sound to get right since the placement of the microphone plays a pivotal role.
Microphone - Your best bet, if you are just using one microphone to record the drums is a large dynamic microphone, such as the AKG D112, Audix D6 or Shure Beta 52A. They will usually have the frequency response needed to get the thick low end coupled with the snap of the beater.
Placement - The default position to try is just inside the outer head (I hope there is a hole in the outer head) pointing at, or just a little off axis towards the beater. In this position the microphone is far enough away as to capture both the boom and the snap. Microphones placed too close to the inner head (the beater side) can't capture the full resonance of the drum since they are facing away from the drum and are picking up too much click” from the beater.
Placing the microphone outside the shell can give you great results, but there is a possibility of the microphone capturing too much bleed from the other drums and that it will lack definition from the beater. Great if you want a natural bass drum sound, but bad if you want a isolated and click” heavy sound.
Best of both worlds? - By using two microphones you can capture both the beater and the boom by placing the microphones at different positions. Positioning one inside the kit close to the beater head and the other just outside the shell will result in two different sounds that can be mixed together to great results. Boundary, or PZM (Pressure Zone Microphones) work really well on the inside since they react well to transients and can usually just sit on the shell.
By combining a PZM that reacts well to transients (initial attack) at the beater and a big dynamic picking up the low end on the outside you can get the best of both worlds.
Snare Drum
The snare drum is the master of the backbeat, and thus must sound great in order to capture the groove. Whether you are producing a heavy rock song or light jazz, careful consideration must be put into the snare drum sound.
Microphone - A trusty Shure SM57, or any other type of dynamic is a great starting point when capturing snare drum. If you looking for a different, more vintage sound then using a large condenser or a ribbon can give the snare a much different feel. Take into account how loud the drummer will be hitting the drum. If he's going to be whacking that drum for all he's got then a condenser might overload too easily, leaving you with a distorted snare instead of a smooth and full sound.
Placement - Consider angling the microphone 45° into the middle of the drum to get the right amount of attack from the snare. For a rounder sound you can angle the microphone into the edge of the drum. Make sure that the microphone isn't in the drummer's way since whacking the microphone will not result in a better sound. In general, for more harmonics angle the mic towards the edges, but if you want more resonance and/or attack then angling the microphone more towards the middle and center will yield greater results for each respective sound.
Above & Below - If you want to achieve a direct sound from the top but want to accent the rattle the snares you can place another microphone underneath the snare pointing up. If you decide to do this make sure you flip the phase of the under-mic either during the recording or at the mixing stage. Most audio programs have a phase invert switch that allow you to flip the phase of your waveform. I touched upon the why's and how's of this practice a long time ago in A Guide to Effective Drum Mixing Part 1
Hi-hat
If you want to have added control over the hi-hat during the mixing stage, then adding a separate microphone for it wouldn't hurt
Microphone - You usually want a small condenser to record the hi-hat. Due to the fast transient nature of the hi-hat you want to capture all the definition and clarity of the hi-hat, even though you're recording a garage rock track.
Placement - Placing the condenser by the edge give you a much different sound than placing it at the center bell of the hi-hat. Also, try placing it in the middle and angle it to or from the edge until you find the sound you are looking for.
Over or under? - Some people swear by under-miking the hi-hat, others don't see why anybody would do such nonsense. Personally, in live situation I place the microphone underneath the hi-hat, facing up but during recording it's the other way around. Why? I don't know. Probably just force of habit.
Toms
Those drum fills need to sound good. The toms need to sound clean, defined and tuned. There's nothing worse than a tom that rings for seconds after it's hit. Assuming you have made all the necessary arrangements and made sure each drum sounds as good as it can then you only have to worry about the right microphone and placement thereof.
Microphone - Dynamic microphones such as an Audix i5, Shure SM57 or a Sennheiser MD421 are a good bet to capture a full and powerful tom sound. Especially if you are playing any sort of hard music then going for dynamics is the way to go. Experienced engineers sometimes use condensers and even ribbons(!) but as always, you have to careful about not overloading those more delicate microphones. In live sound I used to use AKG C519 clip-on condensers for toms. They work really well through a powerful P.A. and can also work well in the studio. Each sound company has a drum miking package that is usually a good bet if you don't have anything to work with.
Placement - The microphone placement is very similar to that of the snare drum. If you want more attack and stick sound from the toms you should angle them towards the middle. If you want a thicker, boomier sound you should angle them straight down towards the edge of the tom so that the microphone picks up the full resonant sound of the toms.
Underneath as well? - If you have a crazy amount of microphones, an amazing kit in a sweet sounding room then more microphones will add to the sound right? Yes, well and no. If you have the resources to mike both sides of the toms then you probably shouldn't be reading this article. But the same rules apply as if you were recording the snare with two microphones. Beware of phase and make sure both microphones are capturing something different.
Overheads
Overheads are usually placed over the drum kit, both to capture the complete kit but also to accent the sounds of the cymbals. There are a few microphone techniques that you can use to accurately and effectively capture both the cymbals and overall drum kit.
X/Y - The X/Y microphone technique can be used effectively as overheads. You don't have to worry about phase problems when using this stereo technique since they are a coincident technique. Meaning that you place them beside each other at a 90° angle facing down onto the drum kit.
A/B - This is the typical one microphone over each side of the drum kit. It's a good rule of thumb to adhere to the 3:1 rule so that if you place one microphone a foot (30 cm) over the cymbal the other microphone must be placed at a distance of 3 feet (or 90 cm).
Accent the cymbals - Just like engineers that place microphones on the hi-hat, some engineers want to accent specific cymbals. For example, if we're recording a minor blues shuffle we might like to record that crucial ride cymbal, giving you added control over its sound during the mixing stage.
Room/Ambience
We've talked about how to mike up every individual sound source of the drum kit. That is, every drum has been covered as a single sound source. Now we need to step back and look at the drum kit as one instrument. When we use room microphones we want to capture the complete kit as well as the room that is complimenting it. If you are in a dead room there should be more thought put into capturing the kit as one instrument, whereas in a great sounding room, there is more preference to finding a good spot where the room and reflections help heighten the drum sound to a different level.
Microphone - I'd like to say that anything goes here. If you are trying to get a nice sounding complete drum kit” sound then a large condenser will do the trick. However, ribbon microphones can do a very similar job, and often a better one since they sound so good. Even normal dynamic microphones can be used to get an extra dimension to the drum kit by placing it in the room.
Placement - Placing a simple SM57 in front of the kit facing up towards the ceiling can give you some ambience from the room. A condenser that you want to use to capture the complete drum kit without adding too much room ambience should be placed at around waist level facing towards the kit. To get the drums an extra stereo dimension, two condensers can be positioned in the upper corners of the room.
Experiment - Lastly, room microphones and ambient miking is very fun to experiment with. There might be a weird place in the room where the drums just really work. Walk around with headphones and try to find where the best place to position your mics is. A long hallway outside the drum room might have a great alternative sound that can work for you.
Throw up a few room microphones all over, record a few measures and see which ones work best.
Conclusion
We've covered some important aspects of recording one of the most complex instruments that us engineers face. The complicated puzzle of multiple types of microphones, placements and techniques is sure to make the beginner engineer nervous. But if we break it down into small pieces, looking at each drum as part of the puzzle and then combining it into one sound source we can more easily understand what makes drum recording such a difficult, but ultimately enjoyable subject.
Tuesday, 30 August 2016
10 Expert Tips For Rocking The Bass Guitar
Anne Erickson
Having an appreciation for the bass guitar, I understand that a having bass player that knows how to move and groove is critical to the sound of any band. Having also served as a bass player, I know that the lower end sometimes gets the shaft when it comes to media coverage. Well, not at !
Below, check out 10 Tips for Those Rocking the Bass Guitar from a collection of noteworthy players. Who's your favorite bass slinger? Add to the conversation below!
Duff McKagan from Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver and Jane's Addiction on recording, as told to Bass Player:
I try not to get caught up in Pro Tools; I'd rather play a song all the way through than sit there and edit parts together. We tracked Velvet Revolver's Libertad as a live band, and on most of the tunes, we didn't use a click track. Sure, some of the tracks speed up at the end, but they do so for a reason: because the music and the feeling are getting more intense. I think the listener wants to hear that, too. Most important for me is being in that deep pocket with the drums. To do that, you have to empty your mind. Especially when we're recording, I empty my mind completely and picture myself literally inside the bass drum. Whenever that thumper hits, I'm just a little behind to create the groove.”
Jaco Pastorius on getting his stage sound via :
I turn the bass on the amp all the way up because I only use the back pick-up on the bass. I never use the bass pick-up on the front so I have to compensate quite a bit with the amp. I have a sound that's like an R&B-type sound which is real punchy and hits.”
Victor Wooten on getting his bass to sound like a guitar on his album Words and Tones, as told to Premier Guitar :
I'm always looking for new tricks and techniques. I always use a ponytail holder hair band on the neck of my bass, and I found that if I moved it to the 17th or 18th fret, I could make sounds like a guitar player using pinched harmonics. So I put distortion on the instrument and, just like a guitarist, I took a solo on ‘Sword and Stone' that sounded just like a guitarist would. It was definitely something new for me.”
Ozzy Osbourne bass player Blasko on using the overdrive pedal, as told to Bass Player:
I'm not a fan of distortion, because I think it causes you to lose a lot of the roundness of the tone. But I love overdrive. In the way I play, it helps the notes connect to one another. It's hard for me to get excited when the bass tone is completely dry. I also like to have a lot of bottom end; our stage volume is sometimes so high that I can't hear myself, so I like to know that I can still feel myself by moving lot of air.”
Primus' Les Claypool on tips for young bass players, as told to Alter the Press :
Play as much as you can and play with as many people as you can. People who just sit in a room and play, are only going to get so good. Playing music is like having a conversation, if you have conversations with the same people over and over again, you're not going to be as loquacious as someone who speaks to different people, from different backgrounds, all the time. Play with as many people as you possibly can, even if they aren't any good.”
Red Hot Chili Peppers bass player Flea on how studying music theory can help your playing, as told to Bass Player Magazine :
I took theory, composition and jazz trumpet at the University of Southern California. The main thing I got out of that experience was my theory class, and the big thing was Bach, who blew my mind in a way that Hendrix did to me when I was a kid, or Charlie Parker. I always appreciated classical music, but not to the point where I really delved into it. I took classes with a theory professor, Professor Neal Desby, and I also studied with him privately. I was really getting into Bach…. It's something to aspire to. It's just amazing.”
Rush's Geddy Lee on getting the perfect bass sound” as told to Bass Player:
I've always liked my tone to have an edge, but over the years, I've been moving the edge higher and I've brought in more warmth. When I got my first Wal, it blew me away—the lower mids are so constant and the tone fits so easily into the context of our band on record. I don't need to use a lot of fancy EQ; the bass just naturally bounces and hangs there. That's what I'm really after; the bounce of the sound. If I'm playing a lot of notes, I don't like the tone to get twangy; I like there to be a bit of depth to it…”
Nikki Sixx on using the Gibson Thunderbird to get his trademark sound, as told to Guitar Center :
I've played Gibson Thunderbirds for my whole career. The Thunderbird is me. It's become such a part of me that I don't even look right holding another bass anymore. The Blackbird is my version of the Thunderbird. It's like a race car. Both of the pickups are wired together, and there are no tone or volume controls. The only control is a toggle switch that turns the pickups on or off. The word ‘finesse' should never come into play when you're talking about rock bass. It's like sex. You've just got to do the job. Playing bass isn't about making love. It's brutal, nasty, dirty, and raw. That's what the Blackbird is. There are other basses for other styles of music with volume and tone controls, but I just want to go. It's not like I'm going to turn the tone control back 25 percent and the volume back 10 percent to play the bridge of ‘Home Sweet Home' on stage.”
Jason Newsted on creating rhythms, as told to Bass Player:
A lot of people who aren't necessarily musicians visit the studio, and I keep various noise-making devices around—drums, knockers, nose flutes—so they can play along. I love watching instructional videos, so I bought the Santana rhythm-section tape, From Afro-Cuban to Rock Latin Percussion. It shows five general rhythms and how you apply them—but once the musicians start doing their thing, I just sit and watch in amazement. I haven't spent enough hours learning how to play them.”
Green Day bass player Mike Dirnt on what advice he would give to an up-and-comer, as told to Guitar Center :
I would say, first of all, play music with friends. Don't just play with somebody because they happen to have a lot of skills. Play with people you get along with because happiness is a road traveled, not a destination. If you can find it within yourself to be happy with working 40 hours a week and having a gig on the weekend or just having something to look forward to as far as having different shows and playing with friends. If you can be happy with that, if you can be happy with the least, then you've already succeeded. Chances are, all it's going to be is you gigging from weekend to weekend for the rest of your life or until you get going.”
Having an appreciation for the bass guitar, I understand that a having bass player that knows how to move and groove is critical to the sound of any band. Having also served as a bass player, I know that the lower end sometimes gets the shaft when it comes to media coverage. Well, not at !
Below, check out 10 Tips for Those Rocking the Bass Guitar from a collection of noteworthy players. Who's your favorite bass slinger? Add to the conversation below!
Duff McKagan from Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver and Jane's Addiction on recording, as told to Bass Player:
I try not to get caught up in Pro Tools; I'd rather play a song all the way through than sit there and edit parts together. We tracked Velvet Revolver's Libertad as a live band, and on most of the tunes, we didn't use a click track. Sure, some of the tracks speed up at the end, but they do so for a reason: because the music and the feeling are getting more intense. I think the listener wants to hear that, too. Most important for me is being in that deep pocket with the drums. To do that, you have to empty your mind. Especially when we're recording, I empty my mind completely and picture myself literally inside the bass drum. Whenever that thumper hits, I'm just a little behind to create the groove.”
Jaco Pastorius on getting his stage sound via :
I turn the bass on the amp all the way up because I only use the back pick-up on the bass. I never use the bass pick-up on the front so I have to compensate quite a bit with the amp. I have a sound that's like an R&B-type sound which is real punchy and hits.”
Victor Wooten on getting his bass to sound like a guitar on his album Words and Tones, as told to Premier Guitar :
I'm always looking for new tricks and techniques. I always use a ponytail holder hair band on the neck of my bass, and I found that if I moved it to the 17th or 18th fret, I could make sounds like a guitar player using pinched harmonics. So I put distortion on the instrument and, just like a guitarist, I took a solo on ‘Sword and Stone' that sounded just like a guitarist would. It was definitely something new for me.”
Ozzy Osbourne bass player Blasko on using the overdrive pedal, as told to Bass Player:
I'm not a fan of distortion, because I think it causes you to lose a lot of the roundness of the tone. But I love overdrive. In the way I play, it helps the notes connect to one another. It's hard for me to get excited when the bass tone is completely dry. I also like to have a lot of bottom end; our stage volume is sometimes so high that I can't hear myself, so I like to know that I can still feel myself by moving lot of air.”
Primus' Les Claypool on tips for young bass players, as told to Alter the Press :
Play as much as you can and play with as many people as you can. People who just sit in a room and play, are only going to get so good. Playing music is like having a conversation, if you have conversations with the same people over and over again, you're not going to be as loquacious as someone who speaks to different people, from different backgrounds, all the time. Play with as many people as you possibly can, even if they aren't any good.”
Red Hot Chili Peppers bass player Flea on how studying music theory can help your playing, as told to Bass Player Magazine :
I took theory, composition and jazz trumpet at the University of Southern California. The main thing I got out of that experience was my theory class, and the big thing was Bach, who blew my mind in a way that Hendrix did to me when I was a kid, or Charlie Parker. I always appreciated classical music, but not to the point where I really delved into it. I took classes with a theory professor, Professor Neal Desby, and I also studied with him privately. I was really getting into Bach…. It's something to aspire to. It's just amazing.”
Rush's Geddy Lee on getting the perfect bass sound” as told to Bass Player:
I've always liked my tone to have an edge, but over the years, I've been moving the edge higher and I've brought in more warmth. When I got my first Wal, it blew me away—the lower mids are so constant and the tone fits so easily into the context of our band on record. I don't need to use a lot of fancy EQ; the bass just naturally bounces and hangs there. That's what I'm really after; the bounce of the sound. If I'm playing a lot of notes, I don't like the tone to get twangy; I like there to be a bit of depth to it…”
Nikki Sixx on using the Gibson Thunderbird to get his trademark sound, as told to Guitar Center :
I've played Gibson Thunderbirds for my whole career. The Thunderbird is me. It's become such a part of me that I don't even look right holding another bass anymore. The Blackbird is my version of the Thunderbird. It's like a race car. Both of the pickups are wired together, and there are no tone or volume controls. The only control is a toggle switch that turns the pickups on or off. The word ‘finesse' should never come into play when you're talking about rock bass. It's like sex. You've just got to do the job. Playing bass isn't about making love. It's brutal, nasty, dirty, and raw. That's what the Blackbird is. There are other basses for other styles of music with volume and tone controls, but I just want to go. It's not like I'm going to turn the tone control back 25 percent and the volume back 10 percent to play the bridge of ‘Home Sweet Home' on stage.”
Jason Newsted on creating rhythms, as told to Bass Player:
A lot of people who aren't necessarily musicians visit the studio, and I keep various noise-making devices around—drums, knockers, nose flutes—so they can play along. I love watching instructional videos, so I bought the Santana rhythm-section tape, From Afro-Cuban to Rock Latin Percussion. It shows five general rhythms and how you apply them—but once the musicians start doing their thing, I just sit and watch in amazement. I haven't spent enough hours learning how to play them.”
Green Day bass player Mike Dirnt on what advice he would give to an up-and-comer, as told to Guitar Center :
I would say, first of all, play music with friends. Don't just play with somebody because they happen to have a lot of skills. Play with people you get along with because happiness is a road traveled, not a destination. If you can find it within yourself to be happy with working 40 hours a week and having a gig on the weekend or just having something to look forward to as far as having different shows and playing with friends. If you can be happy with that, if you can be happy with the least, then you've already succeeded. Chances are, all it's going to be is you gigging from weekend to weekend for the rest of your life or until you get going.”
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