Preparing for the studio - Getting ready to create a killer drum sound.

If you consider the importance of the drums in modern music, you must acknowledge the importance of capturing a great sound for the instrument in a recording session.  Whether it's in your garage, basement project studio, or professional studio you should keep the following in mind.

Fact is, you can not get a good recorded sound from bad drums and manufacturers have made significant advances towards making all their kits sound great.  Also keep in mind that at times, an old kit, or a strange sounding kit, may be appropriate for the application.  For instance, I own a 1.5” x 14” snare that I bought at a garage sale many years ago.  It cost me $10.00.  I put great heads on it and added a new set of snares and it sounds great for Ska.  As a rule of thumb however, starting with great drums will make it easier to get a great sound.  If your current kit is not up to recording standards, you may want to consider renting or borrowing a better kit for your session.  You and your band may also opt for a studio with a great house kit.  There are advantages to going this route.  The house engineer will know the room and how it interacts with their drums, as well as how to maximize the sound of the kit within their environment.

It is essential that you select the right heads for the application or sound and style of music you make.  If you play Jazz, use thin heads.  Thrash requires heavier heads.  As drummers, we are at a disadvantage compared to our guitar playing band mates.  They will purchase new strings for the session at about $10.00 per set.  New heads for a full set of drums cost significantly more than that.  When putting together a budget for a recording project, I always include the price of strings, sticks and heads as recording costs.  It's everyone's record, so why should the drummer incur the cost of re-heading the kit to be used on the session?  Remember, it's important to use fresh heads.  A great kit with dead heads will sound substandard.  New heads can even make dad's old Ludwig's in the garage sound like the great kit it once was.

Tuning is key to getting a great drum sound.  It’s not as easy as guitar.  They have tuners to help them get the pitch right - an option we don’t have.  There are tons of opinions on drum tuning.  As a guideline, you can refer to an article on the subject that appeared in the last Catalogue on my site: www.monopolimusic.com.  If you're not too confident in your ability to tune the drums, you can always hire someone to do it.  No harm in that.  Most professionals have techs - so why not you?

Maintenance is critical in preparing for your session because our instruments need to resonate and vibrate to create their tone.  Screws and bolts will losen over time.  Take the time to ensure everything is tight.  This will eliminate rattles and other sounds that you probably don't want on your recording.  Cymbals should be on stands with good felts and sleeves to eliminate metal to metal contact.  You should also oil your pedals and ensure your throne does not make noise.  You'd be surprised at what studio microphones will pick up in terms of unwanted noise.

You need to practice on the kit you will play in the recording session.  If you are accustomed to a four piece kit with three cymbals and a 20” kick drum, but plan to use a 7 piece kit with 9 cymbals and a 24” kick drum, then sit with the big kit in rehearsals for a week or two.  It's always better to know your environment.  Besides, that 24” kick is going to demand a lot of attention if you're not used to it!  It is also relevant to know how the drums are going to be recorded ahead of time.  Seasoned musicians have the ability to adapt on the fly, but if the studio is not your most comfortable environment you should discuss the recording process with the engineer and producer before hand.  For instance, if during the session the drums will be close miked (microphones on all the drums), you will need to make room for the microphones.  You will also want to position the cymbals a little on the high side to cut down on bleed into the tom microphones.  There will always be bleed, but the concept of close miking is to get as much separation between microphones as possible.  If the engineer and producer are going to use a more open, live technique with fewer microphones (usually two overheads, a snare microphone, and a kick drum microphone), you will want to position the cymbals a little closer to the drums to effect the overall volume.  In this scenario, finding the right balance so the cymbals are not too loud in comparison to the drums is key.  Both ways require that you play differently because parts of your kit will be located in slightly altered positions.

In the end, music is about artistic expression.  There are rules, but they are meant to be broken.  Take this advice with a grain of creative salt.  You’ll find it comes in handy regardless of how you decide to express yourself! - Hit Hard or head home!!  Flavio Monopoli