'Lil Video

[parser]

Here's a little drum video I made the other night. I wrote and recorded the bass and the guitar the night before, so this video is me figuring out what to play for the drums. This was my first try at mixing my microphone recorded full kit with video.

So around the half-way point in the little song I decided to mute the good drum tracks, guitar and bass, and put in the crappy audio from the camera by itself. I let that play for a round, then replaced it with only the studio drum sounds for a sec, then brought back the rest of the band and finished the song out.

The drum performance is what I consider "adequate for a rock show" but definitely not for a record - you'll hear what I mean.

This experiment showed me how differently I mix my drums if they are just by themselves as opposed to how I mix them with other instruments. And for some strange reason, I tend to mix much differently when I'm looking at the video - strange indeed.

Please give it a view and let me know what your opinion is...

(think heavier Foo Fighters or better yet Descendents)

[de Nick]

I like it dude, especially the end^^

[de Nick]

What about some specs?

[parser]

What about some specs?

Hey thanks for checking it out!

Here's the kit specs, but you should click the link in my sig for good pics...

Mapex Pro-M Studio in Black Chrome Pearl-

22x18 kick
10x8 tom
12x10 tom
14x11 tom
16x13 tom
14x5.5 snare
12x7 Cherry Black Panther side snare

(I still prefer my 14x6.5 Hammered Phosphor Bronze BP though (used in the video))

Paiste Signature Cymbals

8" splash (not used in video)
14" heavy hats
16" full crash (not used in video)
18" full crash
18" thin china
20" power crash
22" Dark Energy MK2 ride

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

Did you record the guitar direct? The drum sound is decent. If anything a little less kick and a little more snare. I like when you did the different cuts of the drums.

[radeq]

yeah the drums are sounding amazing, its funny, how gently you hit those drums, though they sound fat :), probably on a rock show you would beat the crap out of them, sometimes i think you didnt hit exactly the crash cymbal with your kick, maybe it was only an accident, but although ok playing for me

[Breadmonkey]

Nice playing man. One thing I noticed: You have the lightest touch ever! Makes me feel ashamed of how I treat my drums and they aren't nearly half as good as yours. still though good work.

[parser]

Did you record the guitar direct? The drum sound is decent. If anything a little less kick and a little more snare. I like when you did the different cuts of the drums.

I just picked up a DI box, so this was a great time to try it out. Guitar and bass were direct. I agree with you on dropping the kick back a bit and bumping up the snare. Thanks for checking it out!

[parser]

Nice playing man. One thing I noticed: You have the lightest touch ever! Makes me feel ashamed of how I treat my drums and they aren't nearly half as good as yours. still though good work.

yeah the drums are sounding amazing, its funny, how gently you hit those drums, though they sound fat :), probably on a rock show you would beat the crap out of them, sometimes i think you didnt hit exactly the crash cymbal with your kick, maybe it was only an accident, but although ok playing for me

You are correct, there are a number of places where the playing is a bit inconsistent. These little recordings help me to hear where I'm off and help me to improve. I'll be coming up on my 3 year mark in December, so lots of goals to achieve before then!!!

Wow, light touch eh? I had to re-watch the video to see it. 2 things are very clear to me now...

1. Drum Dial is a great tool. When a head is really evenly tuned it doesn't take much from a stick to bring the sound out.

2. Tried some new sticks-longer sticks take less effort (for me) to get the sound out of the drum.

Jack DeJohnette (SJD, SJDN)
A stretch 5A for extra reach. Great for jazz and fusion. Available in wood or nylon tip.
L = 16 5/16", Dia. = .565"

Thanks for taking the time, I really appreciate it!

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

I thought the guitar was direct. I've done that for the longest time, but now I'm getting more into mic'ing my guitar amp. I'm borrowing my father in law's Fender Ultimate Chorus amp (twin 12s I believe) and it has the sweetest tone. I still record bass direct though. That's pretty common. I have a Bass Pod which is really fun, and I've also used my Presonus TubePre to run the bass direct.

The last little demo fragment I recorded I tried something with the guitar amp I hadn't done before. I set the amp (my smaller practice amp) at the end of my 'L' shaped hallway in the shorter segment, pointed towards the middle of the longer segment. I had my small condenser right on the amp, and then at the other end of the hallway I had my large condenser. I panned the mics kind of opposite in the mix, and used the far mic as a natural reverb. It blended great and there was no need to double track my guitar, which is what I have been doing when I went direct.

[parser]

I thought the guitar was direct. I've done that for the longest time, but now I'm getting more into mic'ing my guitar amp. I'm borrowing my father in law's Fender Ultimate Chorus amp (twin 12s I believe) and it has the sweetest tone. I still record bass direct though. That's pretty common. I have a Bass Pod which is really fun, and I've also used my Presonus TubePre to run the bass direct.

The last little demo fragment I recorded I tried something with the guitar amp I hadn't done before. I set the amp (my smaller practice amp) at the end of my 'L' shaped hallway in the shorter segment, pointed towards the middle of the longer segment. I had my small condenser right on the amp, and then at the other end of the hallway I had my large condenser. I panned the mics kind of opposite in the mix, and used the far mic as a natural reverb. It blended great and there was no need to double track my guitar, which is what I have been doing when I went direct.

Man, you got some good ears! My room mates work the night shift, so If I want to record with amps and drums it has to be after 10pm. I'm usually pretty beat by that time, so the DI is pretty fun right now. I'm using an Ampeg SVT amp and refining the settings for guitar or bass. The only problem is they sound too similar!

Cool method you did with the "L" hallway! When I use speaker cabs, I like to multiple mic them and have the 2 different signals come from the same performance. This seems to broaden the possibilities for mixing. Sometimes I use both, sometimes I just use the best.

I think the next big purchase will be some NT5's for overheads. These Joe Meeks that came with the Firepod are fine for the moment, but I'm looking for something a bit less harsh.

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

The dead give away for direct guitar is that it is so clean, even if you have distortion on it. There's just this purity to it. I think the guitars on the Deerhoof stuff is direct though, and they sound amazing. I think for bass it is perfect, because mic'ing a bass amp can get a little muddy. In your situation, there isn't much of a choice. You just do what you have to do. By the end of the day, I don't have much energy for recording either. The only time I really do it is when I get off work early and the wife and kids aren't home yet, or if I get a chance on the weekend. That forces me to go direct a lot. I'm really trying to add more air in my mixes though. I haven't finished a track yet with my acoustic kit (for my personal stuff). The last couple songs I finished I used my electric kit. It fit the style of music, but I can still tell it was a direct recording and not my acoustic set in a real room, ya know? I think it just depends on the song.

I picked up that mic'ing tip for the guitar amp from TapeOp I believe. That's where I get most of my recording ideas. Great pool of people there. I read in "Behind The Glass" a lot of engineers will put at least two or three mics right on the amp, and choose one or a blend of thee three. You can use the phase cancellations as sort of an EQ in that way. In the past, I would pan the direct guitar track to one side, and send it to a reverb to pan below and opposite but the two mic method I think sounds much better.

I didn't know Joe Meek made mics. I've always wanted one of their pres.

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

I definitely agree with the mixing suggestions, the snare a little more forward and the bass drum down a little. I agree with Sleepy, the guitar is very forward-sounding and it does sound DI'd. I've been getting using a microphone on my cab and as long as you gate it slightly (at least, in my case, it hums!) the tone recorded is so much better, there's depth to it and just a touch of ambience (microphone 8 inches from the speaker) adds so much to the sound.

Good playing though. I noticed a few timing anomalies, but nothing bad. Certainly nothing that couldn't be fixed after another practice. The sound you get from those drums is nothing short of superb.

I've been playing with my guitar setup in the last few weeks. I've bought an Ibanez DE7 delay and an MXR Zakk Wylde overdrive pedal (even though I'm not a particular fan, I just liked the pedal!) along with my Morley Wah pedal. The DE7 has a wet and dry output, and I have a spare bass amp lying around, so sometimes I run my guitar signal through both amps at the same time. A lot of fun! I need a FirePod and some NT5's...

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

I've been getting using a microphone on my cab and as long as you gate it slightly (at least, in my case, it hums!) the tone recorded is so much better, there's depth to it and just a touch of ambience (microphone 8 inches from the speaker) adds so much to the sound.

Does the amp hum idly, or do you have to be near it? When I had my amp in the hallway, I was still in my music room with the guitar to prevent feedback. In fact, I usually turn off the PC monitor and speakers because my guitar pickups can pick up a little noise from them. You may be able to notch out that hum with EQ without hurting the tone of the guitar. Gate will always work for the quiet parts though. Quick and easy.

I like to keep my close mic several inches off the speaker as well. I like to get the air movement.

[Maytridy]

I like your technique, it's good to see someone with a controlled, loose touch.

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

Does the amp hum idly, or do you have to be near it? When I had my amp in the hallway, I was still in my music room with the guitar to prevent feedback. In fact, I usually turn off the PC monitor and speakers because my guitar pickups can pick up a little noise from them. You may be able to notch out that hum with EQ without hurting the tone of the guitar. Gate will always work for the quiet parts though. Quick and easy.

I like to keep my close mic several inches off the speaker as well. I like to get the air movement.

It makes no difference where my guitar is, it's just the amp and my mains supply. It's the same at college as well. I've tried with the EQ, but it needs a fair amount of low-end attenuation, and that does hurt my tone. It's a real pain. I need to get hold of some ground-isolating equipment and I'm NOT going to cut my earth wire either. It's just a pain.

[parser]

In your situation, there isn't much of a choice. You just do what you have to do. By the end of the day, I don't have much energy for recording either. The only time I really do it is when I get off work early and the wife and kids aren't home yet, or if I get a chance on the weekend. That forces me to go direct a lot. I'm really trying to add more air in my mixes though.

Last night I got the chance to record one of my room mate's songs. He plays the guitar and I had some pretty good screwing around time twisting knobs and moving mics around his cabinet. It was nice to just sit behind the desk and let someone else perform! - and we got to start at 6pm, sweet!

I picked up that mic'ing tip for the guitar amp from TapeOp I believe. That's where I get most of my recording ideas. Great pool of people there. I read in "Behind The Glass" a lot of engineers will put at least two or three mics right on the amp, and choose one or a blend of thee three. You can use the phase cancellations as sort of an EQ in that way. In the past, I would pan the direct guitar track to one side, and send it to a reverb to pan below and opposite but the two mic method I think sounds much better.

I didn't know Joe Meek made mics. I've always wanted one of their pres.

Yeah, TapeOp kills! I must go over there more often.

I've tried a Joe Meek compressor, but I liked my RNC much better. Their overheads got bundled in with my FirePod - not bad for free!

[parser]

I like your technique, it's good to see someone with a controlled, loose touch.

Thanks for watching and the nice compliment!

[parser]

I definitely agree with the mixing suggestions, the snare a little more forward and the bass drum down a little. I agree with Sleepy, the guitar is very forward-sounding and it does sound DI'd. I've been getting using a microphone on my cab and as long as you gate it slightly (at least, in my case, it hums!) the tone recorded is so much better, there's depth to it and just a touch of ambience (microphone 8 inches from the speaker) adds so much to the sound.

I brought down the kick and the snare up a bit, ya'll were very correct on that diagnosis. I'll probably redo the whole thing, if I can remember how to play that guitar part!!!

The sound you get from those drums is nothing short of superb.

That was the most important part for me on this one, so thanks for noticing! I'm gonna tune and mic up that Gretsch kit I still have (but should have sold by now). I wanna hear that 24" kick and 18" floor tom again.

I've been playing with my guitar setup in the last few weeks. I've bought an Ibanez DE7 delay and an MXR Zakk Wylde overdrive pedal (even though I'm not a particular fan, I just liked the pedal!) along with my Morley Wah pedal. The DE7 has a wet and dry output, and I have a spare bass amp lying around, so sometimes I run my guitar signal through both amps at the same time. A lot of fun! I need a FirePod and some NT5's...

What guitar cab are you using now?

[parser]

It makes no difference where my guitar is, it's just the amp and my mains supply. It's the same at college as well. I've tried with the EQ, but it needs a fair amount of low-end attenuation, and that does hurt my tone. It's a real pain. I need to get hold of some ground-isolating equipment and I'm NOT going to cut my earth wire either. It's just a pain.

I've been putting the 57 just an inch off the speaker, then playing with other mics a couple feet away. I've definitely had some issues with noise too, especially if I didn't turn off my cell phone and someone calls when I'm tracking. Weird!

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

Right now I'm using a Roland Cube 15, which does the job just fine, and it has a nice DI on the output that I can use as well if need be. That's how the majority of my recordings are done when I use the cabinet, but I have been playing with micing it in the last couple of weeks. I also have a Peavey Microbass 20 combo which I sometimes use in conjunction with the cube (wet/dry signal from delay pedal, the bass takes the dry). In all honesty, it might be my wiring. I am running everything from the same extension plug, but it's a pain. I'll do some more experimenting tonight to see how bad the hiss is.

I get problems with my phone all the time. It's something to do with the resonances of the various components and the microwave signal, I was told it a few years ago, but I've forgotten the ins and outs of it. It happens to me all the time, in my car, at home and when I'm at college; the best solution? Turn the damned thing off. I hate mobile phones anyway.

It's not as funny as a problem I used to have. I had a cheap 5.1 surround setup in my room a couple of years ago (since put away in a cupboard!) and it had 3 metre+ unbalanced wires to connect the speakers to each other. I picked up (no joke) CANADIAN radio a few times, as well as German, French and Danish radio all the time. Went straight through the speakers. My old Yamaha DTXpress II did that occasionally as well, and sometimes I connected that up to the sound system. That was a whole lot of radio interference! Should've sampled it...

And as for placing the other microphones a few feet away. Careful. We all know where that leads...

And I really AM impressed by your tuning. The drums sound great and I know it's not just all processing, either.

[parser]

And I really AM impressed by your tuning. The drums sound great and I know it's not just all processing, either.

Yo man, this should go into the "best compliment ever received" thread. You just can't EQ bad tuning to sound good. Thanks MFB!

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

Yo man, this should go into the "best compliment ever received" thread. You just can't EQ bad tuning to sound good. Thanks MFB!

No you really can't... and it's something I should try learning.