Gavin Harrison here!

Hi LinearDrummer,
Yes that clip isn't particularly representative of what the whole DVD is about.
A lot of the DVD lessons are based on the concepts from my first book "Rhythmic Illusions".
If you like beat displacement and rhythmic manipulation - you might like this DVD.
There's some musical performances on there too - which have some relevance to the lessons. Plus some on screen notation and alternative audio mixes that you can select from the DVD remote handset - so that you can hear mixes of the drums and music - or just the drums with a click.

Good luck playing backwards or forwards!!!!

Cheers
Gavin
 
Hi there

I just went through you're DVD, and my brain overtemped! Those are some hardcore concept for me, highly interesting to develop time control.

Cheers for a freakin' high quality product, really inspiring, i'll get to work now!
 
Bernhard -

Thanks for the new clip....
This site just continues to open my eyes up to talented drummers that I would have never thought to listen to before....

Galvin -

Now thats some good stuff right there....exactly the kind of techniques I want to develop...
I will purchase your DVD and check out your concepts....maybe even steal a couple of licks - LOL....

Very nice drumming.....
 
Hi Gavin !

Let's just say that the performance of PT you put on last November Paris' Le Bataclan is starting to fade away in my memory and the remedy is more ... cowbell ... euh no ... the remedy is the next PT live DVD to watch/listen your playing in all your glory !
So sorry to ask this again but do you have a more precise release date for the PT live DVD from the mastermind Steven Wilson ?
Any plans for the Next PT record ?
What are the grooves you wish you had played/created ?

And what about Iggy Pop, I know you toured with him, is he really crazy or is it just an act ?
Thx and Keep Up The Goood Work !!!
 
Hi CarterB_Junkie,
we still don't have a precise date for release of the DVD - I'm hoping it will be within 8 weeks.
I didn't understand - what's "from the mastermind of Steve Wilson" got to do with it?
The next PT record will probably be recorded this winter and hopefully released next spring - but I honestly don't know for sure.

Iggy Pop was great. He's a really nice guy - no it's not an act - it's a frenzy he gets into during his amazing performances. I really enjoyed watching him every night from behind the kit. VERY entertaining.

Cheers
Gavin
 
Greetings Gavin!
I have closely read section Recording drums on your site, but at me some questions if you will allow have appeared.
1. Please, tell more in detail, you use what equipment in studio: a mixer, compressors, monitors, a configuration of a computer, etc.
2. What you use adjustments(options) of a mixer, compressors, and other equipment?
3. You use digital(computer) click, or rhithm-mashine while recording?
4. How you place microphones for recording (especially snare, kick, hi-hat and overheads)?
5. How there is a process of record of a song? You play a track entirely, and then readjust parts which have not liked you, or play separate fragments, and then make from them a song on computer?
6. How acoustic preparation of your studio was
was spent (i mean walls, floor, etc.)?

Thanks
 
Hi e7z,
I'll try to answer your questions.
I use these microphones
Audix D6 at the from hole of the bass drum - no eq - about 2 inches away from the skin
Audix i5 on the snare top - little bit of 12khz boost eq - about 2 inches away from the skin
Shure SM57 for under snare - reverse phase - no eq
Electro Voice ND408 on the toms - no eq
2 Royer 122 ribbon mics as stereo overheads - reverse phase - no eq
AKG ck391 on the hi hat - low frequencies cut eq
2 Scheops CMC5 as stereo room mics.

They are connected to the desk and then into the Apogee Rosetta 192 digital converters - and into Logic Pro 7 software on my Mac G5.

Sometimes I use the Waves C1 compressor on the snare top and sometimes on the overheads. Sometimes I use the Space Designer reverb which is part of Logic Pro software.

I try to record the whole song in one performance. Maybe I will make 3 whole performances that I like and cut from one to another - but try to keep as much of one performance as possible. I don't like to record in little pieces and then assemble - because I can hear that it's not continuos.

Cheers
Gavin
 
Gavin,

No questions, but Id just like to mention that Im a fan of your work w/Porcupine Tree.

I was at the Houston Tx. show, and purchased XMii there, which didnt leave my CD player for months.

I think its really cool that you take time to answer the questions here.

Take care,
Shane
 
Hi Gavin!

Just want to tell you that your playing is absolutely ace and that you are my biggest hero!!
And you are a really nice to spend some of your time to answer us our questions!
I discovered you and your fabulous playing through the music of Porcupine Tree, and now im going kind of crazy buying everything you have played on. Next on the list is the Stefano Panunzi record "Timelines".

I have a question about a song on the "Stop" album with Sam Brown!
There is a song on it called "Ball and Chain" and i noticed that in the booklet there is nothing saying that there is percussion on that track, but it sounds almost impossible to play that in one take. So I wander if it is in one take or if there is any overdubs? If it is overdubbed I wander how you think when you come up with these fantastic percussive ideas.

Love your playing!!
 
Hey Gavin!

Very nice to meet you here, I`ve seen your vids some hours ago...Gavin, you are awesome.
I`m sure you`ll be a big influence!! Your feeling is amazing and your sense...mhhh, love these dynamics!
and you play this very straight, just great!!! :)
and I have a question for you:

how do you get this sensible soft snare drum sound? How do you tune it??
and how can I get this sensible sound without so much snare wires sound while playing on the toms??

thanks alot,

Karl
 
Hi cvighals,
yes - "Ball & Chain" by Sam Brown - that was all done in one take with no overdubs. I played the rims of the toms plus the cowbells and the metal crasher thing.
Originally the song had a completely different feel - but one day Sam walked into the rehearsal room as I was playing that kind of pattern - and just stared singing the verse of Ball & Chain over it. We all liked it - and rearranged it over that groove.
I really like "Your Love Is All" from that album. She was such great fun to work with.

Hi Karl,
I find that if my snare is buzzing when I play the toms - it's usually just one tom (the one in front of me) where the pitch is very similar. If you turn your snares off and listen to the pitch of the snare drum - and then compare it with the offending tom - you should find they are in the same pitch zone, so you must decide if you want to raise the pitch of the snare or the tom. It doesn't matter - as long as they are significantly different.
I also cut down my snare wires from 12 strands to 8. Cutting the outside 4 off.

Cheers
Gavin
 
Gavin Harrison said:
Hi Karl,
I find that if my snare is buzzing when I play the toms - it's usually just one tom (the one in front of me) where the pitch is very similar. If you turn your snares off and listen to the pitch of the snare drum - and then compare it with the offending tom - you should find they are in the same pitch zone, so you must decide if you want to raise the pitch of the snare or the tom. It doesn't matter - as long as they are significantly different.
I also cut down my snare wires from 12 strands to 8. Cutting the outside 4 off.

Cheers
Gavin

hi, thanks alot for these tips!! I will try to change my pitch of the snare drum maybe. I find it very cool when the snare wires sound while playing a tom (especially in jazz) but it is veeery extreme when I play my drums...and what sound will you get if you cut snare wires off? a thinner "ringier" sound?

thanks alot for your help!!

Karl
 
Hi Gav!

Neil Peart has told in the interview

"I like what Gavin Harrison is doing with Porcupine Tree, and on his instructional DVDs. His playing and his thinking are interesting, musical, and inspiring".

You are familiar with Neil personally? What do you think of him, how about the drummer, and about his manner of drumming? It seems to me, that his style is a little... clumsy. He too strongly places elbows in the sides, for example. How you think?

Thanks,
Sasha
 
Hi Sasha

I think I must come in here:

Please don't expect from Gavin, that he publish every private opinion about other drummers here in the public. Hope you understand. It's great, that he participates and answers every technical question, but this I understand goes too far...

Ok?!!

Bernhard
 
That is great. Love the overhead shots showing both hands and feet, Thanks Bernard and Gavin.
 
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