Eagles- Long Run , Fleetwood Mac-Rumours

Pachikara-Tharakan

Pachikara-Tharakan

Silver Member
How do we get the snare sound that we hear in the following albums. What kind of heads to start with? What about the tuning technic?

1. Rumours-- Fleetwood Mac
2. Long Run- The Eagles

thanks in advance.
 
I'm not sure about heads but they both used Ludwigs. I think Mick Fleetwood used a 402 snare I believe.

Bonzolead
 
I'd assume a single ply coated head, tuned really loose, with some muffling.

Keep in mind on Rumors, the drum tracks were bounced down several times (the equivalent of copying from one tape to another) which causes a loss in sound quality. This happened because Lindsey Buckingham kept adding more and more layers of guitar and vocals, but technology at the time didn't allow for the sheer number of tracks we have today, so he kept condensing the drum tracks, which really affected their sound.

If I were really trying t re-create that sound, I'd probably start with a two ply coated head to compensate for all the various micing and recording techniques they used that would be impossible to re-create.Tune it low, and experiment with muffling until it sounded right.
 
Take your pick, wood or metal - wood you could do it with 5.5x14; metal you'll want 6.5x14 for a little depth of tone.

Coated ambassador or CS batter, ambassador snare side.
Tune it down.
Tune it way down.
Keep tuning it down. If you see wrinkles in the batter head you might have gone too far, but maybe not, and even then only just barely.
Take a wallet or some paper towels. Muffle the batter head. If it can move with the head a bit and act mechanically as a gate, great.

It'll be murder on the heads, it'll be rough to play on, but it's 100% pure eagles thud.

If you want it live with some durability? Maybe an emperor, tune down, use muffling.
Or use a 15" drum - doesn't have to be much more than 4" deep. Two ply head, medium-low. Muffle.

Fleetwood Mac is tuned a little higher but there's a lot going on in the studio on their stuff.
 
Here's a trick that's quick and won't ruin your heads (mush them out) if you aren't using that sound all the time.

Tue your snare normally, then take a sheet of note book paper and place it on the head.

It damps down the tone a few steps and gets that type of deep, fat, but flat sound.
Works great, and it's quick and easy to do between songs too.

You won't really be able to do rolls other than singles, but if the head is tuned down that low, you wouldn't be able to anyway. And those guy's really didn't do any rolls in he songs anyway.
 
Ha, I though I was the only one who did that. Sometimes I'll set an old head upsidedown on top of the batter head, and it makes for a great fake electronic snare sound.
 
thanks guys, i tried a quick an dirty way by placing a thin cloth on the snare to get the fat sound, but still cant get that "heavy" sound though.

again, there was a lot going on in the studio at that time.. Sounds like "the Dark side of the moon ' album, they cant re create the same sound now even with the modern technology.

very interesting.

(I really love the drum sound in Rumours).
 
theindian said:
Ha, I though I was the only one who did that. Sometimes I'll set an old head upsidedown on top of the batter head, and it makes for a great fake electronic snare sound.
Click to expand...

That's a great way too, and with different types, you get different tones (snare side, regular batter etc...).

Didn't think to post it because paper is so easy and quick, and you don't have to haul around extra heads if you use it on a gig with paper. Just a bit of tape and it stays put.

The old spare head is great too.
 
DrumEatDrum said:
I'd assume a single ply coated head, tuned really loose, with some muffling.

Keep in mind on Rumors, the drum tracks were bounced down several times (the equivalent of copying from one tape to another) which causes a loss in sound quality. This happened because Lindsey Buckingham kept adding more and more layers of guitar and vocals, but technology at the time didn't allow for the sheer number of tracks we have today, so he kept condensing the drum tracks, which really affected their sound.

If I were really trying t re-create that sound, I'd probably start with a two ply coated head to compensate for all the various micing and recording techniques they used that would be impossible to re-create.Tune it low, and experiment with muffling until it sounded right.
Click to expand...

Was Buckingham ponging the tracks?

Mike

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