Recorded drum sounds

[drummingman]

My current metal band just put out our first full length album. With the recording and the mixing and mastering, it ran us a little over $2000. It sounds good for what we paid for. But it got me thinking about recorded drum sounds on most top level metal albums. I know that a lot of drummers in metal sample their sounds from superior drummer and other types of software. I’ve always preferred to try to remain as organic as possible to have more of a unique sound and identity. But I find that the problem with that is in order to be able to really capture top quality sounds organically you have to have a massive budget for recording and mixing and mastering. And unless you’re independently wealthy, that’s very difficult. I know this is why a lot of drummers opt to use the samples. But I have to wonder if there is a way to get such amazing organic drum sounds on a recording in an economically feasible fashion that doesn’t have you eating ramen for the next 10 years trying to get out of debt?

 

[AudioWonderland]

Sample your own kit

 

[JimmyM]

If you want top quality sounds on a budget, sample. Otherwise do the best you can with what you have and don’t sweat it. If the songs move people, it’ll catch on.

 

[bermuda]

You can also exercise a little sound design and create your own samples. Do some layering (combine sounds on toms, snare & kick that give them something extra), do some filtering... make those drums pop!

BTW $2000 is a great deal to get a finished album!

 

[equipmentdork]

BTW $2000 is a great deal to get a finished album!

I was going to say, that is a killer deal! That usually gets spent on just a few days in the studio for me, with not a single track mixed!



Dan

 

[Chris Whitten]

I often add samples to my recorded drums. I'm not replacing the organic recording of my kit, but I'll add a slightly deeper snare sample at low volume just to beef up my own. Likewise a sample reinforcing my bass drum.
It's routine in a lot of contemporary music, especially when mixing. The main sound, touch and dynamics comes from my real drums, and the samples are just like adding a little EQ.

 

[PorkPieGuy]

I think I would combine sampling to your organic drum sound. I would just think of it as more of an effect as opposed to just sampling a sound altogether. I'm not an e-drum fan at all, but I think for specific genres, it's called for...and metal is one of those genres.