Drum and guitar tips

[SpaceShipOne]

So let's do a thread about the best ways to record guitar and drums. Let's also include programs like DFHS and what you do to different drum pieces to make them sound oh so good. How do you make a final mix sound shiny and less stuffy?

 

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: Drum and guitar tips

It would be better to be more specific as one size doesn't fit all. For example, Tom Petty and Evanescence wouldn't track or mix their drums and guitars in the same way.

 

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Re: Drum and guitar tips

+1.

You could write an encyclopedia on this kind of stuff and still have it open for interpretation.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Drum and guitar tips

Are there certain basic rules that apply regardless of style?

- Keith

 

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Re: Drum and guitar tips

Are there certain basic rules that apply regardless of style?

- Keith

Totally: There are no rules.


But seriously... if it sounds good, it sounds good - no way around that one.

 

[SpaceShipOne]

Re: Drum and guitar tips

Hmm, Let's have a hard rock/metal thread and if it's successful we'll have a classic rock blues thread

 

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Re: Drum and guitar tips

Hmm, Let's have a hard rock/metal thread and if it's successful we'll have a classic rock blues thread

Even in that you're going to have completely different things. You can't ask for general 'rules' really, not only in mixing, but in tracking, too.

 

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: Drum and guitar tips

I think there are a few universal truths. We are always mixing (Steve Lillywhite) meaning track what you want to hear in the end. Good well tuned instruments, good mics, good room, good signal chain, good players/performance, in other words crap in crap out. Don't expect to make a 1x12 sound like a well mic'd 4x12 etc. I would look up producers and engineers you admire and find out what they use and do.

 

[Officejokeguy]

Re: Drum and guitar tips

Finding out what producers and engineers are doing is fine and all, but experimenting to find out what sounds the best to YOU is very important as well.

 

[B2D]

Re: Drum and guitar tips

Yeah I do dig listening to old recordings that were done with 4 mics or less... they've got this lo-fi cool vibe on them that no modern technology can ever match.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Drum and guitar tips

for mastering, I usually just use an EQ (usually a lil boost in the high end, maybe add or cut some bass if something's off), then a compressor (usually around 3.1:1 if I remember correctly), then a slight EQ again if the compressor did something weird, then a limiter it so it's not going in the red.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Drum and guitar tips

ahhh - found it on web archive! it's an old cool edit/syntrillium page that has awesome mastering tips in step by step form. I always go to it (I printed it out like 7 years ago or something), even though I don't use cool edit much anymore. Great tips for final mastering. Print it out and save it as a reference!!!

http://web.archive.org/web/20020405100958/http://support.syntrillium.com/kb/kbDetail.html?106