double bassdrum playing (yes/no)

[ThomasT]

Hi,

my second question for today.

Assuming you have a drummer who plays very tightly, dynamically, just on click etc. but cannot play fast double bass drum parts. (funny: the last drummer was quite the opposite: yery tight on double bass drums and blast parts, but inconsistantly on slower parts).

Do you let the drummer play the double bass drums if you know you have to programm it later (or quantize them, buts just the same)?
There are four possibilities (if replacing the drummer is not possible...):

1. let the drummer play the double bass parts as long util they are good enough without any much editing (often not possible...)

2. let the drummer play the double bass parts and forget them/cut them out, hoping the org bassdrum is not to hear that much during other miks

3. let the drummer play 8ths with one foot only (often he can this) and faking the 16ths in between (I got sometimes good result with this, the bleed from the original 8ths result in good dynamic, lively parts)

4. tell him not to play bass drum during this part, but concentrate to snare and co. and fake the whole bassdrums in this part.

Greetings Thomas

 

[gorath23]

Personally if you can't play your instrument then you shouldn't fake it. Its a bit like asking if someone can't shred can we just speed up the solo.... just IMO though.

 

[ThomasT]

Personally if you can't play your instrument then you shouldn't fake it.

This is absolutely right...in princible...

But I'm talking about limitation of defect...in case I want, I need and I will fake it.

 

[chuck1703]

Personally if you can't play your instrument then you shouldn't fake it. Its a bit like asking if someone can't shred can we just speed up the solo.... just IMO though.

I have a confession, I did this with a band the other day, got hime to hit each note with the click (slow), then cut them, moved the notes close with each other, then reamped it. result, insane crazy sweep, sounds natural as well. But after doing this I felt guilty, lol. My own band wernt to impressed with my actions when I told them at rehershal. Do you know what the answer the guitarist had for doing this was, 'I'll able to play it in about 6 months though'. Man whats happening to kids these days.

 

[KeithTidd]

can't you just punch in those parts until he gets it right?

 

[chuck1703]

can't you just punch in those parts until he gets it right?

No, serioulsy man, he wouldnt able to, he cant even sweep abit. This is what i'm saying, i'm all up for doing whatever it takes to get the best sound from a band, but sometimes I feel we should stop and say no! thats why I felt crap about doing it. I had a guitarist the other day who was amazing, his sweeps wernt as tight as this one i progd, but you can hear the commitment hes put in other the years towards playing, then this other guys has this flawless soundin sweep, but he cant even play it and he'll get better regconition for it than the other geezer. I think thats the last time i'll do that for someone. i'm all up for cuttin corners to getting the top sound, but sometimes it goes a bit rurther than my liking. Call me old fashion, but a

 

[colonel kurtz]

Personally if you can't play your instrument then you shouldn't fake it. Its a bit like asking if someone can't shred can we just speed up the solo.... just IMO though.

you know people have been doing things like that since...umm...forever, right?

the beatles used to slow down the playback of a song, record some tough piano part really slow, then speed the tape up to match the rest of the song

i don't see anyone calling them out as cheaters

 

[ahjteam]

what? autotune? what? melodyne? what? beat detective? what? quantization? what? drumagog? what? pro tools? what? multiple takes? what? eq? what? compression? I thought the band plays like that...




...I'll get me coat.

 

[006]

what? autotune? what? melodyne? what? beat detective? what? quantization? what? drumagog? what? pro tools? what? multiple takes? what? eq? what? compression? I thought the band plays like that...

Exactly.

Just fucking do whatever it takes. It's not your fault if the band can't actually do it live after the cd is put out. It is your fault if the cd sounds like shit though.

~006

 

[punkrockacademyfightsong]

if it's really bad I'd go for option 3 or 4, they will give you good result anyhow, 1 and 2 are too risky...

 

[ElektricEyez]

That's why we get paid the big bucks Right? HAHAH yeah right. Musicians are cheap bastards, but its nice when we do get paid.

But honestly the way I see it, the happier you make them, then the more likely they will come back. Just think if you don't make it sound the best you can, and someone else says that they will do it, then thats a customer you just lost. It's fun writing music but lets face it, it's also a business. Some bands refuse to put anything on wax that they can't pull off live, others drool at the fact that you can do "magic" in the studio and make them sound awesome. After all, that is their expectations when they go in the studio, right?

Originally Posted by ahjteam View Post
what? autotune? what? melodyne? what? beat detective? what? quantization? what? drumagog? what? pro tools? what? multiple takes? what? eq? what? compression? I thought the band plays like that...

I agree with that 100%. Nobody is perfect, which is why we have the tools available to us. Making music isn't just about how incredible the musician is, it's about how everyone involved can make it bigger than life. I say leave that decision up to the band. If it were that big of a deal, then how many people on this board would be called fakers for programming drum beats instead of hiring a real drummer? Music is created, at the hands of the artists - by any means necessary. Just ask yourself, would you quit dating a girl cuz she had some implants as opposed to real ones? At the end of the day if the song rocks in my Mp3 player, I'll jam it - even if they suck live.