Drum mixing - Automation on Gates

[Pipsymbol]

I'm currently working with a rock band with very dynamic playing. We decided to do everything without triggers. It does seems OK regarding their style. And their playing is very good.

So I ended up doing completely different drum mix than I would usually do with a metal band. I decided to go with heavy automation on gate threshold to get most out of dynamic playing.
So for the kick I would have gate threshold set at -6 db, and if playing goes very quiet or there are occasional fast notes I would put it down to -18, and for some very quiet parts I would turn gate completely off. Also I have to mention that I get surprisingly lots of HH into kick mic... So I have to have this tight gate on kick.

My question is, how many of you do this?
Do you have any other tips that may help?

 

[d350mh]

I've never been in that situation, but on the kick track, is it necessary to have the hats bleeding through for the song?
maybe put a small notch to even just reduce the hats a little bit on the kick track and maybe you'd be able to ease off the gate at some spots.

might even create a little more space in the mix!

 

[Pipsymbol]

ideally I should get rid of HH bleed completely.
but that's impossible in given situation.

 

[Fandus]

I extract midi from the audio and have that midi side chained to open the gate, much greater control.

 

[crillemannen]

Gates are gay, enough said..

 

[Trevoire520]

I would have left the triggers on and just used them to sidechain the gates personally.

 

[RedDog]

I would have left the triggers on and just used them to sidechain the gates personally.

+1

I'll also be the one to say, AUTOMATE.

AUTOMATE.

AUTO....MATE.

You're drawing automation already, depending on how much work you can afford to put in you can perfect your sound with some patience.

 

[nezvers]

I would automate or get midi notes out and trigger gate (probably adjust lenght of notes too depending of hit loudness)

 

[Mikaël-ange]

Gates are gay, enough said..

Ok so consider me gay Christian
The day you will hear what can be done with a DS201 or a mx40 you will become gay too


But in all seriousness for answer OP question

Do what ever you need to do for make the track work... You can automate your gate, or just split out the track with different gate setting.

I personalty don't use that for drum but I do that a lot for vocal (different eq).

 

[JeffTD]

I edit most close tracks. If there's a long section with no kick or snare, I cut those sections out. Toms get hard edited, spot mics (HH, ride, china) get hard edited while I'm quantizing as well.

 

[greyskull]

Even on dynamic stuff, and even if I'm not using the trigger tracks in the mix, I trigger kick and snare and side chain to the gates input.

 

[fade_2_black]

I have to automate gating now and then, but if it's a project I care enough about, I'll occasionally use strip silence and actually get in there myself and edit/cut stuff out.

As others have said, using trigger signals to automate gates if common. Another common method is combining sidechain EQ with secondary mics as key inputs to gates - for example, I often get better results using gating the snare bottom with the snare top mic to avoid the kick opening the snare bottom, and to have the snare bottom open with side-sticks, etc.