how to bring drums in a front?

[AntiDope]

I am guitarist ... I just started to learn about recording and mixing ...
for now I am experimenting .. just recording hundreds of tracks and trying to mix it to sound like proper rock music.

My question:
What is a method to bring drums in a center, in a front of audio picture? you know what I mean? Not to loose drums in a mix with guitars, but to bring it like solo instrument in a front of everything?

 

[paladin shredder]

parallel compression

 

[AntiDope]

parallel compression

all of it? kick, snare, toms, cymbals?

 

[schust]

i apply parallel comp to all of those.

you also need to start with the basics like panning and make sure the kit has it's own "space" in the mix. for example, the kick is normally panned center, snare - center or 1,2 ticks to the left/right (depending on perspective), toms panned in relation to where they sit (e.g. tom1 20% left, tom2 20% right, flr tom 30% right) and oh's/cymbals panned to taste usually somewhere 60%-100% depending on how you recorded them, room, etc and what sounds natural for the kit.

don't overuse verb. that'll push em' back. i use a nice room verb on the kit, but never on my kick(s).

comp helps to define them and gives them a "sharpness" to cut through, but be careful not to overcompress and squash dynamics.

i also use a transient designer to further define. does wonders for the snare.

usually gutars are panned out (50%-100%) so the kit can sit in the middle and have it's defined space.

 

[AntiDope]

thanks .. i'll try ...

may I ad one more?

do you record it stereo or mono?

 

[Jaymz]

P comp on cymbals!?

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

I'm surprised to see parallel compression as the first recommendation. I would work on your EQ first, and regular compression to shape the sound, not to mention just making sure your levels are right. Transient designers and parallel compression are cool, but if you don't have your sounds in order it's going to be an uphill battle.

As far as EQ goes, what I tend to do is scoop a lot of the mids so that guitars etc, can kind of sit inside them, but if you get rid of too much it will ruin the tone of the drums.

Have fun and good luck! haha.

 

[Soundlurker]

Еasiest way to bring them to the front is to bring everything else down. Also important is compression - at least 15 ms attack for the kick and toms, at least 5ms for the snare. Pan the guitars hard left and right.

 

[smy1]

Yea, Shadow got it right. Whatever happened to volume faders and panners?

Just bring the drums up a bit and position them right.

 

[ahjteam]

http://youwashockvst.googlepages.com/

my secret weapon

 

[MetalWorks]

Volume definately brings things up front. Panning helps to give it its own space, and EQ helps to get the remaining masks out of the way.

When it comes to Drums, the only problems I have with masking seems to be Toms. The rest is generally about volume level.

You definately get results with parallel compression but it should be achievable without it.

Alot of times this can happen when there is too much going on with each individual track. All the excess factors start to cloud the mix when it all comes together.

You will also learn that there are plenty of frequencies in each instrument that you can cut out completely that will free up clarity for the other instruments.

Check out charts like this and they might be helpfull. Now if I only invested time into my own advice my mixes might improve.

http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm

 

[schust]

http://youwashockvst.googlepages.com/

my secret weapon

dude, that vst fucking rocks. mucho appreciato. i stuck it on my main buss and the whole mix came alive.

(disclaimer: perhaps tomorrow after the alcohol wears off i'll have another listen, but for right now - WOW! thanks!)

 

[Zuranthus]

http://youwashockvst.googlepages.com/

my secret weapon

wtf, that's from Fist of The North Star

 

[gorath23]

Well, I'd echo that correct drum processing would be EQ first and compression second. But I find there are little tricks you can use to help certain areas to punch out. I use Bootsies Rescue on the Drum Bus and just push the centre knob up a little to help the snare and kick punch out:

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=196012 (Oh, and it has an Awesome GUI!)

 

[colonel kurtz]

don't forget about using reverbs to create depth/space not only for the drums, but everything else as well

 

[Uladyne]

As mentioned earlier, sometimes it's best to bring everything down. A common mistake early in the mixing game (I'm still guilty of it from time to time) is to think in terms of "this isn't loud enough", but sometimes its more beneficial to think in terms of "everything else is too loud". If you keep pushing elements above other elements, after a while you end up with no headroom and plenty of headaches. Don't be afraid to pull stuff down and/or out of the way to give the drums room to breathe.

 

[systmovadown]

parallel compression is definitely a good option. if you are going to use reverb to open the kit up a bit, make sure you add it on an auxilary track (for pt) or just make another track and copy paste the waveform with the verb mix set at 100%. if you put reverb as an effect on the track with the verb mix set at say 30%, it will take away from the punch of the drums (this is especially true on the snare) so just be careful with that, it'll put the drums way in the background

 

[colonel kurtz]

another timeless tip that hasn't been mentioned yet is sidechaining...either ducking the bass under kick, or even ducking whatever midrange stuff that's panned down the middle under the snare

 

[Torniojaws]

With moderation, of course. Unless you want to eurodance your mix

 

[Fragle]

another timeless tip that hasn't been mentioned yet is sidechaining...either ducking the bass under kick, or even ducking whatever midrange stuff that's panned down the middle under the snare

doesn't work with fast metal, especially death or black metal, though....if you try to duck the bass under the kick while it's playing straight 16th notes, you could as well turn the bass off