How to get a huge snare sound in a mix?

[_wayfarer]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the site but have been enjoying looking around quite a bit.

My question is how to get a massive snare sound from samples. I am currently using this Andy Sneap sample for my midi drum kit: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9951988/Andy Sneap Snare 00.wav

It is a great sounding snare but doesn't quite stick out in the mix as well as I'd like. The snare sound I am looking for is something like Circle of Contempt on the song The Pendulum Swing or The Contortionist on Primal Directive, which are here: and here: respectively.

Any help would be much appreciated. It'd also be really cool if you wanted to take the sample and throw your effects chain on it to show me what you do.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Deebo]

EQ, Compression, and Verb.

 

[Alexchapel]

boost at 200hz for some thump

 

[smy1]

Haha, in both those examples the snares don't stick out at all ... I have a hard time even identifying the snare sound because it sounds a lot like a phonebook ...

Check out the chorus in Meat Loaf's "California Isn't Big Enough" for a truly huge snare. Compared to that the snares you posted sound miniscule, really!

 

[Chainsaw Calligraphy]

Don't forget that you have to account for how the sample fits into the mix as a whole. As with all things you can't make the snare bigger in the mix without sacrificing something else. Try making some small eq cuts on the rhythm guitar bus so it pokes through more. Some people have good results with sidechain compression on the guitar bus aswell. Personally I like to leave a bit of room in the mix around 200hz so that the snare really punches through. A long aux reverb with hp/lp and eq can really make it sound bigger too.

 

[guitarguru777]

Ya that is NOT a big snare. Thats just a very cracky snare it almost has no body what so ever...

You want a BIG snare here is a BIG snare

 

[greyskull]

you gotta carve out the space for a big snare or it just EATS the mix.
Listen where the fatness and roundness of that snare is, and try and pull that out of elements of the mix that don't need it.
Even if you're dipping a db or two, it'll still make a difference!

 

[JoeJackson]

Decapitator delivers instant hugeness ...
(I think I'm going to post that into each thread from now on)

Apart from that, good EQ-work and a good reverb.

 

[AEL89]

Take your sample and pitch shift it down a 3rd or 4th. Instant hugeness. Boosting loads of 200hz can make your snare really boxy in some cases.

 

[Ozterkvlt]

Take your sample and pitch shift it down a 3rd or 4th. Instant hugeness. Boosting loads of 200hz can make your snare really boxy in some cases.

This. I find that boosting at 200Hz only works on some snares. I'd say use an EQ to find where the meat of the snare lies, and boost that area(s).

 

[doclegion]

I dont know what the signal chain is but i would try to remix somethings on the kit to bring out the snare
EX-listen to the drums solo and see if it sounds the way you want it in the drum mix then add other instruments
The sneap snare is good but thin you may wanna find a different sample or make your own using snare and room mics
sounds to me like there is to much compression or limiting thats keep it from popping out the way it should if its not that work your EQ

 

[xxmattattackxx]

Okay guys, im looking to recreate this snare sound almost exactly. Catch it i use a MIDI kit. Question is, how would i have to mix the snare to get this kind of sound out of it? Theres a few hits on it at 1:30 during the chorus and the riff after. Thanks in advance. =]

 

[discordless]

Okay guys, im looking to recreate this snare sound almost exactly. Catch it i use a MIDI kit. Question is, how would i have to mix the snare to get this kind of sound out of it? Theres a few hits on it at 1:30 during the chorus and the riff after. Thanks in advance. =] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LJvGCrCJyM

back up your sample with a room snare sample, blend in more when necessary + verb + comp, eq etc

 

[Clark Kent]

Haha, in both those examples the snares don't stick out at all ... I have a hard time even identifying the snare sound because it sounds a lot like a phonebook ...

My thoughts exactly.

If you want punch I HIGHLY RECOMMEND SPL TRANSIENT DESINGER. It's a like a punch and sustain parameter for a snare. Just amazing. Remember not to overdo it. It changed my whole mixing view on snare drums. You can make a snare sound unrealisticly good with this plugin.

Ofcourse an EQ and a compressor first. 1:4 ratio, attack on minimum, release on maximum... well ofcourse depends on the compressor. The black 1176 is the best one if you ask me. And gain reduction mostly -3dB.

 

[Ermz]

My idea of a 'huge' snare is something more like this:



Samples make your life easier. Blending a half dozen different snares to get all their tonal characteristics in the right balance is a better starting point than simply using one 'cracky' snare and trying to EQ the world into it. Don't underestimate the value of room mics, and don't be afraid to plate verb the snare up until its airy and has some serious sustain. Parallel compression helps bring the body out more. The rest is heavy handed EQ and compression work.

 

[Virgil.]

None of you guys know what you're talking about. This snare is the shit.

 

[Clark Kent]

That one... is... huge... but SD2.

 

[Mesa4x12er]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfOnq-zXXBw

That one... is... huge... but SD2.

That snare doesn't sound huge to me. Just unobstructed and up in the mix.

 

[xxmattattackxx]

LOL @ the metallica snare. I was looking for a huge sounding snare. Not a snare sounding like a huge piece of shit. Thanks tho, i think i got mine about where i wanted it. =]

 

[deanbailey]

Apart from everything mentioned here (especially Ermz's post) If you're working with one or the original snare, I found running a side-chain reverb, pre-fader gets the verb louder without getting your snare being pushed back in the mix, but this does mean you lose control over the snare and verb level simultaneously (with one fader).
But I play with the send level, track level and sometimes the Aux track level to get a good blend between the two.

Once level is covered, choosing the right verb sound that one, suits the snare sound and two suits the song. First thing I do is drop the main track (reverb should still be playing) then in the plugin I mess with the type of verb, and it's often a small very quick slap-backy, decayless room sound or plate depending on the style of music.
Then the size of the room/verb, because for me that determines how the verb resonates tonally (It's the decaying air I listen to in this step), Listen to the snare sound in your head then play the track and see how dissimilar they are and try and match up (be realistic though). Sometimes I'll use both but compensating characteristics of one for the other.

Decay and diffusion next, listening to the tail...this is subjective.
Then I play with the wet/dry or mix option, listening to how it affects the distance of the snare in the verb, then I unmute the snare track and re-blend.

I use Rverb (mainly because I like how the functions affect the sound...and I'm too poor and little lazy to experiment at the moment )

Edit: If you really think about it, the sound you identify as a "snare" on an album is more the reverb with the air you're miking up and affecting (effecting? so to speak). So you need to treat the verb and the snare separately but understand it as one thing.
Like peanut and jam(jelly) you squeeze them both on a sandwich but apply them differently because of their viscosities and blend them to your preference.