Recording drum shells separately

[The StabbinCabin]

I know a few producers that this is common practice and get really nice results with drastic eq on the shells and more flexibility with the rooms. What I'm trying to clarify is exactly how they handle that. I'm assuming that there might be an e-kit involved to maintain consistency in the drummers cans and for reference during playback/editing.

I have a deathcore wanting to record with a drummer that plays a lot of blasts. I figured I'd try and see if I could get that sound for these guys. I assume I'd use my TD-7 while I switch from shells to cymbals. I'm worried that aggressive playing in the room/oh mics will capture too much twack on the cymbal pads when I'm recording just the shells- like to a point where it's very apparent when the whole drum mix is brought up. That being if this is even the "correct" approach to this technique.

Or does the drummer hit nothing while doing the shells and then a really dampened surface while recording the cymbals? Being a drummer, I could see that being confusing to someone new to that idea- especially with fast things like crossover blasts or something.

I know Jeff and Andy know of and have done this- maybe you could chime in or whoever has done this with good results. Just curious.

 

[amarshism]

Air drum the but you aren't recording or have them hit their leg or something. The bleed of hitting a pad in my experience is not much compared to the drums in the ambient mics.

 

[JeffTD]

Set up like you're gonna normally mic the kit, and have three folders like you're gonna do three takes.

One folder is for just shells - delete cymbal spot mic tracks.
One folder is for just cymbals - delete the shell spot tracks
One folder is for them both together - use as a last resort or when you've gotta let him go at it to get the part.

Then it's just up to him. I would put towels over cymbals while recording the shells and towels over the shells while you're recording the cymbals - if he hits a towel it's not gonna matter.

 

[nialldoran]

we screw a firm foam in place of the cymbals when we do this, usually take off the top hat too and cover the bottom with something soft, record all shell mics, including overheads and rooms, then dampen all drums heavily with pillows blankets etc and take away their kick pedal to record cymbals and hats with spots, overheads and rooms, sounds great if the drummer can play it and the sound of them hitting foam, damped drums or damped cymbals is usually insignificant enough to get away with even with heavy compression,

 

[FrankTheSmith]

If he's a drummer who improvises a lot or even a little, the cymbal take and the shell take might not match up. you know? Especially if he plays a lot of blasts.
He would have to play both takes exactly the same.
You could spot mic every cymbal to a point where they almost can't pick up the td-7 drum pads and record audio for cymbals and midi for shells from the td-7. Fake the room or get an impulse from the room.
Also make sure the drummer is okay with that. He might be really proud, and to tell him he has to separate the takes might..... I don't know. Hurt his feelings or something.

 

[DeclanWhite]

If he's a drummer who improvises a lot or even a little, the cymbal take and the shell take might not match up. you know? Especially if he plays a lot of blasts.
He would have to play both takes exactly the same.
You could spot mic every cymbal to a point where they almost can't pick up the td-7 drum pads and record audio for cymbals and midi for shells from the td-7. Fake the room or get an impulse from the room.
Also make sure the drummer is okay with that. He might be really proud, and to tell him he has to separate the takes might..... I don't know. Hurt his feelings or something.

do preproduction where he does his improvisation on a normal kit, or e-kit until he's happy, then do the tracking seperately. this way he still gets to improvise.

if he is THAT butthurt, then i guess you have to track it normally