Sample replacement- when in the mixing process?

[Exocaster]

A question for the guys who use sample replacement on their drum tracks:

When, during the mixing process, do you bring your samples in? Are you adding samples to the drum tracks before or after the drums have been compressed/EQed/otherwise processed? Do you duplicate your drum tracks, replace the duplicates with samples, and blend to taste with the faders, or are you taking Sound Replacer/Drumagog/whatever to the original tracks? Do you have the drums sitting comfortably in the mix before bringing the samples in, or do you add the samples right from the start?

 

[006]

I do it different ways, depends on the project I suppose. However, I usually try my best to make the original sounds work as best they can in the mix. Replacement is usually a last resort option I use, however because of the priorities that some of these bands have (more money on t-shirts than new drum heads! dorks.) about 80% of the stuff that comes in, I replace the drums. When I do replace the sounds, I usually just run Drumagog on the tracks needing replacement. Sometimes I'll use triggers on the kick, snare, and toms, and just record the blips and run Drumagog on there. In that case, there are no original drums to begin with, heh.

Both ways that I approach it with work just as well as the other, kinda just depends on what they bring in. If the kit looks like complete shit, and I hear them during sound check, I'll know right then if I should even bother trying to get sounds out of it, or just throw the triggers on. Sometimes I get kinda adventurous and try to get sounds out of kits that I *should* have triggered, but it's always fun to try.

~006

 

[ApolloSpeed]

I or just throw the triggers on.

~006

Do you run the triggers directly into the DAW ? Or through a processor like Dm5 first ??

Also, which are you favorite triggers to use ? Will cheapy ddrum triggers work ?

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

Do you run the triggers directly into the DAW ? Or through a processor like Dm5 first ??

Also, which are you favorite triggers to use ? Will cheapy ddrum triggers work ?

Yes, no, doesn't matter to me (though i prefer good ones on the kick and snare), and yes (just be ready to do some editing).

 

[ApolloSpeed]

Yes, no, doesn't matter to me (though i prefer good ones on the kick and snare), and yes (just be ready to do some editing).

cool cool....I got some old Ddrum triggers and I should just be able to go directly into my firepod, right?
Then just use Drumagog on it afterwards.

 

[xtranscendedx]

yes

 

[Ermz]

I try to visualize the mix before I've done it. Usually I know whether I'll need samples after everything has been tracked (and sometimes even beforehand). So usually the first thing I will do in a mix, after slotting in the tracks in the order I like to work on, is kick the samples in. If I'm going to be using samples, I like to work with them from the get-go, and see how they mesh with all the other elements.

That's the way I've done it up until now, without fail. Might change in the future to suit other projects, who knows.

 

[greyskull]

I try to visualize the mix before I've done it. Usually I know whether I'll need samples after everything has been tracked (and sometimes even beforehand). So usually the first thing I will do in a mix, after slotting in the tracks in the order I like to work on, is kick the samples in. If I'm going to be using samples, I like to work with them from the get-go, and see how they mesh with all the other elements.

That's the way I've done it up until now, without fail. Might change in the future to suit other projects, who knows.

Ditto, normally i'll get an idea of what the band should sound like, and plan ahead in my head what other gear and sounds will work for them.

Then after editing the drums (oh the joys of beat detective) i normally gog the tracks off line on a pc (coz it can handle more drumagogs) then send back into tools and check with the rest of the drums:Smug:

 

[006]

We use the expensive DDrum ones, not the RedShots but the Pro series. The RedShots will work, but don't expect them to be stellar. I do it both ways, we have the DDrum brain, and we'll either use that or just take the triggers directly into our interface and just record the blips to use Drumagog on later. If I go the brain route, we'll mix in samples from the brain with the mic'ed drums. If I do triggers only, the only thing mic'ed in the room is the overheads, hats, ride, and room mics. All depends on the band and the sound they are after and what I think will sound best.

~006