Snare Blast consistancy

[-Noodles-]

Hey guys,

I'm currently working on a track with some serious blasts in it - and I was wondering how guys like Erik Rutan / Neil Kernon etc get totally consistent snares. I know they use samples, but is there any tricks apart from samples and serious amounts of compression?

I did a quick search and I couldn't find anything.

Any help would be awesome,
Cheers!

 

[waltz mastering]

Volume automation.

 

[-Noodles-]

Cheers, I forgot about that! :zombie:

Anything else?

 

[John_C]

cut at transients and normalise? Has worked for me in the past

 

[DestroyTheColossus]

If your sampling, decrease the amount of dynamic tracking. This will even out the varying volumes without needing to use compression on your samples. For Drumagog its in the advanced menu with a knob for the % of dynamic tracking. For trigger its the Dynamics option at the bottom of the window.

EDIT: sorry. Just realized you said aside from sampling. But if you did sample, thats how you would keep a more natural change in dynamics from hit to hit while still evening them out.

 

[-Noodles-]

thanks guys.. really good information.

 

[greyskull]

a drummer who doesn't play like a douchebag

 

[AStudio]

Record hands and feet seperate.

If that fails record at 20-30 BPM slower and speed up the take using elastic audio (or similar).

Before you ask, no you don't get phase problems from either technique. Not if done correctly.

And in mix becareful of adding too much sample as they will sound really bad if you do. Naturally the velocity of the hit goes down, so think about this when mixing. I advise against normalising or automating as this is not what naturally happens when drummers play blast beats. Typically they are weaker on the hands.

They are really easy to do well if you just do the hands and feet seperate. Also try doing it just to the click track nothing else.

Hope that helps

 

[-Noodles-]

I'll answer your points in turn.

I didn't record, I am only mixing the project.
Since I didn't record - I can't use your 20bpm slower approach either!
It was done to a click track, and the drums are edited perfectly to that.

I've got multi-layered samples, but the trigger snare track (and live tracks) both DECREASE in velocity when he's playing slower hits. The really fast blasts are equal and sound fine. When he starts playing slower, the amplitude of the hits are totally inverse of how it should go.

I use a compressor to average the levels out, but due to the blasts being so fast - it sonically damages the blasts.

The best outcome is probably going to be automation between the parts..

Thanks for your tips though; they'd have been helpful if I was recording it.

 

[NovembersDirge]

And in mix becareful of adding too much sample as they will sound really bad if you do. Naturally the velocity of the hit goes down, so think about this when mixing. I advise against normalising or automating as this is not what naturally happens when drummers play blast beats. Typically they are weaker on the hands.

I think this is definitely something to think about. Since the trend in metal right now is hyper-replacement, drums just feel totally fake and crappy. Might as well just program a drum machine and not even bother taking a drum take at all (when it comes to certain bands).

 

[DestroyTheColossus]

I've got multi-layered samples, but the trigger snare track (and live tracks) both DECREASE in velocity when he's playing slower hits. The really fast blasts are equal and sound fine. When he starts playing slower, the amplitude of the hits are totally inverse of how it should go.

If I have a problem like that. Then I set up 2 tracks, 1 to trigger the blasts and 1 to trigger everything else. Then set it up so each is triggering properly for the given part, and then just run through the material real quick and cut out all of the blast parts from the everything track and put them on the blast track. Should only take a few minutes for a full CD and gives you more control for how the varying parts are triggered while not having to dive into automation or volume changes on the sound file level.

 

[Paulie!]

There is a drummer out there that plays softer at slow tempos? That is a problem I have never encountered..

I agree with Colossus, that's probably how I'd do it without triggering..
-Paul