Snare body - questions

[Terminus]

Easily the worst thing in every mix I've ever done is the goddamn snare. I'm very curious as to how much you guys boost this area (180-230hz) in your mixes. I've always read never to over-do boosts but in most of the references I use the snare is always pretty heavy on body. Advice? I can post clips if needed.

CLIP: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/994726/Burning Oracle clip MIXDOWN.wav

 

[blue_fAng]

Yeah post clips. I always pick a snare with a balanced sound from source, not too middy or bassy and always end up cutting the 150-220 hz are by at least 2 db and of course with enough compression to give that smack and give the impression it's fat.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/28110505/Torque2.mp3
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/28110505/Trash.mp3

 

[Terminus]

Sure no problem, I added a clip to the op. It's not mastered, and it's a .wav (just a minute long, so no long DL time). I have boosted the snare's 200hz area by about 6db in the clip. It sounds way too boomy soloed. FML btw. Just tired of messing with tiny details hah.

 

[DavePiatek]

In my estimation, the boominess issue when boosting around 200 Hz is because that's where the fundamental resonance of the drum is if it's tuned low enough to be "fat". I'd try using a transient designer (or your compressor release time if you don't have a transient designer) to reduce the "ringing". The idea is to have a nice thick transient without the ring.

 

[DavePiatek]

You might also try blending a high-pitched "cracky" sample in with the thick snare. Just be sure it's in phase and you'll get the best of both worlds.

 

[iceman666]

You might also try blending a high-pitched "cracky" sample in with the thick snare. Just be sure it's in phase and you'll get the best of both worlds.

+1

 

[RedDog]

If you can't get a good snare sound, make your own. as a matter of fact, I have one for you, just give me a couple days.

 

[drew_drummer]

It doesn't sound too bad to me, but if you want more snap, I'd layer up a picollo snare underneath it (making sure that they're in phase!)

 

[Deuteronomy]

Dont forget that from 500hz-10.000 the overheards have a huge role.
Solo the snare with the overheards together,find a good sound,and then adjust it to the whole mix is a good start

 

[xTomx]

100% at the mercy of the original snare sound.
Shouldn't need to boost more than 1-2 dB if the source is right.

 

[Terminus]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help. Btw that clip is actually 2 snares, one for body and one for the crack.

 

[Mikaël-ange]

You can work with this in 2 ways:
-lazy way: put sample and blend to taste

-engineer way (aka hard way): mult, mult and mult... Add back in your original snare

 

[Deuteronomy]

I Like to boost the 250/300 area,there's a lot of junk usually at 600/900HZ.

 

[Terminus]

How low do you guys usually try to tune your "low" snare (as in, if you do layering, the low tuned snare)...I find that when a snare starts to sound less punchy the lower it goes. I suppose it is a "sounds good is good" scenario but how far have you guys bee nable to get away with pitching a snare down? I'm actually listening to a reference song for my ep right now and the snare does sound fairly low, not ridiculous but still. Do you guys think that, based on my posted clip, I should look in to tuning the snare to Bb, or at least adjusting it until it sounds more in tune with the song? Maybe that's my issue. Hadnt put much thought into it honestly, i know toms always sound better when close to the song's key (or at least the low note on a metal guitar track). Thoughts?

BTW here's the reference I'm talking about

 

[RedDog]

I'm a fan of tuning drums to wide intervals based on the song's key. The snare is usually tuned to a prefect fifth, so a G in the case of a drop C key. I have found that punch is largely hardware, namely heads and wires, with the shel itself providing the meat. You don't really hear the fundamental in the room, its usually more apparent under a mic and outside the room where you can hear the fundamental pitch. The snare is tuned higher than you think it is.

 

[bryan_kilco]

I have constant problems with this as well.

I like some meat in my snare but I think i have it sounding awesome through my monitors then play it back in a car or someone elses system and it sounds muffled and too bass-heavy.

 

[greyskull]

Step one.... Make sure it's in phase with the overheads....