When tracking live drums, how many good takes?

[jeid]

because 1 out of 50 drummers cant play for shit!

Surely you mean 49/50 drummers can't play for shit

 

[SkybluestudiosBEN]

yes! ahhaha that is definitely what I meant.

 

[Uladyne]

...listen back to see what bars you need to punch/fly-in an alt take, when the whole song works you're done.

Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is a Fly-in compared to a punch in? I've heard the term many times but I'm not quite sure of the meaning. Is that like a punch-in but on a different set of tracks so you leave the first (keeper) part of the performance intact for trimming later?

 

[Metaltastic]

Good question Greg, I often do what you're describing, but I still call it punching-in, would be cool if it had its own name...

 

[MEGA DAVE]

1st) Get them to go through the whole song once
2nd) Go back through the song and punch in sections that need to be redone (don't do more work than you have to is the idea)
3rd) Delete audio and program by hand because drummers fucking suck anyway.

i agree 100%

If they can't track it well and are paying you then have them do all the drum tracks and before doing anything else tell them ya need a few days to "edit and quantize" the drums then just program them. Or if you want to use the real takes then make them do it through once and punch in whenever they mess up. Or if they suck and you don't care then let em have the shit product.

point I'm trying to make here is that it's all dependent on what you're up for doing and what final product you're trying to accomplish and how much time you have. You can lie and cheat for them or make them do it right, or give em a shit track and tell em to get better, it's your call