Studio advice for Drummers

1. Speak to the studio before deciding whether or not to use your own kit. Sometimes the studio has a great name kit, but it just doesn't give the sound you're used to. Similarly, your own kit may sound great live, but not be suited to recording. Often the best option is to bring your own snare and cymbals, as these tend to be to personal taste and integral to your sound

2. If using your own kit, make sure you have suitable (and preferably fairly new) heads for the recording - usually dry 2 ply heads for less ringing (don't use the ones filled with oil as they tend to make the drums sound like soggy cardboard boxes when recorded!). Make sure the front skin of your bass drum has a large hole for microphone access, or even better, be prepared to remove it completely to eliminate any buzzing or flapping sounds from the loose skin.

3. Be prepared to spend time tuning the kit - if they sound good in the room then they will sound great on the recording. It can take quite a while to set up the kit and the mics (after all its not just one instrument but a whole collection, and its not unusual to have at least 8 microphones trained on the kit) but the drums are the backbone of the band, and spending time getting a great drum sound will really enhance the whole recording (and make mixing a whole lot easier)

4. If you need/want to record to a click track, practice at home with a metronome so that you get used to playing like a robot without losing all musical feeling!

5. Unless the track you're recording comes to a dead stop, let the cymbals ring out before putting down your sticks, breathing heavy sighs of relief, or shouting at the bass player - the natural decay of all instruments is important for a good end to a song.

 

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