re: how to make live drums sound studio
DJ
Chris is right, the acoustics inside the church will give you the "When
the levee breaks" drum sound if you are not careful. And that may not
be what you need.
The first think you can tweak is the church acoustics.
Get a drum "screen" or "shield". It is a clear Plexiglas
"wall" that you put in front of the drum kit and it blocks the
sound. Usually you use something like this with a drum kit that is
fully mic'd, but you may have luck with it also just playing under no
mic's. Musician's Friend has them for around $300.00 and the
carrying case if you need it is about $100.00
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/home/navigation?q=drum+shield
I also recommend, "sound absorbing panels." Which are panels that are
designed to absorb or control the sound. You can make them yourself or
buy them. When placed strategically around the church, they absorb a
lot of the reverberation (etc) that makes the music unclear and jumbled
due to the natural echo/reverberation inside the church.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Auralex-Studiofoam-Designer-Kit?sku=422602
The location and direction of the soundstage in relation to the
internal acoustics of the church will provide different reverberation.
Think of the music as a ping-pong ball that is hit by the band then it
bounces around the room. Try changing the location of the stage or
change the direction that the drums and/or soundstage are facing. If
the drums are mic'd you may also want to change the direction in
which the PA speakers and/or sound monitors are facing.
You should also invest in a sound level meter, so you can know how loud
it is in the audience, which will help you make adjustments that give
you good results.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product?sku=420954
Just keep in mind that the acoustic response of the church will change
when it is full of people.
The second thing you can tweak out is the drums:
Ideally you should be able to tune the drums with nothing else on them
except the head, and get a great sound. The great drummers all know how
to get a great drum sound without adding anything, which is not an easy
task.
If you need more definition, I would suggest putting remo's drum
"muff'l" on each drum except the snare drum. If putting a muff'l ring
on the top head doesn't control the sound enough, then put one on the
bottom heads. I used to use a drum muffl on my snare but it just
didn't "crack" like I wanted it to. This is a matter of personal
taste.
http://remo.com/portal/products/2/599/607/dh_muffl_ring.html
I haven't had much luck with duct tape, unless your drum kit is very
"rickety". Tape is a shortcut and sometimes will work in an
emergency, but I wouldn't recommend it as a permanent thing. First of
all, it looks trashy. Second of all, what is says about your abilities
is that you don't know how to really tune your drums. I know that
sounds harsh, but that is what all the great drummers have told me. I
do also like "remo's" which can be used by themselves or in
combination with muffl's.
http://remo.com/portal/products/2/599/604/dh_remos.html
After the drum muffl's are installed, stick a small pillow in the
bass drum or get a professional quality bass drum muffle.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/perc/navigation?q=bass+drum+muffle
There is an old school method of controlling drum sound that I first
found about about in Modern Drummer magazine. What you do is you get
weather stripping and put it behind the drumhead in a vertical line on
the left or right side. This would be an alternative to the drumhead
muffls or the remos.
Eliminate the buzz. Hit one drum then listen for anything that might be
loose and vibrating. Ideally you should have the sound man involved in
this process, and if you really want to get specific, put each and
every drum under the unforgiving scrutiny of a mic when you are tuning
it. The mic dosent lie !!
Every single solitary lug, or anything else on your drum kit that you
can tighten needs to be tight, so that you don't get any second hand
buzz. Also listen for second hand buzz in anything in close proximity
to your drum kit. Nail down or secure anything that causes second hand
noise, whether it is the soundstage, the other musician's gear, the
lights, the pews, the bats in the belfry, etc.
Have your bass player or organist play a low bass note while you keep
silent, does your snare drum "buzz"? If so, you would need to get a
different type of snare strainer or work on tuning the snare to
eliminate the annoying snare buzz. Some snare drum strainers are
specifically designed not to buzz, I would call Musician's Friend to
find out which ones those are, but here is what they have on their
website.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/perc/navigation?q=strainer
The third thing you can tweak is yourself:
It does sound strange, but work on your skills. Dynamics and playing
for the sake of the song may seem like old-fashioned ideals, but they
really do work. Practice with the band, and work on your dynamics. You
may be already doing this but It may be that you don't have to play
the drums as hard, but rather let the acoustics of the church do the
work for you. Stick a mic out in the back of the "hall" then plug
them up to headphones or a monitor when you practice. This way you can
know exactly how soft or how loud you need to hit the skins. Take
lessons, and have the drum instructor help you work on your dynamics.
Never stop learning. Have friends show up at your practices and give
you feedback.
Your feedback is welcome.
Regards,
DJ