MIXING DRUMS

Mix a drum kit to perfection with our step-by-step guide to processing and balancing along with some top tips

Mixing drums is one of the most challenging aspects of music production. With so many variables, you can’t just fly at it willy-nilly and hope to get good results. No, you have to know what you’re doing, and here we’re going to show you how to take a set of raw acoustic drum kit multi-tracks and mould them into a powerful, cohesive mix.

Before you even touch those level faders, the one thing you absolutely must have is a decent set of multitrack, either recorded or from a quality ROMpler. No amount of mixing ability can make a rubbish recording sound good – unless you replace every single sound within it, which, although eminently possible, could have a detrimental effect on the overall feel of the groove.

So, if you’re recording your drums, be sure that you know what you’re doing in terms of mic selection and placement, room acoustics and drum kit setup and tuning. If you’re using a ROMpler, it needs to be one that features separate virtual mic channels (preferably including separate top/bottom snare and in/out kick mics) and, ideally, control of mic bleed between channels. So we’re talking about the likes of FXpansion BFD, Toontrack EZdrummer/Superior Drummer, NI Battery, or XLN Audio Addictive Drums. If you can afford them, BFD 3 and Superior Drummer 3 lead the pack in this area, offering everything you need to make superb drum tracks.

Our example drums for this tutorial comprise the audio we recorded in the Recording Drums feature starting from p34. High-quality mics and preamps were used, and nine tracks have been recorded: close-miked kick, top and bottom snare, hi-hats, rack tom and floor tom, plus left and right room mics, and a stereo overhead mic.