Reverb.com
Add character with aggressive overhead processing
Noam Wallenberg demonstrates the Glyn Johns technique combined with aggressive processing to craft characterful drum overheads. He uses the Schoeps V4 U over the kit and the Shure SM57 from the side of the drums. Both microphones are sculpted with EQ to add body and remove sub frequencies, creating space for the kick drum. Distortion is applied using a Decapitator from Soundtoys and Satin from u-he, adding crunch and smoothing transients, while parallel compression with the Soundtoys Devil-Loc Deluxe enhances weight and sustain. The use of mismatched microphones and varied processing on each side creates a distinctive stereo image, with intentional differences in distortion levels contributing to dynamic panning effects. This approach, inspired by Tchad Blake's mixing style, results in a drum sound that is both vibrant and full of character.
SonicScoop
Taming distorted vocals with surgical EQ and compression
Stuart White showcases how to add stylistic distortion to vocals and then tame the resulting harshness using a combination of notch EQ, compression, multi-band compression, de-essing, and tape saturation. He starts by applying distortion to inject energy and vibe into the vocals, but this also introduces harsh frequencies. To address this, White uses the Waves Q10 to surgically notch out problematic frequencies, and the Waves C1 and C4 compressors to control spiky peaks, ensuring smoother transients. De-essing is employed to manage exaggerated sibilance from the distortion, while tape saturation adds warmth and helps the vocals sit well in the mix. By using a slower release on vocal's main compressor, White ensures the vocal blends seamlessly with the track's texture and vibe, achieving a polished yet edgy sound.
SonicScoop
Crafting psychedelic vocals with layered effects
Stuart White delves into crafting psychedelic vocals by layering and interweaving multiple effects. He combines a short delay for texture, a stereo flanger for width, and a long, psychedelic delay to create a rich, ethereal sound. By routing the long delay into a spring reverb and the widener, Stuart enhances the psychedelic atmosphere and expands the soundstage. To maintain clarity and prevent the effects from overwhelming the dry vocal, Stuart heavily compresses the effects returns, ensuring they remain controlled within the mix. This approach allows the effects to be prominent without overshadowing the vocal's presence. Additionally, he employs sidechain compression on the long delay, ducking it with the dry vocal to preserve intelligibility and keep the vocal at the forefront.
Mix with the Masters
Sidechain reverb swells for dramatic vocal depth
Catherine Marks demonstrates her 'Swell Reverb' effect on vocals using Valhalla VintageVerb and Avid BF-76 for sidechain compression. By applying a long decay reverb and typically keying it off the snare, kick, or a click track, Marks creates a dynamic swelling effect that adds dramatic depth and interest to the vocal track. Even with the return level kept low and subtle, this technique effectively enhances the vocal dimension without clouding the mix. Initially used with subtlety, it became more pronounced in Manchester Orchestra's album 'Million Masks of God', where vocal reverbs prominently swell and pump in the background, enriching the overall sonic landscape.
Mix with the Masters
More exciting drum recordings with parallel compression
Sylvia Massy demonstrates the use of parallel compression on drum mics using the UREI 1176LN hardware compressor. By blending a compressed signal with the original drum tracks, she aims to create a sound that is more upfront, bigger, and more exciting. Massy highlights the impact of this technique by adjusting the levels of kick, snare, and room mics, showcasing the enhanced energy and presence it brings to the drum mix. This approach allows the drums to maintain their natural dynamics while adding a layer of intensity and excitement to the overall sound, already during recording.
Mix with the Masters
Eq into compression: Pushing lows for vocal weight
Ben Baptie crafts a dynamic vocal chain for The Strokes using a Pultec EQP-1A to enhance both low and high frequencies, adding richness and presence to the vocals. By boosting the low end, he strategically shapes the behavior of the subsequent UREI 1176LN compressor. The 1176 compressor, set with a fast attack and release, manages dynamics by quickly grabbing peaks and exciting the lower range, making the vocal more engaging and weighty. The boosted low end from the EQ makes the compressor work harder, adding excitement and energy to the vocal. To ensure consistency, Baptie employs a Tube-Tech CL 1B with a slower attack and release as a leveler, smoothing out the vocal performance regardless of its intensity. Finally, an AMS Neve 1081 is used for its filters, applying a low-pass filter to remove any unwanted high-frequency sheen, ensuring the vocal sits perfectly in the mix with a textured, characterful presence.
Mix with the Masters
Parallel distortion: Making vocals cut like The Strokes
Ben Baptie employs parallel processing to give The Strokes' vocals more character and aggression, making them cut through the mix. He duplicates Julian's clean vocal track in Pro Tools, applying Isotope Trash for distortion and thinning out the sound to emphasize the mid-range. Baptie uses a Waves C6 and a FabFilter Pro-Q to control the low end, followed by an 1176 compressor to manage dynamics. This processing occurs in the box, before the hardware main vocal chain, ensuring the vocal retains its dynamic quality while adding a distinct edge. Baptie creates a parallel 'mult' with plugins like the SansAmp and L1 limiter to further drive and limit the vocal. This approach crafts a middle ground that enhances the vocal's presence and clarity, resulting in a signature sound that is both aggressive and clear. To ensure accurate phase alignment, Baptie instantiates the same plugins on the original track but bypasses them. This serves as a safety measure against possible inaccuracies in the DAW's automatic delay compensation, maintaining the integrity of the combined vocal sound.
Mix with the Masters
Building intensity: From dry to slap delay vocals
Ben Baptie uses effects automation to build intensity in a vocal track by transitioning from a completely dry sound to incorporating a slap delay. Starting with no reverb or effects, the dry vocal allows the song to begin with a raw, intimate feel. As the song progresses, Baptie introduces slap delay to create a secondary rhythm, enhancing the vocal's interaction with tightly picked guitar parts. This technique not only adds depth but also creates syncopation between the vocals and instruments, enhancing the song's rhythmic cohesion and dynamic feel. By carefully timing the introduction of effects, Baptie ensures that each verse feels more intense and engaging, even if the musical elements remain similar.
SonicScoop
Using the vocal mic as a drum room
Catherine Marks creatively repurposes the vocal mic to capture drum room ambience. By leaving the vocal mic open during drum recording sessions, she harnesses its characteristics to add depth and character to the drum sound. The vocal mic's signal is processed with the same reverb and delay effects intended for vocals, using an Echosex delay pedal and a Holy Grail reverb pedal. This approach creates a spacious quality that she blends with the rest of the drum mix for added dimension. Additionally, Marks employs gating to tighten the sound, allowing for a controlled yet expansive drum ambience.
Tape Notes Podcast
Playing softer for bigger drum sounds
Jack Antonoff shares his approach to achieving bigger-sounding drums by playing them softly. He explains that playing drums loudly can paradoxically limit their perceived loudness in a mix. By playing softly, the drums can be mixed louder, leveraging a psychoacoustic effect where our brains interpret the sound as being closer and, thus, more impactful. This technique is akin to the sensation of hearing a whisper clearly; when a sound is soft yet prominent, it tricks our perception into feeling as though the source is near. This creates an intimate and powerful presence in the mix, making the drums feel larger and more enveloping without overwhelming other elements.
Tape Notes Podcast
Bold panning for a wider stereo image
Jack Antonoff, advocates for extreme panning to achieve a wide stereo image, challenging conventional norms. He demonstrates this by hard-panning string parts entirely to the left and right, creating a vast soundscape without relying on reverb or delay. Antonoff also experiments with unconventional panning of low-end elements, such as bass, which are typically centered. By placing one bass track mostly left and another mostly right, he achieves a unique width that defies traditional panning practices. He encourages panning instruments that are usually kept in the center, drawing inspiration from the Beatles' bold panning choices. Antonoff prefers recording multiple takes and panning them across the stereo field rather than only relying on effects to create width.
Tape Notes Podcast
Building tension with effects automation on the mix bus
Jack Antonoff demonstrates how to create excitement and build tension using delay and modulation effects automation directly on the mix bus. He employs Soundtoys EchoBoy for delay and Soundtoys Tremolator for tremolo, showcasing how these effects can transform a section to feel entirely different. By applying these effects to the master, Antonoff can quickly shift the sonic landscape without getting into the minutiae of individual tracks. This approach allows for dramatic changes, such as making a bridge feel distinct or adding a pulsing movement to a section, enhancing the overall dynamics and interest of the track.
Tape Notes Podcast
Creating space with creative volume automation
Jack Antonoff, known for his work with Bleachers, demonstrates creative volume automation on instrument busses. By treating automation like an instrument, he adds excitement and interest to the mix. Antonoff emphasizes the importance of spending time on detailed automation, particularly with processed tracks or groups of tracks. By creatively automating levels and panning, he thins out the space an element occupies, giving it a unique supportive role in the arrangement. This technique not only enhances individual elements but also creates space in the overall production, allowing each component to shine without overcrowding the mix.
Apogee
Creating unique sounds with contact mics and speakers as mics
Shawn Everett explores the idea of exclusively using contact mics and speakers for the recording of the song "Blurred View" from Big Thief, bypassing traditional microphones to craft a distinctive sonic palette. This approach allows him to capture unique, organic sounds that emphasize emotion and creativity. During the recording sessions, Shawn mixes live, ensuring that the rough mix at the end of each day is album-ready. This workflow requires him to adapt his mixing techniques on the fly, maintaining a focus on emotion and immediacy. Shawn employs unconventional methods, such as using a rewired speaker as a contact mic on a kick drum, to achieve unusual textures. He also creatively repurposes old Apple headphones as contact mics for guitar amps, demonstrating his innovative approach to sound capture. For vocals, Shawn tapes headphones to the singer's throat, resulting in a lo-fi vocal sound that adds a unique character to the track.
Reverb.com
Kick parallel distortion for more character
Noam Wallenberg demonstrates how to add more character to a kick drum recording using parallel distortion with a SansAmp Classic pedal, a technique inspired by Tchad Blake. By running the kick drum signal through the SansAmp, Wallenberg introduces a unique, gritty texture that enhances the overall drum sound. This approach not only adds character to the kick but also creatively incorporates the snare's sound, making it a part of the overall drum texture.
Reverb.com
3 mics to record Black Keys-style drums
To capture a Black Keys-style drum sound, the setup includes a Ludwig Vistolite kick drum, a Ludwig Black Beauty snare drum, and K dark Zildjian hi-hats. The miking approach is a modified Glyn Johns technique, using three microphones strategically placed to ensure phase alignment and enhance the kick drum's presence while reducing hi-hat bleed. The overhead mic is positioned in front of the kit to capture more kick drum sound, while the side mic and kick mic follow traditional Glyn Johns placements. This setup is crucial for achieving the desired drum sound, especially with the heavy distortion and compression that gets applied. To add brightness and energy, reflective panels are used in the live room. By flipping baffles to their reflective side, the drums gain extra liveliness and presence, closely matching the vibrant sound of Patrick Carney's drumming.
Reverb.com
Add excitement and character to the drum bus
To enhance the character of a Black Keys-style drum recording, Noam Wallenberg is using a series of processing techniques on the drum bus. The Decapitator is employed to inject aggressive distortion, immediately adding excitement and a sense of controlled chaos to the drum sound. To smooth out transients, the Satin tape emulator is introduced, providing additional distortion and excitement while taming the sharpness of the hits. The Oxford Inflator, though somewhat mysterious in its exact function, is used to enhance dynamics and add mid-range presence, making the drums sound more lively and engaging. Further refinement is achieved with a Distressor to regain attack, followed by a multi-band compressor to balance the frequency surges and maintain control over the dynamic range. Finally, a touch of subtractive EQ with the FabFilter Pro-Q 3 is applied to manage the mid-range, ensuring the drum bus remains balanced and characterful.
SonicScoop
Mixing top-down into compression, saturation and EQ
Catherine Marks shares her preferred mix bus chain, emphasizing a top-down approach by setting up her mix bus processing early in the mixing process. This method allows her to efficiently glue the mix together from the start. Her chain includes the Thermionic Culture Fat Bustard as a summing mixer and for initial EQ boosts, followed by the Dramastic Audio Obsidian compressor, the Manley Massive Passive EQ, and finally the Inward Connections Vac Rac TEQ-1. Marks highlights the importance of consistency in her settings, particularly on the Massive Passive, to maintain a stable tonal balance. She employs multiple stages of EQ to shape the mix, with notable boosts at 10kHz and 50Hz on the Fat Bustard, and additional adjustments on the Vac Rac and Massive Passive. The Obsidian compressor is set with a classic SSL-style slow attack and fast release.
Mix with the Masters
Organize the session for efficient rough mix referencing
Michael Brauer emphasizes the importance of contrasting the mix in progress with the rough mix. To facilitate this, he aligns the rough mix alongside the multitrack in his DAW, routing it as an independent source to his monitor controller. This enables swift A/B comparisons between the current mix and the rough mix. Key in this process is matching the levels between the two mixes as closely as possible. This ensures a meaningful comparison, verifying that the new mix is a true enhancement of the song.
Sam Evian
Combine analog delay and chorus to add depth and character
Owens combines multiple effects to get a more interesting, complex and spacious vocal effect. On one hand, there is a mono slap delay that is fed through a stereo chorus. The delay-chorus combination produces a short and interesting ambience. Both the slap and the chorus are analog guitar pedals, printed back into the session. Their limited frequency response and harmonic distortion gives the effect a distinctive character.
Sam Evian
Add grit with parallel compression and distortion
Sam Owens adds grit and character to the vocal by using parallel compression and parallel distortion.
Mix with the Masters
Automate level and low-end to lift the chorus
Michael Brauer demonstrates a technique for amplifying the impact of a chorus. He does this by making the preceding section 'smaller' - reducing the drum levels and cutting low-end frequencies. This creates a contrast so that when the chorus arrives, its increased level and added low-end frequencies make it sound significantly larger and more impactful. This approach effectively heightens the song's dynamics, making the chorus stand out.
Avid
Add character with parallel distortion and compression
Tchad Blake employs the SoundToys Devil-Loc, known for its intensely aggressive compression and distinctive distortion characteristics, to impart a gritty, character-rich, lo-fi-like quality to the vocal. Crucially, he applies this effect in parallel, blending it with the dry signal. This ensures that while the vocal acquires a unique texture, it doesn't get overwhelmed by the extremity of the effect.
Avid
Add width and movement with modulation and spatial processing
Tchad Blake adds width and movement to an electric guitar by utilizing a combination of modulation and spatial processing effects. Initially, the guitar signal is sent to the Waves MetaFlanger, set with a very slow rate and mixed to about 60% wet, creating a subtle flange effect. This flanged signal is then further processed with the Waves MondoMod, which modulates amplitude, frequency, and panning, again using very slow settings. Finally, the resulting signal is passed through a hardware spatial processor, augmenting its stereo width and adding a three-dimensional quality. Blake calls this effects chain "Buenas Noches", a nod to a preset in the Eventide H3000 hardware harmonizer, which inspired this idea.
Avid
Add mid-range punch to a kick with parallel distortion
Tchad Blake employs the SansAmp distortion plugin to infuse the kick drum with additional grit, character, and mid-range presence. He implements this effect in parallel, allowing him to preserve the original sound and dynamics of the drum while gaining more control over the distortion's setup and manipulation. Blake often experiments with filtering and inverting the polarity on the distorted parallel track. Adjusting these parameters results in varying degrees of comb filtering when blended with the original track, thus shaping the sound in distinct ways. His method typically revolves around experimenting with the settings to discover a balance that best complements the song.
SonicScoop
Add excitement with parallel distortion
Catherine Marks uses distortion to add character and excitement to the overall drum mix. First off, there is a Soundtoys Decapitator (in the Neve setting with brightened tone) on the drum bus, giving the drums more character and presence. To this, she adds further distortion on a parallel bus with the Little Radiator, which is kept quite low in level, but yields additional excitement.
Mix with the Masters
Build the mix with a focal point
Michael Brauer emphasizes the importance of starting a mix with a focal point and focusing on the emotional core of the song. He suggests having fun and experimenting at the beginning of the mix to discover unique ideas that can become the hook. Brauer advises against focusing on support elements first, as this can lead to a cluttered mix with no room for the essential parts. Instead, he recommends identifying the most important elements in each section of the song and building the mix around them. He also shares his approach of sometimes starting with the most challenging section or the loudest part to ensure it feels good before moving on. This method helps with setting up a gain structure that works for all parts of the song, preventing over-compression or undesired distortion in the loudest sections.
Puremix
Add energy and glue with tape saturation
Darrell Thorp explains his use of tape saturation on the mix bus to enhance the track's energy and cohesiveness. He specifically uses the UAD Ampex ATR-102 emulation, favoring the GP9 tape type, +6 biasing, and 1/2" tape width. Thorp contrasts 15ips and 30ips tape speeds, opting for 30ips on this track for its tighter response and better handling of transients, as opposed to 15ips which adds warmth and low-end, already sufficient in this mix.
Sam Evian
Get a tight, defined low-end with compression and EQ
Owens uses the UAD LA-2A compressor to balance the bass guitar's dynamics, engaging the "Emphasis" control to introduce a high-pass filter in the compressor's sidechain circuit. This technique selectively reduces sensitivity to lower frequencies, concentrating compression on the midrange to smooth out the instrument's tonal imbalances. Following compression, Owens applies the FabFilter Pro-Q 3 for more presence and refined low-end clarity. He is rolling off frequencies below 70Hz to ensure the kick drum's low-end remains distinct. Owens emphasizes the strategic importance of deciding on a clear hierarchy in the low-end frequencies between the kick and bass, often preferring to prioritize one over the other to minimize frequency masking. He illustrates this concept with the Beatles' "Taxman," noting how the song achieves a clear low-end by featuring a pronounced bass guitar while keeping the kick drum thin and punchy, demonstrating effective frequency separation and minimal masking when both elements are combined. Lastly, Owens adds a bit of stereo chorus to give the bass a fuller and slightly wider sound.
Sam Evian
Add movement and texture with modulated delay
For "Time to Melt," Sam Owens harnesses the modulation features of the Korg SDD-2000 to craft intriguing textures for both the drum machine and guitars. He processes the drum machine with the delay set to fully wet and significantly cranks up the modulation depth for a noticeable impact. This method requires the delay time to be kept short to prevent notable timing shifts in the drum tracks, or alternatively, any discrepancies in timing must be adjusted post-recording in the DAW. Beyond modulation, Owens enhances the guitars by utilizing the stereo outputs of the SDD-2000, creating a wide stereo image with one side phase-inverted compared to the other, further enriching the track's sonic landscape.