How I Recorded Album-Quality Drum Tracks In A Crappy GARAGE
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2023
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People will tell you that you need a perfect room, expensive mics, high-end preamps, and a $100,000 console to record professional drum tracks...
And it's COMPLETE B.S.
In this video, I show you how I recorded album-quality drum tracks in a dingy old garage with a basic USB interface and a handful of affordable microphones.
I hope this video inspires you to take immediate action with your music using the stuff you already have.
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LENT! (NO such word as 'lended'! )
Bobby out here trying to topple the entire recording industry. If he goes missing, we'll know why
Protect Bobby at all costs!!!✊🏽
LMAO!
I'd be interested in listening to a mixed recording from your studio and then from your garage (not knowing which is which) and then we can decide which is the better of the two. I think that would definitely prove your point. Thanx for everything you do for us.
That's a great idea!
Well I doubt it will sound better. Just different.
Professional level recordings can be done at home. Zepplin recorded Levee Breaks in a house.
Well said...and to think that was recorded in a house 50 years ago! What we can do now with next to no gear is virtually unlimited@@adainjarrio
@FrightboxRecording Facts. We get so caught up in recordings sounding great we forget to capture the performance.
kevin parker made innerspeaker in a beach house with run of the mill gear and that album won album of the year@@adainjarrio
This also a testament and puts major perspective on how much we can accomplish from a limited funds/gear perspective. You said that you prefer these situations for recording but there was a point in time where the only option was the big studio for album quality. So thank the tech gods for so much progression and advances in recording!
Well-said, Leroy!
I also love drums in cinderblock rooms. And totally agree with the idea that room mics sound good no matter what the room (they just might take some more EQing). You get real drums that sound like they were recorded in a real room, which I think is more and more important nowadays in the era of sample replacement and quantized drums. Home studios should really start utilizing what they have to get cool, unique sounds as an alternative to the pristine sound that is the “modern production” we’re hearing on what they call rock these days. So I’m all for everything in this video.
Another tip: those PZM mics are some of the best kick mics around. Stick it inside your kick drum on top of a blanket or whatever muffling you’re using in it, HUGE kick sound with lots of sub lows.
Also, if you’ve got a ribbon mic put it in front of the kit like 6-8 feet away 90 degrees off axis so the drumset is in the dead zone of the polar pattern and you’ll get nothing but room sound. Play with the height to adjust how much low end you want. Even just that one mic blended in with the close mics will make the whole kit sound like what you’re actually hearing live in the room while the drummer is playing.
Got my subscription. This is exactly the sort of thing I've learned over progressing to high level mixing over the last few years. What it sounds like is what it sounds like. With a good sources, everything can work with everything with enough knowhow. Bravo.
It's refreshing to see this, a lot of other audio recording channels & forums make recording drums so intimidating, and they make it seem like you can't get decent quality tracks without spending numerous thousands of dollars. I like the approach of working with the gear you have.
My band recorded our last EP ourselves, and we used a reflective room (old converted garage). Got some good results. We're going to do the same thing for our next album with a bit more knowledge, and some slightly better gear (still fairly budget). Hoping for a killer product without the pro studio costs.
As a highly prolific and terribly untalented basement recording artist, I greatly appreciate this video and your approach…..great tips and advice and thank you for the free download……my e609 and AT2035 salute you sir……
This video came at the right moment for me. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge!
Loved the drum sound...the snare is absolutely killing it.
I used to have a 3000 square ft facility here in Denver. Ive made a mobile rack with 32channels of PT HDX and preamps. I can travel and make records in unique places now. Ive traveled all over the US now and can honestly say. Its more fun than being trapped in a studio.
I love it!!!
Garages are super cool to record drums.
Great ER reverb, much better than a dead booth in a studio.
I agree!
Awesome video Bobby, looking forward to hearing the finished product 🤘😀
I love the different styles of content and how you demonstrate the method that you used to get those phenomenal results. Keep it up! 🤘🏼😎
Excellent room sounds!
I really admire your creativity. This is a very clever approach to recording with astounding results. Great work! 👍
Crazy how dry those close mics were given the space! Sounds really good 👍
Great as always, Bobby!
Amazing video as always and definitely an eye opener for the gear obsessed…..
thanks alot buddy the recording sounds awesome thanks for all the tips
Love this! Sounds killer
Fantastic video! I’ve always had the same opinion that the room isn’t super important; my friends seem to think you gotta rent out a real studio for great drum sounds, but I’ve tracked drums in a completely drywall basement and got good results. The room mic setup you have is great, and I love the sound you got!
Love this! I often record in untreated rooms with natural reverb. Always seemed more natural than playing in a dead room and applying reverb in post. Work with what ya have mindset!
I've found the same to be true!
Great video. I also have an unfinished laundry room surrounded by concrete walls which I have added some acoustic treatment but nothing to expensive. Maybe 100 bucks on foam for the ceiling and sides of the room but that's it. I like some of open natural sounds and close mics do a great job of getting the sound. Love the room mic techniques and snakes for suggested tips. Keep it going!
This is awesome Bobby!! I've attempted to record my drummer I got one track finished with lots of editing and drum samples. Mic placement is where I'm falling short . I need to get better results at the source! This is great insight on your simple approach! Great video.
Very cool video. In my previous band we recorded our drummer in our practice space. It was so much fun and the results were pretty decent.
Very useful info here!!!❤❤❤ Thank you!
My band recorded two albums in a studio converted barn in 1996 & 1997. (There was a cow shed next door). It was the most basic set up ever. The mic’d drums came out killer, but I can’t recall the close mics we used, but I know we used two RadioShack PZM flat mic as overheads that were stuck to the ceiling. The guy recording us swore but these cheap mics for ambience.
This is a breath of fresh air. I have some of this gear already, and feel more confident with the use of this “junk” 😂. Learned alot and look forward to making some recordings. Thanks man!
So stoked to hear that...keep me posted on your recordings!!
This is excellent
That’s a great drum sound!
Maaaan this video is super inspiring; thanks a ton for making and showing all of your process!
I don't know if you'd consider continuing this video, but would love to see a video where you go through and show your EQing / processing of these room mics vs your overheads. My biggest problem right now is figuring out how to treat overheads vs room mics.. my room mics either have way too much low end to deal with, or can get too harsh.
Stay tuned!
Thank you for this video! I subscribed.
Dude you have become my favorite recording/mixing/production guy on UA-cam. This information is helping so many people (especially those of us who don't have a ton of money to go to some fancy recording studio). From listening to you over the past couple years, I can confidently say our new album I'm wrapping up will be leagues better than our EP from 2021. Thank you so much! I hope you have exponential success as you go along.
☠🖤🤘
Dude I'm so happy to hear the content has been helpful to you and I can't wait to hear your new album!!
Fuck yeah man! I will send it your way when we're finished@@FrightboxRecording
My philosophy for recording drums is simple: as long as the drums are good sounding and tuned correctly, you have the right mics for the drums (doesn't have to be expensive mics just as long as they sound good on the kit), you don't need a good sounding room. You don't even need a big room (the garden hose technique and micing the adjacent room works fine).
Oh man I have almost all the same stuff... you can get super good sounding stuff for not that much. Also running Yamaha stage custom birches with aax cymbals - reasonably priced and sounds really good. Same mics too, just a couple different. Love it
This is the acoustical definition of “if you can’t beat them, join them”
Nice job man, I'm a fan of these procedures as well. The only problem I experience with very budet friendly electronic components like the Behringer mixers, cheap monitors, etc. is their durability when using them a lot.
Greetings from Germany
A couple of important things (imo) to note that were not brought up:
1.) Even IF you're lucky enough to have access to a garage or other large enough space for this, that doesn't mean your neighbors will be happy about drums being played loudly over and over again for tracking (something that is hard to avoid when you're in a non sound treated space).
2.) Continuing off of sound treatment and isolation, you might also have to worry about the sound of vehicles/traffic and other unwanted sounds if all the separates your room mic is a thin garage door. Nothing like a random car horn, alarm, or motorbike to ruin a take.
3.) I counted 14 mics total. Sure, this is not as many as a pro-studio might use but it's also not "only a handful of mics".
I agree with the ethos of this video. Recording should be accessible and not some mythical, expensive, or unarchivable thing for musicians. These 3 things I listed are just potential issues some might run into.
Yes, 100% the source [a good musician with a good sounding instrument(s)] is certainly the most important variable when recording.
Awesome video as well as the stellar sound you have produced.
Glad you liked it!
this is amazing!
I often record my drums with 4 mics using My rehearsal room. I have a set of those Octavias for overheads an old 70s shure unidyne II For the snare and a CAD bass drum mic.
Love this video 🔥🔥
Some decent good advice here 👍🏼
It's about time people wake up and realise, the entire industry post analogue is riddled with clever marketing and lies.
As someone who has been recording as a minimalist (small sudio) for almost 20 years now, you dont need fancy speakers, rediculous treatment, expensive microphones, bold claim software, all you need is a pathway to deliver what you hear in your head to the consumer.
Digital amp sims have NOT got better in years, theyve just got clever at selling them to you, Drum programs are barely changing right now, its just endless samples that confuse you.
You can make top records in any circumstance, the question is, understanding the space, and adapting accordingly, if you have that talent, you are golden.
Nice video my dude :)
Meant to tip before but it crashed my browser. Excellent video - very inspiring and brilliantly put together. Thanks again
You DID it mate! \m/
nice video! where you able to phase check during setup?
i like running my ride mic from underneath, tucked in close near the bell. Seems like it helps reduce bleed significantly, using the ride as a shield from the top side of the kit
I love it! I do it from time to time as well, but sometimes I find I capture too much kick transient in the ride mic with certain drummers. It definitely works well for me for extreme metal when guys are usually hitting lighter.
“We were playing in one room in a house with a recording truck, and a drum kit was duly set up in the main hallway, which is a three storey hall with a staircase going up on the inside of it. And when John Bonham went out to play the kit in the hall, I went “Oh, wait a minute, we gotta do this!” Curiously enough, that’s just a stereo mic that’s up the stairs on the second floor of this building, and that was his natural balance.”
sounds great
Ya those drums do sound killer. Good video
Very cool!
We record all our stuff in a garage.
Going to take some tips from this.
Thank you!
Happy to have been a help 🤘
Bobby got them 🐐Skills that make EVERYTHING sound KILLER 🤓🍻🤘
I Love it!!!!
This is great!!!!
Nice Bobby!
Protect this man at all costs.
Curious if you time align the room mics?
Wow! Does Not look crappy to me!! Where I live this garage would cost me $1,000,000
Actually that space is nice and big (although the ceiling looks a little low) and that's desirable for recording. Acoustic treatment is really geared towards small mixing rooms with early reflection problems, this wouldn't be a problem in a room the size of your basement. The sound your going for works well, great job.
That is killer! \m/
Really good vid. New sub
Thanks for watching!
The crashes/overheads sound great man, this is what the samples struggle with the most! Looking forward to the rest of the process :))
More to come!
Thanks. Looking forward to the new King Kelly songs
Thank you for taking the time to produce this very informative and casually entertaining video.
Anybody who is hating on you at this point, should probably spend their time producing content instead of trolling people.
I ran a mobile setup like this for years before I got out of it. never had an issue with rooms unless they were way too small
I wish more people would recommend the xair or other digital rack mixers (i have a soundcraft ui24r) for drummers on a budget recording. Nearly everyone at this level uses 8 channel interfaces like a Focusrite or Tascam and those mixers not only have more channels for not much more money, but they are great for mixing band practice, recording quick ideas without a computer, etc. I had no idea they were even an option until recently.
I agree! You definitely get way more band for your buck with a digital mixer as far inputs. It's also great that it can be used for multiple purposes, like live sound.
The method of using a cheap live digital mixer as your interface is a legendary tip that not many people seem to realize is a great solution in most cases. I own an M32 that I use at home in exactly the same way.
I agree!
I’m getting ready to upgrade my Steinberg UR22 to Audient Evo 16 so I can start tracking drums in my home studio. I use EZdrummer 3 for my demos. I write and record the bass/vocals/guitars myself. I found a killer drummer that played in Blue Man Group.
This video makes me feel like I’m on track with my plan for recording my music. Thank u🤘
That's so exciting to hear...keep me posted on how it goes!
@@FrightboxRecording will do. I dig your channel🤘
Very inspiring Bobby.
Question: Is the mono room mic (LDC) pointed at the wall (for reflections) or the drum kit (for more direct sound) ? 🤟
Great question! The mono room is actually facing the kit, but it's much lower in the mix. I have the L & R rooms cranked much louder.
I’ve got those E3.5 monitors in my bedroom studio and they are fantastic
They can also withstand a beating, which is great for Guerilla recording.
Quite sure the bike plays a huge part in the sound. Nice video!
😂
I get very good mixes from an xr18, some 57s and a NT1 pair, a 52. Maybe 7 mic. Into a BS old Lenovo running Linux with reaper. I love the challenge and the savings.
interesting perspective on drum recording
It came out sounding good! IMO I’ve had experience with garage recordings my entire early career and for super fast music is where it does tend to hit its limit in having a pleasant sound. Too much wash. Easily solved with some DIY treatment though!
Blending in even one room mic can give you some amazing results. Kinda pissed at myself for knowing this but not doing it until recently. I'm in a basement and getting some damn good recordings
I’ve had an XR18 for over 4 yrs. Can’t believe more folks don’t use it in the home studio realm. Bought a refurb for under $600. Where can you get 18 I/O?! Match that with PSM-16s, and you’re tracking monitoring is checked off the list, all with two CAT cables.
Great vid, thanks!!!
With regards to the space/room that you're recording in, a lot of emphasis is placed on having an acoustically perfect room. There is a significant advantage to having and acoustically perfect room, but it isn't necessary for good sounding tracks. To prove my point I offer the following; I live in Southern New Hampshire, I had a subcontracting business and I ended up doing work in Tom Schultz home in Massachusetts. I was in the basement where Tom Schultz recorded the first Boston album. And I can tell you the basement was anything but acoustically correct.
Excellent video, about to record my first project with my own band , been mixing and mastering for a while but first time tracking.any advice for recording drums in a 10x10 room?
Don't skip the room mics. Also try adding one or two mics in an adjacent room, it'll add a ton to your drum sound.
Just recorded drums in my reflective dining room , with room mics lying on the floor in the hallway... It was the best sounding drum recording I've made BY FAR. This is so underrated as a technique! Not to mention that none of the mics cost over £150, and it sounded way better than a kit I mic'ed with Neumann mics in a studio...
Not only neglecting a room sound crappens the drum tone, but also the voice in 99% of talking heads channels, not even background music saves the torture of jumping from zero to whatever loudness you've set on your headphones
Very interesting! Any chance we could get your input on recording drums in a small room, low ceilings, ect?
Stay tuned, coming very very soon 🤘
I do mobile recording with mixing/mastering at home. I like open spaces like this. The studio is cool but something about recording in spaces like this feel more cooler and real. With gear of today you can record anywhere and still make it sound professional!!!
Totally agree!
So crazy question but how do you keep those mics, especially the room mics, in phase? Do you not worry about it and use something like AutoAlign?
There were no phase issues whatsoever. I can count on one hand the number of times I've had phase issues in the hundreds of drum sessions I've recorded. Phase is another thing that's overblown and exaggerated on the internet. If it sounds good, it is good.
Room mics for the win!
Can you post a link to your band's music?
F@ck yeah! Well done bro
Dude the snare sounds awesome. Result of the far away room mics + a drummer hitting consistent rim shots?
It was a combination of a few things:
1) We chose the right snare (an old Yamaha that sounds similar to a Black Beauty).
2) We spent a lot of time finding the right snare tuning.
3) Jake hits the drums very hard....consistently.
4) the room mics captured the natural power and ambiance of the snare in the physical space.
I forgot about the simple solution studios that surprise even the most top-level engineers.
*_Very informative video! I wish we could have heard what the drums sounded like through a phone mic to really get the full effect of the difference. Also, please wear ear protection! That’s going to cost you someday! 😎_*
I ALWAYS wear ear protection and was during this drum tracking session as well.
@@FrightboxRecording *_Didn’t look like it at _**_6:47_**_._*
I can assure you, those Hearos are definitely in there😂
I can see the close mics and overheads going well, but there are some prices to pay with using room mics in a room with no acoustics.
You can “make up” for it in the mix, but it honestly just doesn’t match up with the quality of a real studio setup, or at least having some acoustics. Even some room reverbs tend to do really good in comparison when it comes to the final product IMO. There are a lot of factors to this however, such as the products, the user, etc.
You could easily make your own acoustic panels or use blankets, and easily improve the quality you would get out of your mics. You don’t need a fully decked out acoustic setup, but you can control and dial in that reflective environment you like to get a cleaner tone overall that you won’t have to make up for later.
I think even just makeshift bass traps themselves would help a lot after listening to the room mics.
The setup is unique, and I feel like that is apart of the art itself, so I cant really say what you’re doing is wrong, if anything I think it’s really cool that you’re doing this. I’d even encourage others to do the same, I even started off using iPhone demos to track lol.
Buttttt, as someone who records in the garage as well, I would personally aim for a little bit more control of the room. You could get a lot more out of your overheads and room mics using your current mic placements. I’m jealous of the amount of space you have as well lol.
Please don’t take this as harsh criticism, I think your doing good, I just had some opinions on some the claims you had about not needing acoustics.
I think it would make your life a little easier in the mix, especially on the low end. Maybe even nicer on the ears while recording.
Man could be skydiving and still say the lines from the intro, so weird seeing you out of your studio btw hahaha.
I love Waterloo.
I'm curious if your overhead/cymbal mic choice is "how you always do it", or was that decided after experimenting in that garage?
As in, if you recorded in a "good room" would you go traditional overhead method but a "bad room" requires close-micing each cymbal?
This is how I always mic my cymbals when recording for rock and metal drum tracks. It offers much more control in the mix.
Thank you!
You could probably record a metal band on a 4 track cassette recorder and make it sound killer. I love recordings with minimal tracks lol.
I'm not sure if it was said in the video, so apologies, but this works because drums are usually in the "Background" of a mix. If you did record in an "acoustically perfect" environment, you would very likely add reverb and delay in post to make the drums sound "big". However, not everything in the mix SHOULD sound "big" or big. Vocals for example would not do as well an environment like that basement, unless that's the vibe you're going for, which a lot of folks probably aren't. A good hack for that would probably be to record your vocals in your car or a closet full of clothes. Very cool video man and very cool way to challenge traditional recording concepts!
I think the point you're missing when you record in a "proper" studio is that they purposely make the room sound sterile so that it can be a one size fits all kind of thing. That's why the old school albums that are always celebrated for their drum tone were recorded in "unideal" places. Like houses, or barns or whatever. Also, back in the day if you wanted a reverb with "character" many studios had chambers, or plates. I think it's Sunset Sound in LA has or had a basement floor that was an empty concrete room, they'd pipe audio into it from a PA speaker, and record with mics spread out around the room. Essentially making a parking garage for their reverb chamber. They also had actual plates, and spring reverb units for more character. These days, studios have tuned live rooms out of tradition. You mentioned Albini, perfect example, his studio is not a perfectly treated room it was designed with intent, but the intent was to not be sterile.
So yes, you can get "pro" results in all kinds of rooms because those are the same types of rooms that pros used for years and years.
I couldn't agree more with your list. A great drummer, and well setup kit are infinitely more important than anything else. I have two drummers that I work with pretty consistently, one is a world class drummer, the other has been drumming a long time, but never very serious. It's night and day recording them. Will, the worldclass guy, his tracks are basically done once they are tracked. Add a little compression here and there and a little EQ maybe, and that's it. The other guy takes hours of editing, and so many tricks to avoid using samples. But often times I have to use samples with him.