Wiser purchase: Nicer drums OR recording gear?
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- Опубліковано 11 кві 2024
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What’s the better investment - Nicer drums? Or recording gear? There are mixed opinions on this, but I think the decision is simple.
As a growing drummer, you need to make investments that directly impact your GROWTH, and only one of these things really does that.
As a matter of fact, there’s a skill you MUST master in order to truly master the drums, and only one of these purchases will lead you in that direction.
If you’ve been thinking about making any drum set upgrades or recording gear purchases, today’s discussion is for you!
We’ll break all of this down so that you have clarity & purpose behind how you spend your money in regards to gear, and you’ll be on track for WAY faster growth in the coming months & years as a result. YOU CAN DO THIS!
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Jokes aside I actually did record myself tapping on a practice pad recently 😂
Always appreciate your videos man! 🥹
Excellent introduction to recording video. Nice job! 🔥
The I-Rig is the best!!!! It's amazing for recording
I tried using my iPhone and it was pretty distorted (may just be my playing!) and certainly could move the phone further away. BUT, I just purchased a lightly used Yamaha EAD10 to mic my kit and it gives me the option to do much of what you're talking about (I think). Just got it so I have to learn how to use it and jump it to my MacBook Pro then will have to learn how to use GarageBand . So, I've got much learning to do with this new set up, as well as learning the software. I got the EAD10 just because it reportedly is one of the simpler ways to record myself playing and gives the option for video as well. Gonna give it a try and hope I didn't waste my money on this Yamaha unit! Thanks Stephen, as always you are an awesome instructor on so many levels and really appreciate your videos.
Maybe I should have chosen a more affordable hobby like aviation
A hybrid solution is to get a Zoom recorder, like an H5/H6. Those recorders provide stereo condenser mics for the front of the kit, plus you can plug in 2-4 external mics as your budget allows. I use an H5 with a Beta52 for the kick and a Sm57 for the snare. Best of all, the H5/H6 also includes the audio interface and delivers phantom power if you choose an external condenser mic! Happy to provide a tour, if you are interested!
I had a lot of bands in my budget studio in the 90s, I always used my standard set of SM57, Beta 57, Shure Bassdrum Mikes, and two BPM CR4 overheads. So, technically, every recording was the same. Practically, the quality was very different. Guess what. The better drummers had a better sound in the final product. So a) better drummers had better drumkits, of course, but mostly b) better drummers played better and provided less mushy and messed up drumtracks.
So my first approach would be - become a better drummer, then buy a decent kit. Cheap mikes get you far. Even on old ADAT machines or converters.
Finally a clear no-nonsense explanation of the possible setups for various budgets. Thanks so much for the great video, Stephen! The only question I have is: what about the Yamaha EAD10, how does it compare?
Another bonus is to hear yourself playing while listening to a song you're learning through headphones. It's a gamechanger.
Biggest change to my kit was a K pack. Best money I ever spent on drum gear.
Very good advice for a beginner like me to go with 3 condenser mics. I just want to hear my basic sound to determine what errors I am making yet still picking up a decent sound.
Thanks for this one!
awesome! thank you!
Very good information thank you
"Here's a painful truth for you."
Boy, have I had a lot of those. Thank you for the truth. Much appreciated.
Love the new video! To me as a producer and a more just “having fun”-drummer, both, the set and cymbals/heads matter as well as the recording gear. Of course for production purposes you need different cymbals/snares or even drum sets to achieve the sound you were searching for (I’m not a fan of triggering when recording a real set). I for example have my Exptic Collector’s set usually set up with the Meinl Byzance cymbals of my choice fully miced up with usually 13-14 mics including room/overhead and direct microphones standing in the studio ready for any drummer or myself to play and have fun. But of course you can have the best gear and greatest mixing skills - as long as the drummer doesn’t perform well all of that doesnt count. So the biggest factor always is the drummer and without skill -> no records :)
Great information Stephen. Thanks for sharing. I have most of the same mics & recording gear you have including the Scarlett 18i20. I'm new at recording and have my kit mic'd up and can play songs through my heads phones on Spotify. But can't figure out how to get the drums to play through the 18i20. Any chance you would do a video on that?
I play edrums so it’s a lil easy for me but if you have an acoustic kit get you a Yamaha EAD and call it a day 1 mic that attaches to the kick and records the whole kit and you can layer samples that come built into the module. Easiest thing. And it’s not terrible about $530 on brand new even cheaper used
Let me make this painfully clear from a manufacturing prospective.
Point 1 The focus in manufacturing is consistent quality, without failure, as failure is basically business loss, no mater if it’s failure prior to or after sale of the product.
Point 2 The larger the manufacturing operation, the more capital they have (generally speaking), to invest in and maintain necessary and advanced tooling and machinery as well as skilled labor, to achieve point number 1.
Point 3 - most recent wood working manufacturing is usually performed upon current machinery which can hold far tighter tolerances compared to the machinery of decades gone by.
Point Overall - Manufacturers can construct drum shells and hardware, far more consistently and with higher repetitive quality, and with tighter tolerances, when compared to the 1980s and earlier.
Therefore an entry level kit of today, could easily match the sound of a more expensive kit, with minor changes (thicker rims, and better drum heads). The only drawback would be the tension lug quantity on the Snare, Bass, and larger toms, which tends to spread, and maintain the head forces more evenly.
My Experience..
With a drum head and rim change (thicker rims) I couldn’t tell the difference, in the music mix, when comparing my 2018 Rydeen kit to my 2017 Stage Custom Birch kit.
Another very timely topic for me, Stephen. About a month ago, I realized that my hearing protection I was using really changed the sound of my drums, particularly muffling too much of the attack. I wanted to hear what my drums actually sounded like, so I took the big step of buying in ear monitors to protect my hearing while piping in the sound of the drums, a Behringer 4 input interface and a pair of SM57 microphones. I'm quite happy with one mic on the kick and one overhead for now, but I do next want to add a Beta 52A for better pickup of the kick drum. I now know what my drums and drumming sound like as I'm playing.
What can I do now, you ask? Actually start recording my playing and listening to it afterward, as well as starting to gather an audio history of my progress. It's time to actually learn how to use the free version of Studio One DAW that I have installed. Thank you for this video and push to get recording, as well as everything you continue to do for the drumming community!
Fantastic guide thanks....yoo da man! 😁😁😁😁👍👍🍺🍺🍺🍺
What about listening to yourself playing real time on a Ekit? Or record it thru the module?
Stephen, Are those 15" Sweet Hi-Hats? What is your ride?
The official™️ drummer of the Home Depot song.
I'm learning a little audio engineering right now. Why is the mic on the underside super compressed? What would those compression settings look like?
best drumming purchase for growth :
- decent drumheads
- a zoom recorder
then only get decent cymbals for basics : hats, one crash, a ride
Question....So if I'm playing to UA-cam videos and I record my drums into the software on my laptop....do I record the music into the software too so that on playback I am hearing me AND the recording that I played to? Can I accomplish this with the FocusRite?
You can record with audio as you’re listening playing. Good Focusrite Scarlett loopback, it’s a fun tool for recording yourself playing along to audio tracks and it’s built into the larger Scarlett’s. Not sure if the 2i2 has it or not.
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