Recording Drums Like a Pro
When you’re recording a drum kit, it’s important to have the right gear for the job. With each part of a drum kit living in vastly different frequency ranges, you’ll want to have enough I/O to accurately grab the performance.
We recently teamed up with Focusrite Pro to visit drummer & studio owner Jeff Friedl (A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, Devo, Beta Machine) at his studio, Secret Hand Studio in Los Angeles. Jeff is accompanied by Westlake Recording Studios alum and L.A.-based recording & mixing engineer Claire Morison of Wild Horizon Sound to show how they record a drum set to sound live.
Watch the session below:
The Gear For The Gig
At the heart of the recording process is a Focusrite Clarett+ Octopre. They’re feeding 16 channels into the Focusrite Red 16Line which is interfacing directly with Avid Pro Tools. After adjusting the placement of the microphones – one of which is in a shower! – Friedl delivers an energized and funky breakbeat.
With some EQ tweaks and a little help from the bx_console Focusrite SC plug-in from brainworx & Focusrite Pro, Claire Morison breathes life into the session. Using a few simple tricks and the right tools for the job any drum set can sound as different as night and day.
Can You Hear The Difference?
We grabbed the stems from the session at Secret Hand Studios so our readers could A/B test them yourselves. Below you’ll find both the raw stems and the stems mixed with the aforementioned Focusrite Pro gear for each part of the kit: Cymbals, Kick, Overheads, Snare, Toms, and the shower mic!
Give them a listen and notice the difference for yourself!
Raw Stems
Mixed With
Focusrite Pro Gear
See More On The Gear At Secret Hand Studios
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Have Any Questions?
Are you trying to record a drum kit or a multi-track session?
Our Pros are glad to answer any questions you may have and help find the best option for you!
