Drum Track Processing, Part 1: Gating

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On November 27, 2009 · 0 Comments

In this series of brief tutorials, I (eDrumSessions recording engineer Thai Long Ly) will outline several processing concepts. Bear in mind that if you ask 100 Engineers how to mix a drum track, you’ll definitely receive 100 differing opinions on what’s right and what’s wrong. The bottom line is that if it sounds good, it is good. Whatever you have to do to convey the emotion of a performance is the right thing to do with your drum tracks. I will also assume most of you will be using a DAW (Pro Tools, Logic, DP, Reaper, etc…) of some sort. Now that you’ve received your raw drum tracks as WAV files from a session drummer, how should you proceed when it’s time to mix? In this series of tutorials, I will outline several processing concepts.

Gating is very subjective. One can “clean up” the sound of drum tracks, as gating is essentially silencing sections of audio that have no pertinent information so as to present a more cleanly defined track. In other words, it reduces “bleed”. Some find gating to be a very useful tool, and even an artistic one. Others think that gating totally kills the vibe of a drum performance. I think that it is an artistic decision that works sometimes and sometimes not. Having said that, here are some tips on gating drum tracks.

Gating is essentially silencing sections of audio that have no pertinent information (aka bleed) so as to present a more cleanly defined track. For example, you may want to gate the tom tracks so that they are heard only when they are hit, as opposed to howling sympathetically whenever the snare is hit. If this annoys you, simply gate the toms. By silencing audio on the track when the toms aren’t being struck, you’ll produce a cleaner and tighter drum track overall. You can do this by using a noise gate as an insert (hardware or software plug-in) or by drawing down the volume via automation in a DAW or even muting whole sections in between actual hits. All of these techniques produce a different effect on the overall sound, so you should experiment with your drum tracks and see what works for you. Some will gate all of the drum tracks except the overheads, hi-hats and room mics. This can be great for R&B, Funk and Progressive Rock. Experimentation is key.

Conversely, some engineers feel that drums should ring freely and by gating you run the risk of killing the “vibe” of a drum kit being played by a real drummer in a real room. I won’t argue against this point as it’s a valid one. The decision to gate drum tracks depends entirely on the type of material being performed and what you’re going for aesthetically. Again, I wouldn’t gate anything for a traditional Jazz number or anything requiring a Bonham-esque vibe.

Here, the ringing and overtones produced by having all the microphones wide open contribute to the overall presence of the kit and the air that surrounds each element can make for a huge sounding drum track. No approach is ideal for all circumstances, but certainly this is the most “natural” sounding approach. Think of gating as tight and dry while not gating is big and airy. Experiment and have fun.

Look for more of my drum track processing tutorials on this site. These tutorials will cover the subjects of compression, parallel compression, ambiance, and equalization.


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Testimonials From Just a Few of Our Happy Clients:
 

"Hey
Shay, this is Andrew. I just wanted to give you a call
and let you know everything worked out great with your
drum tracks.

And,
actually, the guy who mixed them even asked me who I got
to play on them and I told him about you.

He
said whoever engineered them did a great job recording them.
Just thought you’d like to know."

Andrew Synoweic

 

"Shay
Godwin is an amazing drummer with an instinctual approach
to music rarely encountered today.
Every time I work with him in the studio I’m amazed at how quickly
he locks in, and how great his drum sounds are.
"

Ken Andrews:
songwriter/producer/mixer;
founding member of the groundbreaking group Failure;
producing/mixing credits include: Charlotte Martin,
A Perfect Circle,
Tenacious D,
Chris Cornell,
Nacho Libre Soundtrack,
Pete Yorn,
Jimmy Eat World

 

"Shay
is one of the most talented drummers I’ve ever had the pleasure
of working with. He is a real musician that plays with taste,
incredible feeling, and he is amazingly versatile in his
styles.
"

Charlotte Martin
founder, Dinosaur Fight Records

 

"Shay
is a true professional – He is solid, has great feel and
great tone – One need look no further."

Ty Stevens
Warner/Chappell staff songwriter;
wrote “Rock This World” and was Musical Director for Hillary
Duff (Hollywood Records);
M.D. for Jennifer Pena, Daniel Rene (Univision);
wrote music for Disney, Verve, Universal, artists Mindi Abair;
Musical Consultant for Aly & AJ (Hollywood Records);
guitarist for Mandy Moore, countless other credits

 

"Shay
Godwin is one of the top session drummers I’ve had the pleasure
of working with. He’s a one take wonder, which is great in
the studio because time is money. Shay was extremely professional,
and well prepared. He has killer sounding drums, and was
able to give me all kinds of snare tones to choose from.
We will be working together for many years.
"

Jay Ruston
Producer/Engineer/Mixer, credits include Brian Wilson, The
Donnas, Abandoned Pools, Dianna Ross, American Idol,
Morrissey, Polyphonic Spree, Meatloaf

 

"Shay
has an attention to detail while working on parts in a song
combined with keeping it simple and soulful. His vast knowledge
of musical styles and professionalism in getting the job
done in a timely manner is why I love to work with him.
"

Buck Johnson:
co-wrote the single “Just Feel Better” for Carlos Santana’s
album “All That I Am” featuring Steven Tyler of Aerosmith
;
keys/vocals/guitar with country act Whiskey Falls;
vocalist/keyboardist with the following artists: The Doobie
Brothers (backing vocals on “Rockin’ Down the Highway”-Live
CD-1996), Tal Bachman (backing vocals and Keys of Columbia
Records debut album -’99, Timothy B. Schmit (of The Eagles,
his solo CD 2000-backing vocals and keys), Matthew Sweet
(touring keys and backing vocals and “Best Of Matthew Sweet
CD), Shawn Mullins (touring -2000), and John Waite

 

"Hey
Shay, I wanted to say thanks again & great job in the studio
sessions for the BFD XFL. You really did a top job covering
the various brush strokes, and a lot of composers have told
me they’ve been featured in many TV shows and movies! All
the best!
"

Steve Duda:
creator of the BFD Premium Drum Module, credits include:
Nine Inch Nails – Fragile – Percussion, Violin, Programming,
Choir, Chorus;
Pitchshifter – Deviant – Programming, Editing;
Pitchshifter – Bootlegged Distorted Remixed Uploaded – Producer;
Rob Zombie – American Made Music to Strip By – Remix;
Methods of Mayhem – Methods of Mayhem – Programming; A Perfect
Circle – Thirteenth Step – Digital Engineer

 
 

"I
tried some other online drummers, you are by far the best.
"

Luke, Germany

 

"Your
process is great. The three takes is a perfect way to make
sure it works. Your tracks sound great. I was very happy
with the process.
You and Thai Long were awesome. Your professionalism and enthusiasm,
not to mention skill at your craft made this perfect.
"

Craig Campbell, Detroit, USA

 

"I
was totally blown away by the quality of the recording. By
comparison with other drum recordings I have heard (some
of them by other online drum recording services), your unprocessed
tracks are close to the processed tracks I have heard!
Your drumming during the chorus clearly sets it aside in terms
of energy from the verse parts, something that I find important.
Your playing supports the song and even inspires me with ideas
to improve it. Upright Bass, anyone?
"

Henrique Pataca, Portugal

 

"Shay,
just a quick email to let you know that I’m very happy with
the drums tracks! They’re well recorded and the performances
are great! A pleasure to mix! More to come for you soon.
"

Gyom, Alexandria, Virginia, USA

 

"Nice
fills and some cool grooves dude! Exactly what I was looking
for!!! All three takes sound great. I think my favourite
is track 2 but I might incorporate some bits of the other
takes into it as well.
"

Ramon McDrury, Sydney, Australia

 

"Hi
Shay, the takes are perfect, exactly what I was after and
played with real passion, thanks so much!
"

Owen Duff, London, UK

 

"I
can’t decide which version I like best, all three are great.
I think take 3 is again most powerful, straight but still
sophisticated, which I like cause I really want powerful,
driving bass and drums carrying the song but played intelligent.
"

Luke, Germany

 

"Shay!
You nailed it! Great work. You were right. I have ‘inevitable
glee’. You played exactly what I imagined! I’m sure putting
together a mix with your drums will be easy, but you make
it hard to decide which takes I want to use…

I just wanted to thank you both for spending the extra time to
nail down these tracks. You really nailed these tracks and inspire
me with your playing. I’m really honored to have you guys work
on this stuff and grateful.
"

Timothy Gillespie, New Jersey, USA

 

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