Master Quality Custom Drum Tracks

Drum Track Processing Tips, Part 4: Ambience by Thai Long Ly

2009-11-29T19:24:00.000-08:00

Drum Track Processing Tips, Part 4: Ambience by Thai Long Ly

You’ve now just downloaded your WAV’s from an online recording studio, imported the tracks into your session and pulled up the faders to zero. “Holy chasmic echo, Batman… that’s a lot of room!” Well, yes and no. Yes, that’s a lot of room if you solo the drums by themselves. Now start adding guitars, bass, keys, vocals, etc…

Too much room now? Or do you simply notice that the drums are sitting in a nice “space” in the mix without the need for artificial reverb? I generally like to record my room mics on the hot side, with plenty of level. Maybe more than you’ll actually use in the final mix… but it’s there if you need it. This gives you the most latitude when it comes time to create your atmosphere and space. Trust me, you’ll thank me in the end.

So, if you want more of a Beach Boys type thing or a 70’s dry drum sound, then back those faders down. If you want a modern R&B thing where the drum kit sounds more like samples, then simply mute the room mics altogether. Rock? Crank those room mics up from the beginning! How about this for a creative, fun use of room mics: sneak the room mics in during choruses only, or during big drum fills. This will add more presence and excitement without resorting to EQ or level changes. Again, suit to taste and don’t be afraid to experiment with processing.

Bear in mind that a healthy use of compression on room mics is pretty much standard practice for most rock productions. The aim is to get the compressor pumping in time with the track so that the drums start to sound exciting – like they’re about to explode out of the speakers.

But dig this: once you realize that a good drum track isn’t merely about punch and impact, that it should have depth and a real sense space as well, your productions will take on a whole new life. The quickest, most natural way to a cool sonic landscape is through the creative use of room mics in your mix.

Check out my other articles on drum processing on this site, covering topics such as use of compression and gating. In Part 5 equalization will be the focus. Until then, enjoy the process of applying what you have read.

Drum Track Processing Tips, Part 6: More Equalization Guidelines

2009-11-27T23:06:00.000-08:00

Drum Track Processing Tips, Part 6: More Equalization Guidelines by Thai Long Ly

This is the sixth installment of my article series on the subject of processing drum tracks. Today’s focus is on equalization of overheads, toms, hi-hats, and rooms.

OVERHEADS. Where do I begin? Applying EQ to an overhead track depends entirely upon the artistic approach you’re employing for your song and their respective drum tracks (I suppose this is true for anything, but stay with me here). If you’re simply using the overheads as cymbal mics, then you’ll want to roll out most of the bottom end using a Hi Pass Filter. Simply dump everything below 500Hz or thereabouts and sneak the track up in level so that the cymbals sit in a proper place (with the drum tracks and the song in general) when struck. You may want to boost above 10kHz for some “air” as well.

If you’re looking for the overheads to convey location of the individual elements of a kit, as well as to capture the kit overall, then a fairly broad cut centered around 400Hz-500Hz is all that’s needed to pull some honk out of the kit to make room for the rest of the drum tracks and other instruments. Again, some lifting above 10kHz is nice to bring out some presence and sparkle and you may want to dip down towards 7kHz for more snap out of your snare drum track.

TOMS. “System of a Down”-type toms? Kill the bloom and resonance (below 250Hz) and accentuate the stick hit and attack (1kHz – 4kHz) of the tom drum tracks. Modern R&B? Bring up the resonance of the shell and let them ring. Find the resonant frequency and boost until they’re howling. Now fit that in with the Overheads and see what happens with the drum tracks in relation to the song. What seems like overkill when soloed now feels right when the rest of the track is playing doesn’t it? Good. That’s what it’s all about to begin with! Always take that into consideration regarding your drum tracks.

HI-HATS. Dump below 500Hz unless you want the sound of the session drummer’s foot thumping away. Adding air above 10kHz can work too. Just don’t overdo it and end up with overly sizzly sounding hats. That sounds terrible, and can ruin your drum tracks (and therefore your song).

ROOMS. Just mangle the snot out of these. Or don’t. Filter them. Effect them. Or don’t. Make ‘em dull. Or don’t. Make ‘em bright. Or don’t. See where I’m going with this? Good. Use your ears to decide what is best for you drum tracks.

CONCLUSION
So there you have it. A basic set of concepts to get you up and rolling towards amazing sounding drum tracks. And as if it hasn’t sunk in by now… EXPERIMENT! Find your own voice and signature sound when mixing drum tracks. Copying someone else’s sound is cool for about a minute… but ultimately what will set your project apart from the pack is what you discover on your own. Remember, the drum sounds you create in a mix will dictate the power and presence of your recording. What sets a demo apart from a master? Drum sounds! Good luck processing your drum tracks, and have fun.

Drum Track Processing, Part 5: Equalization Guidelines

2009-11-27T22:55:00.000-08:00

Drum Track Processing Tips, Part 5: Equalization Guidelines by Thai Long Ly

Writing about equalization of drum tracks (or any tracks) is a tough subject. It’s sort of like smoking about bath water. Generally speaking, subtractive EQ is better than boosting, but really, anything goes. I tend to favor hardware over software, but often times a plug-in allows more surgical moves so I’ll utilize them with drum tracks when necessary. Here are some concepts that I tend to think about when I approach a mix.

KICK DRUM and BASS GUITAR. Here you must decide where each element will live. Will the bass carry the low end information while the kick drum track provides the punch or will the deep impact of the kick dominate the lows while the bass sits right on top? There are no rules, but I tend to let the tempo and busy-ness of the bass line dictate who lives where. If you have a down tempo number with a fairly slow bass line, it may be nice to have the bass carry the bottom octaves while the kick drum track smacks you in the chest. Conversely, if you have a busy 16th note bass line on a fusion track, the kick may want to live in the basement while the bass surfs the stairs. This is usually my first critical decision when I start a mix and it will set up the way I address the rest of the tracks beyond the drum tracks.

SNARE and VOCAL. How do you get a snare drum track to “crack” with punch and clarity without stepping all over the lead vocal? You either have the snare sit above or below the frequency of the vocal. In a lot of modern R&B tracks, you’ll find that the snare drum track sits above the lead vocal, with a lot of the bottom end pulled out. The snare takes on more of a “snap” than a “whack” type quality. This leaves a lot of room for the dozens and dozens of vocal tracks that are the norm for this style of music while still providing a solid backbeat. A lot of Rock and Pop settings will have the snare EQ’d slightly below the vocal so that the voice is the brightest thing you hear besides cymbals. This allows the snare drum track to really “smack” like it would if you were sitting next to it. In this type of situation, I tend to boost anywhere from 100Hz to 250Hz in subtle amounts to give the snare some “weight” and “slam”. Remember, a properly tuned snare will be quite throaty sounding in a good room. The snare drum track should have some low end. Again, there are no rules, just things to think about as you’re searching for sonic bliss. Often times, a good ol’ fashioned notch around 300Hz – 400Hz will remove the honk and boxiness of a snare (or any drum track, for that matter) so experiment there. Also, boosting in the 3.5kHz – 4.5kHz range can do wonders for finding the right amount of “crack” and presence for your snare drum track.

Go ahead and experiment with these concepts, and be sure to read my other articles on this site. Part six will further address equalization of drum tracks and will focus on overheads, toms, hi-hats, and room.

Drum Track Processing Tips, Part 3: Parallel Compression

2009-11-27T22:38:00.000-08:00

Drum Track Processing Tips, Part 3: Parallel Compression by Thai Long Ly

This is the third installment in my series of tutorials on processing of drum tracks. We focus here on parallel compression.

So… your guitarist has decided that he’d like to triple track all nineteen of his brilliant ideas using his Mind Bleeder distortion pedal and your keyboardist wants to layer every cool Moog and Nord patch he’s ever programmed since the 80’s. Your bassist insists on playing nothing but chords he learned in Bass Frenzy magazine on his custom Booty Humper Low F# seven string. So how do you deal with trying to get your drum tracks to punch through this sonic wall?

You may want to experiment with parallel compression of your drum tracks. Simply put, you’re blending a compressed drum track with an unprocessed track for more “oomph”. I don’t generally care for this technique on anything Jazz related but if you’re dealing with a wall of mud and you can’t carve out the proper space any other way (or don’t have the time), this technique is worth exploring. So here’s how…. get your drum tracks sounding amazing utilizing the techniques described above. Done, right? Call your girl and tell her you’re coming home early and that you’re feeling frisky!

Kidding. Seriously… once you’ve gotten your drums in a good place, take a few elements of the drum tracks… say your kick, snare, and toms and bus them to the input of a compressor in wait via an aux send. Remember your drums are still being bussed to the master out in addition to the aux send you’ve just created. Now smash the snot out of the compressor in any manner you deem fit and gently blend the output of this mangled signal with your original drum tracks until you start to feel the drums gaining weight. You may find that you won’t need much… just a “hint” is all it may take to cut through that wall of doom. Essentially, you’re increasing the perceived loudness of the drum track without resorting to radical EQ or unjustified levels of gain. Many Mixers have mastered this subtle art and have produced amazing drum sounds that we hear day in and day out on the radio. Play around with it and see if it works for you. Hell, if you’re really feeling frisky (audio – wise) mess around with some slight distortion on the snare and kick drum tracks, too.

Have fun experimenting with parallel compression on your drum tracks, and be sure to read part four of this series in which I will discuss ambiance.

Drum Track Processing Tips, Part 2: Compression

2009-11-27T22:24:00.000-08:00

Drum Track Processing Tips, Part 2: Compression by Thai Long Ly

This is the second installment of my series of articles addressing the processing of drum tracks. Our focus here is on compression.

I tend to use compression for two distinct reasons – to color a signal or to control its dynamic range. Hardware is preferred, but software can get you there too. I won’t go into great lengths about how to use a compressor but will touch upon some desired approaches regarding drum track compression. Also, there are four different types of compressors: Vari-mu (Delta-Mu), VCA (voltage controlled amplifier), FET (field effect transformer) and Electro-Optical (opto). For drums tracks I’d recommend sticking with FET’s or VCA based designs, although you can get anything to work if you try hard enough.

First, let’s talk about color. By altering a compressor’s attack and release controls, one can alter how much sustain, attack and punch a track will exhibit. For example, by compressing a kick (bass drum) track, you can control how much beater “click” you hear versus how much “body” and thump is heard. If you want more “snap” out of a kick, simply slow down your attack to allow more of the initial transient through. Want more “shell” or “bloom” in the kick drum track? Crank up the attack and slow down the release. Now the initial click is caught and tamed while the tone of the shell is brought up. Think of this approach as a way to EQ the signal without resorting to using an EQ. You’re basically manipulating the attack and sustain of the drum tracks to produce more bite and punch or to round off transients for a softer mellower sound. Stylistically speaking, Modern Rock drum tracks seem to beg for massive amounts of compression, whereas Jazz and Folk tracks prefer to be untouched.

Ratio and threshold are also definitely important to drum tracks, but to me the key to proper compression is all in the manipulation of attack and release. If you’re using an LA2A, forget what I just wrote and carry on.

Okay, so the other reason compression is employed is to simply reduce a signal’s dynamic range. For instance, if you have a snare drum track that has varying intensities in amplitude (meaning the session drummer played some hits harder than others) and you want a more consistent level or placement in the track, you may want to slap a compressor on it to keep the output constant. You could also place a limiter on the snare drum track to keep from spiking into the red (overloading) while still preserving most of the original dynamics. Compressing or limiting overhead mics is a common practice and you may find that just a touch of compression here and there can help reign in unruly hits. If you’re looking to present a more honest and natural drum track, then slight hints of compression at low thresholds and low ratios will be the prescription of choice. Also, if you do decide to strap a compressor across the Drum Bus, I prefer to keep the compressor in Dual Mono, as opposed to linking the compressor in Stereo. Listen for yourself and do what you like, but Dual Mono seems more exciting and natural – allowing the drum tracks to sort of leap out of the speaker during fills and crashes.

Remember, experimentation is key with compression of drum tracks. Have fun and be sure to read my other articles in this series which address gating, parallel compression, equalization, and other concepts.
This is the second installment of my series of articles addressing the processing of drum tracks. Our focus here is on compression.

I tend to use compression for two distinct reasons – to color a signal or to control its dynamic range. Hardware is preferred, but software can get you there too. I won’t go into great lengths about how to use a compressor but will touch upon some desired approaches regarding drum track compression. Also, there are four different types of compressors: Vari-mu (Delta-Mu), VCA (voltage controlled amplifier), FET (field effect transformer) and Electro-Optical (opto). For drums tracks I’d recommend sticking with FET’s or VCA based designs, although you can get anything to work if you try hard enough.

First, let’s talk about color. By altering a compressor’s attack and release controls, one can alter how much sustain, attack and punch a track will exhibit. For example, by compressing a kick (bass drum) track, you can control how much beater “click” you hear versus how much “body” and thump is heard. If you want more “snap” out of a kick, simply slow down your attack to allow more of the initial transient through. Want more “shell” or “bloom” in the kick drum track? Crank up the attack and slow down the release. Now the initial click is caught and tamed while the tone of the shell is brought up. Think of this approach as a way to EQ the signal without resorting to using an EQ. You’re basically manipulating the attack and sustain of the drum tracks to produce more bite and punch or to round off transients for a softer mellower sound. Stylistically speaking, Modern Rock drum tracks seem to beg for massive amounts of compression, whereas Jazz and Folk tracks prefer to be untouched.

Ratio and threshold are also definitely important to drum tracks, but to me the key to proper compression is all in the manipulation of attack and release. If you’re using an LA2A, forget what I just wrote and carry on.

Okay, so the other reason compression is employed is to simply reduce a signal’s dynamic range. For instance, if you have a snare drum track that has varying intensities in amplitude (meaning the session drummer played some hits harder than others) and you want a more consistent level or placement in the track, you may want to slap a compressor on it to keep the output constant. You could also place a limiter on the snare drum track to keep from spiking into the red (overloading) while still preserving most of the original dynamics. Compressing or limiting overhead mics is a common practice and you may find that just a touch of compression here and there can help reign in unruly hits. If you’re looking to present a more honest and natural drum track, then slight hints of compression at low thresholds and low ratios will be the prescription of choice. Also, if you do decide to strap a compressor across the Drum Bus, I prefer to keep the compressor in Dual Mono, as opposed to linking the compressor in Stereo. Listen for yourself and do what you like, but Dual Mono seems more exciting and natural – allowing the drum tracks to sort of leap out of the speaker during fills and crashes.

Remember, experimentation is key with compression of drum tracks. Have fun and be sure to read my other articles in this series which address gating, parallel compression, equalization, and other concepts.

Drum Track Processing, Part 1: Gating

2009-11-27T22:06:00.000-08:00

Drum Track Processing Tips, Part 1: Gating -by Thai Long Ly

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. 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. I will also assume most of you will be using a DAW (Pro Tools, Logic, DP, Reaper, etc…) of some sort. With that said, lets get started with 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. Each technique produces a different effect on the overall sound, so experiment with your drum tracks and see what works for you. Some guys will gate all drum tracks but 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 this point as it’s a valid one and the decision to gate drum tracks or not depends entirely on the type of material being performed and what you’re going for aesthetically. With that said, I generally 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. Although no approach is ideal for all circumstances, this is the certainly the most “natural” sounding approach. Think of gating as tight and dry while not gating as big and airy. Again… experiment and have fun.

Look for more of my drum track processing tutorials on this site. These tutorials will help you with compression, parallel compression, ambiance, and equalization.

Online Drum Recording- Why Drum Sounds are so Important

2009-07-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

Congratulations! If you are reading this article then you must be hip to the advantages of online drum recording, that is getting drum tracks from an online session drummer. This is the easiest, most cost-effective way to get custom drum tracks for your music.

There are many considerations when choosing an online session drummer, and the drum sounds are as important as any. The actual drum sound quality being achieved on an engineering level is extremely important.

All of the online drum recording websites have drum sound samples that can be heard. Some may be examples of a fully produced song with that particular session drummer on it. In most cases you can also hear examples of dry, unprocessed drum sounds by themselves. Be careful to compare the quality of the drum sounds being achieved by each session drummer.

While it is obviously essential that the performance (in terms of the session drummer’s playing) on your drum tracks is top-notch, a great performance can certainly be squandered if the drum sounds are not what they should be.

The quality of drum sounds are the sum of: 1)how well the drums are tuned, 2)the way the session drummer hits the drums, 3)the sound engineer’s level of expertise, and 4)the recording gear being used.

Obviously if the online session drummer is engineering his own sessions, this can translate to lame drum sounds unless the drummer is a trained sound engineer. Great mics won’t even remedy this situation if the online studio drummer is not an expert engineer.

So for great drum sounds to be achieved there must be high-level, pro mics and outboard recording gear involved --and a high level of expertise in the use of that gear.

On the other side of the coin, if drums are not properly tuned and struck in a way to provide a great tone, all the high-end recording gear and engineering expertise in the world won’t save the drum sounds from lameness.

For example, the bass drum sounds must be good. You don’t want to have drum tracks that end up with the bass drum sound being weak in some way.

Few things are worse than an overly-clicky bass drum sound, for instance. Some metal-type tracks might call for some extra articulation in the bass drum sound, and thusly perhaps some closer mic placement and/or a hard bass drum beater. But there must be sufficient bottom end to the bass drum sound, without it being too much. Yet many drum tracks suffer from an anemic bass drum sound that has been acoustically sabotaged through the stuffing of pillows and blankets into the bass drum.

Another annoying bass drum sound commonly heard is the “boingy” sound. This is when the bass drum has not been properly tuned and sounds like an empty water cooler jug.

Another important factor would be the snare drum sounds being achieved by any given online session drummer. Does the snare drum sound have great punch? Does it have enough “crack” without losing “fatness”? Certainly the snare drum sound should not be “papery”. That weakens the overall vibe of the drum tracks.

How about the toms? They should be warm and articulate. And the tom sounds should also be consistent. Toms should resonate equally, there shouldn’t be one that blatantly rings way longer than another. Nor should any two toms create a “flutter” sound when ringing together. That can be a real problem with drum tracks.

Each drum in general should be tuned well, with no obviously nasty overtones. That doesn’t mean that the drum sounds have to be dead or completely without overtones by any means, but no headache-inducing frequencies ought to be standing out in your drum tracks.

Overall the drum sounds have to be easy for you to mix and EQ. And of course any EQing of drum tracks must be for aesthetic, stylistic purposes—NOT as an attempt to cover up bad drum sounds.

Plug-ins (which this author is not a fan of) such as Vintage Warmer should be used on drum tracks only creatively, not to “polish a turd”.

Good luck on your quest to get drum tracks from a session drummer online.

Online Recording Studios: Get Professional Services, Stay At Home

2009-07-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

The costs of using a professional recording studio can be extremely high. Many of those reading this article know this first hand. This article is a brief overview of the advantages of using and online recording studio.

Traditionally, you have to pay for studio time by the hour. Even if you are well prepared with arrangements, time can fly by quickly in the studio and end up costing you plenty. And in terms of drum tracks, if the studio does not have a kit permanently set up you will be paying for studio time during the drum setup, while getting levels, of course while recording the drum tracks, and while tearing down.

All of this is enough to deter many from getting the tracks they need for their music. Some may play their own keyboard tracks or guitar tracks when they really need professionals to play them at the level needed. Some may end up programming backing drum tracks with drum sample software, ending up with uninspired, “canned” sounding drum tracks.

There is a solution to the high costs of getting pro tracks whether you need guitar tracks, bass tracks, keyboard tracks, drum tracks, mixing, or any other service.
That solution is the use of an online recording studio. This refers to a recording studio that offers its services online. In almost all cases, these services are offered at a significantly discounted rate compared to normal rates.

Of course once prices get below a certain point you may be dealing with a less-than-professional organization, but that is for you to research a and determine for yourself. Generally, there are some excellent online recording studios that offer great services at very low prices.

For example, many of these online studios offer custom drum tracks for prices ranging from $100 to $300 per drum track. Even the $300 per drum track price could save you money, because you are paying for the drum tracks but NOT the studio time. That means not paying for the setup and teardown time, no paying for cartage (transport of instruments), and you don’t have to watch the clock. No worrying about how much time the drum tracks take to get together because it is a flat fee! This of course applies to guitar tracks, bass tracks, or any other instrument.

These online recording studios are also very convenient in that the logistics are easy. You don’t have to go anywhere, except to your computer, and you also are not responsible for getting studio musicians to the online recording studio. This saves you more money, because often session musicians charge for transportation costs, including gas expense, possible plane tickets, and a per diem.

Because of the traditionally high costs of getting professionally recorded tracks, only high-budget projects could afford pro recording studio services in the past. Everyone else had to use their own home recording devices (from old four tracks to ADAT machines to Pro Tools). Now those with a fairly modest budget can afford to get drum track and other professional studio services. This great for music and for the ability of more and more people to develop their musical ideas in to something that really sounds the way they envision it, or sometimes way better!

It is also worth noting that many of these online recording studios offer mixing and mastering services as well. To be very blunt, too many talented people ruin their music by trying to mix it themselves. It takes a trained ear to get a great mix within a remotely reasonable time frame, and a professional mixing job can make an
incredible difference in your music.

So do yourself a favor and research the various online recording studios that are out there. You will end up with the pro sound you need and you might not even have to take off your PJs!

Drum Tracks: Why Communication Is So Important When Choosing An Online Session Drummer

2009-07-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this you are probably aware of the benefits of getting drum tracks from an online studio drummer. You are presumably familiar with the fact that your drum tracks will cost you much less from an online studio drummer than from a session drummer in a conventional setting.

In a nutshell, the reason getting drum tracks from an online studio drummer is cheaper is because there are fewer people to pay than when using conventional methods. You know the drill: you have to pay the owner of the studio for the studio time, the producer, engineer(s) on the job, cartage to transport the drums to the studio, and of course the drummer.

When choosing an online studio drummer for getting drum tracks, it is important to consider the level of communication that will be involved. This is especially true if you have specific ideas to convey about what you want in your drum tracks.

Despite all of the benefits of getting drum tracks form an online studio drummer, some are hesitant about doing so because they feel or know they would miss the interaction of being physically in the studio with the studio drummer.

This is indeed a legitimate concern. In fact there are studio drummers who themselves miss the creative interaction of traditional studio work.

Unfortunately, many online studio drummers have policies that hinder communication. Many online studio drummers allow only email communication through their websites. This is a big turnoff for people who would feel more confident about getting the right drum tracks if they could talk directly to the studio drummer.

In fact many online studio drummer sites limit communication about your drum tracks to a form that you fill out at the beginning of the process asking silly, generic questions such as "Should the approach be simple or complex?" Your drum tracks and your music deserve a higher level of interaction with the online studio drummer than that.

Most online studio drummers have a policy of charging extra for additional "takes" beyond the alloted number. This is fair in general, but not so much if the client is not able to discuss the drum tracks with the online studio drummer. Not being able to discuss the drum tracks prior to the studio drummer recording them increases the likelihood that you will have to shell out more money for additional takes because you didn't get what you wanted in the drum tracks.

The best way to avoid this problem is to use an online studio drummer who offers a way to communicate verbally, whether by phone or by Skype (or a similar internet conference program). If you can discuss your drum tracks with the online studio drummer prior to the drum tracks being recorded the likelihood of getting what you want in your drum tracks is increased.

It is worth mentioning that Skype is a great program. If an online studio drummer uses Skype to communicate with clients, it is certainly the next-best thing to being in the room with them...and is sometimes very much like being in the same room with them, even if they are in Australia!

So, while there are many factors to consider regarding getting drum tracks from an online studio drummer, the level of communication offered is going to be very important.

Good luck on your search for drum tracks using an online studio drummer.

Drum Samples Don’t Cut It: Get Custom Drum Tracks from an Online Session Drummer

2009-04-25T01:40:00.000-07:00

This article is for the benefit of you, the songwriter/composer.

Undoubtedly you need professional sounding drum tracks for your music. But how to get great drum sounds without breaking the bank?

Many folks see the solution to the problem in drum sample software, such as the BFD premium drum module.

People feel this is the solution because, admittedly, the drum samples involved in the software tend to have drum sounds that are very good. Generally, the drums are well-tuned and recorded well. But there are drawbacks.

The biggest two drawbacks to using drum sample software are:

1)“Canned”, uninspired results -- drum tracks that sound disconnected from your music.
2) Large amounts of time being wasted putting together “custom” tracks slice-by-slice with individual-hit drum samples.

Most of these drum sample software packages give you pre-made loops you can use. Most also give you the option to construct your own beats using separate, single-hit drum samples.

Lets talk about the loops for a minute.

You may be able to occasionally find a pre-made pattern in the package that basically fits your song.

But even if a pre-made drum pattern works partly, there are inevitably parts of your song that could use a little bit of variety. Certain parts may benefit from a change in the bass drum pattern, for example, or maybe looser hi-hats or some extra snare hits. At any rate the chances of drum sample software containing a loop that has exactly what you need for that situation are very slim.

Confronted with this situation you are likely the think something like “I need my drum tracks to sound more organic than that”, or perhaps “this loop or that loop won’t cut it because I need the drum part to highlight the vocal rhythms on the third pre-chorus”.

Of course these are legitimate concerns as you want your music to sound alive, not contrived.

And at this point you may decide that you need to construct the drum parts yourself, hit-by-hit, slice-by-slice, using single-hit drum samples. Admittedly, you’ll probably get a better result this way as you at least have control over specific cymbal crashes, adding bass drum notes, fills, etc.

There is a big problem to this approach however: It takes up huge amounts of your precious time.

If you have been through this before, I don’t need to tell you: putting together “custom” drum tracks using single-hit drum samples will take up so much of your time that you are likely to compromise your artistic needs in the end anyway. You will put in so many hours, and the tracks will sound better than just using factory loops, but you will probably give up realizing that they will never really, truly sound and feel like custom drum tracks that were played by a real person for your song.

You would look at how much time you have put in to them, and settle for your cobbled-together tracks because you couldn’t bear to do such tedious busy work anymore. You wouldn’t even end up with the result you wanted . It would only be closer to that goal than the factory loops -- closer, but no cigar!

They say say time is money, which everybody knows is true. It seems like you'd save money painfully cobbling a drum part together slice-by-slice from a drum pattern /sample software package, but in reality its just not worth the time you'd waste, and the frustration you would feel.

As you look at it that way, its obvious that approach would really end up costing you.

A much better idea is to take advantage of a recent development, the appearance of online session drummers.

You can now get real, custom drum tracks from session drummers over the Internet and save a whole lot of money over conventional recording methods. Conventional recording methods tend to involve having to pay several people (rental of the studio for every minute of usage including setup and teardown; carting the drums there; paying the producer, the engineer(s), drummer, etc.). All that can really add up.

With an online studio drummer you only pay one person, which obviously saves you a bundle.

Be sure to shop around -- all online drum track providers are not equal. Of course you should base your decision on which session drummer would musically fit your project best, but you must also compare the actual sound quality provided. Compare the sound quality of tracks on the websites, and compare the gear being used by each online studio drummer.

You will see that some sites are providing noticeably better sound quality than others, so choose carefully. [For more tips on choosing an online drum track provider, see my article titled “Online Drum Tracks – Tips For Success”]

Remember, using drum sample software will make your music sound very stale. Pre-made loops won’t sound like they were for your song, and piecing a drum part together from sample slices will drive you mad with wasted time yet still sound uninspired and “canned”.

Don’t go with drum sample software-- samples are “canned” goods! Go for fresh, custom drum tracks online.

eDrumSessions.com and Engineer Thai Long Ly in NAMM publication

2009-03-20T05:11:00.000-07:00

Click the image below for a larger view:

Online Drum Recording: Save a Huge Amount of Money Over Traditional Methods of Getting Drum Tracks

2009-02-20T01:39:00.000-08:00

If you are reading this article you are probably investigating online drum recording versus traditional methods of getting professional drum tracks.

It is a wise pusuit indeed to look in to online drum recording because there are advantages. Or, more accurately, one huge advantage: you can save HUGE amounts of money getting online drum tracks over tradional methods of getting drum tracks.

Online drum recording=more bang for your buck.

Your savings with online drum recording are firstly based on not having to pay a whole bunch of people. To get professional, custom drum tracks you normally would have to pay 1)someone for rental of the studio space/recording equipment, 2)sound engineers, 3)cartage (transportation of the studio drummer’s equipment to and from studio), and of course, 4) the studio drummer.

And of course under traditional methods of getting drum tracks, when paying for rental of the studio you don’t pay a flat fee, you pay by the hour (not the case with online drum recording, in which case you don’t pay for studio rental at all).

That means you are paying while the studio drummer’s gear is set up, and while the mics are set up/patched in. You are paying while the engineer and the studio drummer are dialing in the sounds. You are paying while breaks that are taken during tracking of the drums, and after tracking you are paying while the studio drummer’s gear is taken down. Because unlike online drum recording, you have to pay for every minute of studio usage.

This can add up to some costs that are simply not within most budgets. Often an eight-song album can cost, just for drum tracks, upwards of $5000! Sometimes it can cost double that or more.

Online drum recording is much more affordable.

With online drum recording, you only have to pay one person for your drum tracks, the online session drummer. In most cases the online drum recording websites have a flat, per-track fee.
That means no worries about having to pay by the hour, nervously watching the dollars fly out of your pocket as the minutes tick by.

You also could save a lot of money in transportation costs. With online drum recording you save gas money not having to drive to and from the studio. Considering that many times studio drummers have to be flown to locales for recording, there are possible huge savings there as well. When taking advantage of online drum recording you can choose a studio drummer you dig without worry of location.

You have choices regarding online drum recording. There are numerous sites for getting online drum tracks from an online studio drummer, but you must choose wisely. You need great playing, amazing sound quality, and a high level of communication.

Look for more of my articles on the subject of online drum recording for guidance in finding the right online studio drummer for your project.

FREE DRUM TRACKS: DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF FORCING THEM ON TO YOUR MUSIC

2009-01-05T00:05:00.000-08:00

If you are reading this article then you must be in need of drum tracks for your music. You may have noticed by now that you can get "free drum tracks" or "free drum loops" from many session drummers on their online drum track websites.

The main purpose for online session drummers offering these free drum tracks is promotion. They want to get you - -the songwriter in need of drum tracks-- to visit their websites, and there is nothing wrong with that of course.

The free drum tracks can be useful to you as well, in ONE WAY: to compare the drum sounds being achieved by each session drummer on their respective drum track sites. In that respect, the free drum tracks are great for helping you decide where to get custom drum tracks recorded for your song.

That's fine, but you shouldn't think for one second that there are any benefits to forcing free drum tracks on your music. I say forcing free drum tracks on to your music because that is exactly what you would be doing.

Your music deserves drum tracks that are custom-recorded. Even if a free drum track is a beat that sounds okay for some of your song, there will be moments when variation will be needed. Sometimes the variation would need to be subtle, sometimes drastic. Either way, having generic "free" drum tracks with no variation and possibly a wrong vibe will damage your music. Considering this unacceptable sacrifice, these free drum tracks are not "free" at all, as your music will pay the price.

People can hear a lifeless drum track whether they realize it or not. Its a subliminal thing. Free drum tracks were not made with your song in mind. Even if the listener is not conscious of why your song doesn't feel quite right, the lack of energy coming from the free drum track will be felt by the listener. So even if the drum sounds are good, forcing free drum tracks on to your music is not the way to go.

Of course, the session drummer websites that offer free drum tracks know that you will eventually reach the conclusion that custom drum tracks are necessary to really give your music life! This article is just a bit of friendly advice to save you some time and get you ahead of the curve.

Free drum tracks are not the way to go, your music deserves custom drum tracks.

Good luck with your research into drum tracks from an online session drummer.

Custom Drum Tracks: Make the Right Choice

2008-03-25T02:19:00.000-07:00

Custom Drum Tracks: Make the Right Choice
When you get custom drum tracks online, you need to choose the most musically suitable online studio drummer!

This article is designed to help you make a good choice when seeking an online session drummer to record custom drum tracks for your music.

There are several characteristics or qualities that you should look for in an online studio drummer.

Let me first point out a technical skill that most recording situations call for in a studio drummer, online or otherwise: the ability to play with a click track.

When a custom drum track is played accurately with the click, it makes any possible editing much easier.

For example, if you have three takes of a song and each take is nailed to the click, you can use the first verse from the second take, the choruses from the first take, and the bridge from the third, or any combination of sections you wish.

But the editing together of different takes to make the perfect custom drum track would be very difficult and at times impossible if not done with a click.

So for most situations the ability to accurately play to a click is a good starting point, but that skill alone is not sufficient. Some online studio drummers might play accurately to a click but may lack groove, feel, energy, and dynamics.

Avoid the multitudes of online session drummers who play accurately to the click but sound robotic while doing so. You do not want your custom drum tracks to be lacking musically, even if they are done technically well.

This leads me to speak of more musical concerns regarding your online custom drum tracks now that we have covered the technical prerequisite of being able to nail a click track.

Musicality is what makes a custom drum track great. What constitutes musical playing? Well, to some extent that varies between songs and, of course, styles of music.

One important factor is need for the online session drummer to play with the proper “touch” for the custom drum track. For example, if your song is in the style of Antonio Carlos Jobim, it is not enough for the online studio drummer to simply play a bossa nova pattern to the click. The playing would need to have a “lightness” reminiscent of the way a Brazillian drumset player would play. By the same token, if your song is in the style of Nirvana then the drummer must be able to bash those drums -- yet still be able to create dynamic and textural contrast.

Energy is also very important. You do not want your custom drum tracks to sound like the online session drummer was just “going through the motions” or “phoning it in”. The right energy and vibe has to be there from the start of the drum track and must build as the song progresses, moving in the natural direction of the music.

The online studio drummer you choose must be able to “lead” the dynamics, energy, and vibe throughout the song.

Another important musical factor for your custom drum tracks is that the drummer must play a part that makes sense with what the other instruments and the vocals are doing. The drum part does not necessarily need to “mimic” the bass part, but must be in the same flow -- not going against the grain.

The drum part also needs to be out of the way of other things going on, especially vocals.

An online session drummer with a good sense of musicality will know when to give vocals space and when to reinforce certain vocal rhythms. Do not accept custom drum tracks that are too busily played and stepping all over the vocal parts! Of course, if busy playing is musically appropriate then the drummer should go for it.

Bottom line, the drummer must play in a way that serves the music.

Lastly, when you get custom drum tracks online you want to make sure to hire a drummer who can come up with ideas but still be totally open to instruction. This is because for some songs you may not have a specific part in mind, so you want be able to trust the session drummer to come up with something good on his own. However, you may have a very specific part in mind and if so the drummer must be able to give you exactly that part for your custom drum tracks.

Keep in mind that if you want a very specific part to be played, you may want to send the online session drummer a chart -- which of course the drummer must be able to read, so if you have charts make sure you hire a reading drummer!

Hopefully this article will help you choose an online session drummer who will provide you with custom drum tracks that are grooving, dynamic, and energetic.

As always, good luck with your music.

Online Drum Tracks - Tips for Success

2008-02-19T14:38:00.000-08:00

Online Drum Tracks - Tips For Success
Getting custom drum tracks for your music from an online session drummer is a great idea for several reasons, but there are things you need to know to make good decisions.

Congratulations for recognizing an opportunity : you are looking into getting custom drum tracks from an online rock drum track provider. Using today’s technology to get something you need (while saving money and time) makes a lot of sense.

For those who already are hip to the advantages of getting your custom drum tracks online, I am going to help you better understand how to make good choices in terms of which provider to go with.

But first bear with me while I review the ways in which getting your drum tracks online can save you loads of time and money.

There is always the traditional way of doing things, which involves having to pay a lot of people and basically goes like this:

First, you rent a studio to record in. Rates can depend on a lot of things, including the area the studio is in. Studios located in more expensive areas are of course likely to charge more because of high rent. For a well-equipped studio, rates average around $150 per hour.

Secondly, using the traditional method, you have to hire one or more sound engineers. Sometimes the same person will set up the mics and run Pro Tools, Logic or whatever recording platform is in use. But often there will be two engineers, which of course raises your expense.

So far, you've got potentially three people you have to pay so far: the owner of the studio and possibly two engineers. Add the session drummer to the mix and that makes minimum three and possibly four people you have to pay for your custom drum tracks. If your budget has no limits, that’s fine, but if you seek to save money (without compromising quality, of course) there is a better alternative: getting your custom drum tracks over the internet from an online session drummer.

What a cool time we’re living in, getting to see technology expanding so rapidly and all the exciting changes that come with it. The ability to get do recording sessions over the internet is one of those things that seems highly unusual now but within one year or two will be quite common. But as of now this is a relatively new development and is in its beginning stages.

Not to digress, let me get to the point: What a huge advantage for those needing custom drum tracks for their music! Instead of having to pay someone for a room in a studio, pay and engineer or engineers, and pay a session drummer you can now pay ONE person, the online session drummer. This will save you loads of money, and you won’t have to leave your home.

You just send the files of your songs to whoever is doing your drum sessions online, they record the custom drum tracks, then they send you the individual drum tracks after you have approved them and paid. That’s a lot easier than coordinating the schedules of multiple people with yours, and it means huge potential savings in terms of travel budget for a recording.

And if you are in Europe or Canada, you can save even more money using an American to do your drum tracks online, as the dollar is very weak right now and the exchange rate will work very much in your favor.

Okay, now that everyone is up to speed on the advantages of getting your drum tracks from an online session drummer, lets get to the point of this article:
You need to understand your options in choosing an online drum track provider, so lets discuss what to look for in order to make good decisions.

Or perhaps I should say what to LISTEN for, because the first priority is GREAT SOUND.

Regardless of how perfectly an online session drummer plays on a track, if the recording quality is not of a professional, master quality level then its no good (unless your music artistically benefits from a lo-fi drum sound).

So lets establish this right away, that you want to compare websites and find which online studio drummers are providing clients with a truly professional product in terms of sound quality. And as you compare websites, you will surely notice that there are different levels of sound quality represented!

There are two main reasons for the wide discrepancy in sound quality between some of these sites: the varying levels of recording gear used and the and the varying levels of expertise in terms of sound engineering.

The bottom line is this: your ears will be able to tell the difference between an online studio drummer with little sound engineering experience using mediocre recording gear and someone with sound engineering expertise using the highest level, state-of-the-art recording gear. Logically speaking, the online session drummer you choose must either be a professional sound engineer himself or be working with one.

Most drummers, even if they know some stuff, are not professional sound engineers. On some of the Internet drum session websites you can really hear that fact.

It would seem that the bulk of these sites are run by drummers who play well, but are not using pro-quality microphones to record with. It sounds as if they don’t know much about placement of those mics either. Nor does it sound like they have a good room to record in.

Many online drum track providers have no analog equipment, and many have only eight or fewer inputs available to them.
.

Basically you can hear that there are many weak links in the recording chain on some of these online drum track websites.

And then there are a few sites that represent sound quality that is somewhat more acceptable…but still definitely “demo quality” as opposed to “master quality”.

As it turns out, there are precious few online drum track websites out there that are offering truly professional, “major label quality” sound quality! As far as sites that offer tracks for under $150 per track, I literally only found four that I considered to be in this category.

These sites are obviously run by online session drummers who either are professional sound engineers themselves or are using one, and are using the highest quality recording gear, with no weak links in the recording chain.

The rest of the sites offering this high sound quality level are run by guys you may have heard of such as J.R. Robinson, whom charge fees that are out reach for many based on their names.

So your first order of business will be to “weed out” the lemons, which frankly are most of them.

Warning: don’t be tricked into listening with your eyes, because some of the worst-sounding sites I found actually looked very professional and had a great presentation. But lots of flash content and visual presentation in general should have nothing to do with which online studio drummer you use.

In terms of rates, you can be suspicious of the sound quality of anyone charging less than $100 per song. Go ahead and do your own research, I’m just saying you get what you pay for. I actually found a very slick-looking site offering tracks for only $35 per song…WOW, that is cheap, and it truly sounded that way, like drums in a garage (and not in a good way).

My strong advice to anyone would be to spend what is necessary to get master quality custom drum tracks. It is still more affordable than ever before to do so because of online sessions. And if that means getting your budget together takes a few more months, it will be well worth it in the end.

Now that you fully understand how important it is to get major-label quality drum tracks (with no weak links in the recording chain), your next order of business will be to compare the level of communication that would be involved with any site you may choose.

I noticed that some sites had forms to fill out, several asking about artistic considerations such as when in the song the drums should enter, what sort of vibe is desired, or if the approach should be similar to that of a specific song or drummer.

This is a great place to start, but while some sites ended it there, other sites offer real-time communication through Skype or similar programs, which allow the session drummer and client to speak to each other during the recording session.

Obviously this type of setup involves a great level of communication and increases the likelihood of the your getting what you need musically from your online drum tracks.

This can easily save you money as well, as all of the sites I looked at charge extra fees for additional takes, often referred to as "mods" (modifications), or "re-dos". This is totally fair, but having to do an excessive number of takes per song can be avoided with the better communication offered by some of the sites.

Your last order of business in choosing what online session drummer to go with is the fun part: deciding which drummer would serve your music best!

Remember, if you like the playing but the sound quality is not at a master quality level, then its not good enough for your music.

Once you have narrowed your decision down to the websites offering the highest level sound quality, you just need to listen for which drummer sounds like the one to handle your songs the most musically.

Of course you want to listen for things like groove/feel, energy level (some guys sound like they are just “going through the motions”), dynamics, musicality of parts, support of vocals, etc.

So lets summarize: when choosing an online drum track provider, find one that will give you tracks of major-label sound, uses an online session drummer whose playing you really dig, and is going to be able to communicate effectively with you, hopefully in real time. I hope this article has been of some help to you, and that you feel ready to make some good decisions. Enjoy your creativity!

Session Drummer Shay Godwin

2008-02-12T18:49:00.000-08:00

"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 Godwin is a versatile professional session drummer who has accompanied many very creative independent and major label artists. He brings both power and subtlety to any music he is involved in.

Some of the artists Shay has performed and/or recorded with include Charlotte Martin (RCA), Butterfly Boucher (Interscope/Geffen), Paul Freeman (Arista), Rama Duke (Hollywood), and James Blunt (Atlantic).

All of the brush samples on the BFD premium drum module 1st edition expansion kit were performed by Shay.

In 2004 Shay was honored to contribute drum tracks to "Eight O'Clock at the Shop", an independent release by singer Caren Manuel on which many great musicians played including Al McKay (guitar - Earth, Wind, & Fire) and Tim Carmon (keyboards - Eric Clapton, Babyface, Marcus Miller).

On Sarah MacLachlan's 2004 Afterglow Tour, Shay played with the opening artist Butterfly Boucher, with whom he also performed on AOL Sessions Live.

Shay has toured the world several times with legendary Persian singer Siavash Ghomayshi.

Shay's drumming has been heard in the the film "The Breakup" (WB) and on television shows "Las Vegas"(NBC), "One Tree Hill"(WB), "Summerland"(WB), "Twilight Zone"(Sci-Fi) and others.

Television appearances include the Late Late Show (CBS), The Sharon Osbourne Show, MTV's Advance Warning, "Las Vegas"(NBC), "Miss Match"(NBC), and "Charmed"(WB).

Shay proudly endorses Vater Percussion, Aquarian Drumheads, Axis pedals/hardware and Turkish Cymbals.

Major Label-Quality Custom Drum Tracks From A Versatile Session Drummer

2008-02-05T23:04:00.000-08:00

Email Us Now At Shay@eDrumSessions.com

"How to Easily Get Killer, Pro Drum Tracks of the Highest Sound Quality: Risk Free!"

Dear friend,

Do you need custom drum tracks of the highest sound quality?

Are you deterred by the massive costs you have paid for drum tracks in the past, including:

studio time by the hour (including setup/teardown time!), staff engineers, and cartage (transportation of drums to and from studio) in addition to paying the drummer?

Have you spent hour after frustrating hour with drum sample software such as BFD, painstakingly putting drum samples together in a useless attempt to make them sound like a custom drum track – when you KNOW it will never be the same as a real custom drum track played by a session drummer for your song?

Maybe you've considered getting your drum tracks online, straight from an online studio drummer who does it all himself with no sound engineer...

... But you should know that's a mistake, because even though you may save a pile of money compared to renting a studio by the hour and paying multiple people, you're probably going to end up getting tracks that sound like they're made by some kid in his parent's garage, not the pro drum tracks you need.

The unfortunate truth is that while they may be great players, many online session drummers are learning sound engineering on the job...

...And these well-meaning guys are also using a lot of mid-level recording gear and cheaper mics and cables, all resulting in many weak links in the recording chain...

...and here is the secret they don't want you to know:

Sound engineering is a serious skill that takes experience.

Novice sound engineering and a weak signal chain will get you “demo level” results, not the professional, major label quality sound you need and deserve in your drum tracks.

And don't listen to that devil on your shoulder saying "Its okay, we can run the drum tracks through plug-ins until they sound right"…

Because every one knows:You can't polish a turd!

But I've got good news for you...

YOU HAVE ANOTHER CHOICE!

Just imagine how STOKED you will be when you discover you can get major label-quality custom drum tracks for your music, completely ***RISK-FREE!!***

You can FINALLY...

Stop bleeding away your precious time slaving to put tracks together with a drum sample software package such as BFD...
Stop spending top dollar to rent studio time...
Stop getting poor sound quality drum tracks from a drummer who is a novice sound engineer because you want to save money -- ending up unsatisfied with the results

Hi, my name is Shay Godwin and I am a Los Angeles studio drummer.

I have recorded and performed with many independent and label artists (RCA, Interscope, Arista, Hollywood, and others) covering a multitude of styles.

I believe my calling in life is to provide musical support for artists of all flavors and styles, and nothing gives me greater satisfaction as a studio drummer than playing exactly what a song needs. Thats what custom drum tracks are all about!

"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

As a professional who has recorded in expensive rooms (such as Capital Studio A) and has contributed to drum sample software (I did all of the brush samples on the BFD XFL premium drum module), I have a unique insight into the previously mentioned problems you can have trying to get professional quality, custom drum tracks.

I can see that drum sample software, no matter how impressive, will never make music as exciting as real drum tracks. But I can also see that that getting real, custom drum tracks for your music can be financially out of reach due to high studio costs.

I decided to come up with a solution to these problems.

So I began talking with a great sound engineer friend of mine, Thai Long Ly of TL2 Productions, who gets better drum sounds than anyone I have ever worked with.

We decided to team up to give you...

all the benefits of hiring a session drummer AND a pro sound engineer, but for less than the traditional costs of hiring a pro session drummer alone--all without paying a dime in studio time!

Here's how it works:

You send me your songs in whatever format you wish. Appropriate selections are made from a variety of great sounding, well-tuned drums to fit the style of the song.

Then, state-of-the-art analog and digital gear and high-end microphones capture solidly grooving, musical, spirited drum tracks performed with both power and subtlety.

...and you get THREE TAKES of each song you send!

That's right, THREE TAKES!

Each take will have subtle to drastic differences.

That leaves you a lot of room for editing as you wish.

As client Craig Campbell of Detroit puts it,

"Your process is great. The three takes is a perfect way to make sure it works."

Now, you may wish to speak with me to communicate a general direction you want on a track; I'm all ears.

OR...

Maybe you will leave things to my judgment; you'll be happy with the results.

OR...

Perhaps you have a programmed drum pattern you would like duplicated; I'll nail it.

OR...

Some may wish to send me charts; I'll be able to read anything you send me.

However you choose to do things, you will get drum tracks of a quality you will not be able to get elsewhere...especially at an extremely LOW price...

...WITH ABSOLUTELY NO RISK TO YOU BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T WANT THE DRUM TRACKS YOU JUST WALK! Your deposit (which is made upon sending us your material) will be immediately refunded and you have no obligation whatsoever!

How can I offer such a guarantee? Because I have that much confidence in my product, plain and simple.

NOT ONE CLIENT HAS OPTED OUT OF THEIR DRUM TRACKS. Our clients have been 100% ELATED, not just "satisfied".

You are going to love your custom drum tracks, and let me remind you that you will have three takes to work with and edit as you wish!

Other drum tracks sites with comparable prices will definitely not be using the same HIGH END RECORDING GEAR used here!

We're talking full-on professional studio stuff here, from a Neve 8816 board, to Royer and Audix mics, to Tara Labs cables (these are audiophile-quality cables, which makes a big difference in signal integrity) to Daking preamps. Check the gear link and see for yourself!

BUT DON'T JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, USE YOUR EARS!

GO AHEAD, COMPARE OUR AUDIO SAMPLES TO THOSE OTHER DRUM TRACKS WEBSITES--THE DIFFERENCE IN SOUND QUALITY OBVIOUS! (see link at top to "Listen to Sample Drum Tracks" page)

AT EDRUMSESSIONS YOU GET:

major label quality sound
custom drum tracks that are passionately played for YOUR song
to save huge amounts of time over putting together drum tracks from drum sample software such as BFD (that end up sounding sterile anyway)
big savings over paying to rent a studio, paying for engineers, drummer, etc.
a satisfying, interactive artistic experience in which you can communicate your needs to me through email or in real time (via phone or using Skype, free download)
to stay in your PJs while I track killer drums for you!

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

Under conventional circumstances, to get pro drum tracks you would have to shell out a minimum of $350 per track, plus paying for studio time and engineers, etc...

...but I AM PROUD TO BRING YOU MAJOR-LABEL QUALITY DRUM TRACKS AT THE INCREDIBLE PRICE OF JUST $200 PER TRACK if you act right now!
(A 50% per track *REFUNDABLE* deposit will be required - standard procedure).

You won't find drum tracks with a comparable level of playing and sound quality at this price anywhere else.

So if you are truly committed to getting the highest quality online drum tracks for your music and saving big money risk-free then contact me right away at Shay@eDrumSessions.com

.

Are you still thinking about it???
This is your ****RISK FREE*** opportunity to get the killer drum tracks that you've been dreaming about.

Take it from client Timothy Gillespie of New Jersey: "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..."

YOU CAN'T LOSE.

So go ahead and click the button below to make your deposit, and get the communication going right away at Shay@eDrumSessions.com!

REMEMBER, getting your drum tracks here will save you lots of money over going into a studio (while reaping all the benefits of that situation) and lots of time over using drum samples (with much more musicality), and you will be STOKED with the drum sounds!

THIS IS UNDOUBTEDLY YOUR BEST BET FOR GETTING DRUM TRACKS ONLINE, so take advantage!

IF you are serious about getting the highest quality custom drum tracks and saving then get the ball rolling by contacting me right away!

Shay@eDrumSessions.com

I look forward to working with you and giving you the master-quality, custom drum tracks your music deserves.

links/sponsors

2008-02-05T00:29:00.000-08:00

Shay Godwin and Thai Long Ly would like to thank the following sponsors for their gracious support with our online drum recording service. Their continued support has been instrumental in our success, bringing affordable custom drum tracks of the highest quality.

Vater Percussion

Aquarian Drumheads

Shure Microphones

Axis Percussion

Daking

Shay Godwin
shaygodwin.com
myspace page

Thai Long Ly
myspace page

Monsterous bass player Derek Frank's online session website
basstracksonline.com

Listen To Sample Tracks

2008-02-05T00:07:00.000-08:00

Email Us At ShayDrums@eDrumSessions.com Below are examples of drum tracks recorded at eDrumSessions
Note: Newest track samples are at the top and feature our new and killer setup.
(Also included are clips from a few songs Shay has performed on outside of eDrumSessions.)

	Latest tracks:

Sample track #1		Massive Toms Sample track


Sample track #3		Sample track #4


Sample track #1	Sample track #2	Sample track #3 First double-kick example


Sample track #4 Second double-kick example	Sample track #5	Sample track #6, brushes


Sample track #7	Sample track #8	Sample track #9


Sample track #10	Sample track #11	Sample Track #12

	Exerpts from Songs Featuring Our Percussion

	From the album "Teen TV" at Universal's music library (drum tracks recorded here on eDrumSessions)
I Just Wanna Party		It's Over
	To hear more from the album "Teen TV", go to www.killertracks.com and search for the album title


	Foolish - Caren Manuel, independent artist


Inside of Me - Caren Manuel	I Fall Down - Caren Manuel	Haunted - Charlotte Martin (from RCA release "On Your Shore")


Every Time It Rains - Charlotte Martin	Chasing a Shadow - Charlotte Martin	Hot Legs - JB & The Rebellion (from Home Records release)


Well, Well - Freeman (heard in the Warner bros. movie "The breakup")	You and I - Freeman (from the recordings that recently got him signed to Arista by Clive Davis)	Against the Ropes - Freeman


Another White Dash - Butterfly Boucher, Interscope artist (from AOL Sessions Live, please forgive sound quality)	I Can't Make Me (live) - Butterfly Boucher	Life Is Short (live) - Butterfly Boucher

Drum Track Testimonials

2008-02-04T23:33:00.000-08:00

"Shay Godwin is 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

"Shay and Thai are a great team... Not only is the playing solid the sounds are great! Shay always nails it and gives me a few options to work with. I highly recommend eDrumSessions!"
-Ryan Perez-Daple, Los Angeles: Composer, Producer, multi-instrumentalist. Credits include trailer music for "What Happens in Vegas"(20th Century Fox); "Fired Up" (Sony Pictures); production music for Killer Tracks (Universal-owned music library); numerous instrumentalist credits (woodwinds)

"When we discovered Shay our documentary project had an important deadline and little time left to meet it. Shay created and performed brilliantly, confident in his choices, yet always open to suggestion, Shay was a pleasure to work with.

Thai has built a state of the art recording facility and his post work gives the final polish of professionalism. Together they make a creative team I would suggest to anyone."
-Keith Schwalenberg, Los Angeles
Producer/Director
Back East Productions

...and from recent email feedback by some eDrumSessions clients around the globe:

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

"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

"Hey Thai , you and Shay are baddasses, the tracks sound amazing and his playing is unbelievable. I didn't edit Shay's takes and nothing was
sample replaced or enhanced at all. In this day and age, believe me, that's a great compliment."
-Gyom, Alexandria, Va 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

"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

"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..."

"Hey guys! 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

custom drum tracks engineer Thai Long Ly

2008-01-08T18:34:00.001-08:00

Thai Long Ly is a Washington D.C. area transplant living in Los Angeles. Long, as he’s known to close friends, is a Producer / Engineer / Composer / Bassist who’s work has found it’s way to film, television and stages around the world.

He’s worked with...
George Duke
Al McKay (Earth Wind & Fire, Emotions)
Marcus Miller (Miles Davis, Luther Vandross)
Sheila E.
Doc Powell
Lyfe Jennings
Chris Standring
Tim Carmon (Eric Clapton, Babyface)
Frank Gambale (Chick Corea Electric Band)
Judge Hatchett Show
Independent Film Channel
Discovery Channel
Bruce Kulick (KISS)
Michael Harris (Pheonix Horns, EWF)
Miles Copeland (Police, Sting)
Laurie Morvan Band
Silvana
Nicole C. Mullen
Morris Day (The Time)
Devon Glenn (The Getaway Car, Buckcherry)
Gary Chang (Island of Dr. Moreau, the Breakfast Club)
Rory Bennett (K-Ci and JoJo, Quincy Jones)
Brett MIchaels (Poison)
Michael Shapiro (Sergio Mendes, Kevyn Lettau)
Hutch Hutchinson (Bonnie Raitt)
Teena Marie
Sam Avila (Walter Trout, Reel Big Fish)
Everette Harp (Billy Joel, Neil Diamond)
Chris Hesse (Hoobastank)
Dona Oxford (Buddy Guy)
Jason Scheff (Chicago)

Here's what people think of him:

“ ... an engineer who really does have ‘golden ears’, a comedian, a psychologist, a producer and a good buddy. If I have to go into battle, I want him by my side.’” - ERIK ZOBLER, 2x Grammy Winning Engineer

“Long was a joy to work with on our ‘Cures What Ail’s Ya’ CD - always positive, always working hard. His strong engineering skills, attention to detail, and excellent preparation, including supplying custom power cords and mic cables, kept our recording sessions running smoothly and gave us the quality we were looking for.” - LISA & LAURIE, LAURIE MORVAN BAND

“Don’t go short... go Long!...and high, like his standards! Long has the high standards and expectations of himself that set him apart from the rest of the pack. As a friend of mine for many years, I’ve watched him grow to become an amazing engineer. With his passion for music, big ears and solid musical ideas, when Long shows up, he brings it all!” - NATHAN EAST (bassist; Fourplay, E. Clapton, Phil Collins)

“I’ve known Long for many years now, enjoyed chatting with him, and have admired his business acumen, his artistry, feel and soul as well as his evident talents. For his career in producing and engineering I know he’ll be a front runner ...”
- CAROL KAYE (Legendary Session Bassist)

Drum Track RATES

2008-01-05T11:20:00.002-08:00

Drum Tracks (sent as individual WAV, AIFF, or SD2 files)................$200 per song (5 min and under)

**Please note: for the price you get three full performances of your song, each with a
different approach. This gives you the option of editing different "takes" together.**

Additional performance .....................................................................................$50 each

****Please note: additional performances must be ordered within 36 hours for purposes
of sound consistency. (We switch out drum kits regularly!)****

Processed stereo bounce (EQ, compression, gating, etc).................starting at $75 per take

Single-hit samples (includes closed mic, overhead mics, room mic)

(3)Bass Drum hits (soft, medium, loud).......................................$30

(3)Snare Drum hits (soft, medium, loud).....................................$30

(4)Hi-hat hits (tight, medium, wash, open).................................$35

(3)Ride Cymbal hits (soft, medium, loud)....................................$30

(3)Cymbal Bell hits (soft, medium, loud).....................................$30

(3)Crash Cymbal hits (soft, medium, loud)..................................$30

(3)Small Tom hits (soft, medium, loud).......................................$30

(3)Medium Tom hits (soft, medium, loud)...................................$30

(3)Low Tom hits (soft, medium, loud)..........................................$30

*other samples (splash cymbal, cymbal swell, etc.) available upon request*

Gear

2008-01-05T11:20:00.001-08:00

DRUM GEAR

DRUMKITS
DW Custom kit
Yamaha Recording Custom kit
1967 Ludwig kit
Cadeson maple kit

SNARE DRUMS
Slingerland Radio King ca. 1935
Slingerland snare drum ca. 1964
Worldmax "Blackdog" (Black Beauty-type brass)
Yamaha Maple Custom
Ludwig mohagany snare
Cadeson maple snare
Pork Pie piccolo and soprano snares

CYMBALS
I usually default to my collection of Turkish brand cymbals, but if
you have a request for a specific cymbal I betcha I have it.

RECORDING GEAR/MICROPHONES

PLATFORM/SOFTWARE
PRO TOOLS HD3 ACCEL
APPLE MACPRO QUAD 2.66GHZ

ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERSION
APOGEE AD/DA16X

PREAMPS/MIXER
NEVE 8816
MILLENNIA MEDIA STT-1
DAKING 52270B (4)
DAKING MIC PRE ONE (4)
DAKING MIC PRE IV
DEMETER TUBE MIC PRE
FOCUSRITE ISA428
DeMEDIO 103
BOULDER STEREO PRE

EQ’S
MANLEY MASSIVE PASSIVE EQ
MANLEY MINI MASSIVE EQ
DAKING 52270B (4)

COMPRESSION
MANLEY ELOP
DAKING FET COMPRESSOR II (5)
ALAN SMART C2
TC ELECTRONIC FINALIZER

MICROPHONES
ROYER LABS R-121
MICROTECH GEFELL UM92.1S
NEUMANN U47FET
AKG 414’S (3)
AKG 451C’S (2)
E.V. RE20
SHURE SM57 (5)
SHURE BETA 56 (4)
SHURE BETA 52
SHURE BETA 91
SHURE KSM 141 (2)
SHURE KSM 44 (2)
SHURE VP88
AUDIX I5

MONITORING
JBL LSR6328P (PAIR)
JBL LSR6312SP
TANNOY PBM 6.5 (PAIR)
HAFLER DH-200
NEVE 8816

BALANCED AC
TARA LABS AD10B (2)

CABLES/WIRING
TARA LABS cables throughout

Online Drum Recording : How It Works

2008-01-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

Step 1: Lets communicate. Contact me through the following email address: Shay@eDrumSessions.com. In the email provide a brief description of your project. This just gives me some preliminary info before we talk on Skype (free download) or I can provide you with a phone number.

Step 2: I will need you to send me the following:

1)Your "scratch" tracks for my reference. If you have MIDI drum tracks you want me to mimic for your online drum tracks, please send two versions of the song (one with the MIDI drums and one without for me to record to). I can record to "stems" or even to just an mp3 mix.

2) A 50% deposit per song. (Go to my eDrumSessions.com home page for Paypal button, or I can invoice you when I get the tracks.)

Step 3: I will record THREE good takes of your track (each take with subtle-to-blatant differences), then upload mp3s for your review. Once you have indicated your satisfaction, I will send you a Paypal invoice for the remainder of your balance. You then will be sent a link to all individual drum tracks. *****This means ALL THREE performances of each song.**** These will be sent "dry", with no plug-ins etc. unless you request otherwise.

Step 4: You reap the benefits of having the highest quality custom drum tracks available for your music!

If you have Skype (free download - do it!) or iChat we can communicate more thoroughly, which I strongly recommend if our schedules allow it. Or I can give you a phone number. This way you can communicate your needs/suggestions to me in conversation, which will result in an interactive and creative experience and get better results.

Any further questions, please refer to the FAQ page or contact me at Shay@eDrumSessions.com

Drum track FAQs

2007-12-29T12:24:00.000-08:00

Who owns the rights to the drum tracks? After payment has been received and you receive your drum tracks you own the rights to them and may do as you wish with them without my consent.

If I have added MIDI drum tracks to my song, can I have you play the same or similar pattern? Yes, just send two versions of the song: one with the MIDI drum tracks for my reference, AND a file without the MIDI tracks for me to record my drum tracks with.

Why do I have to pay a deposit? This is standard practice and is done to "weed out" less committed clients.

Will my information be shared with anyone? I will NEVER share your information with any third party, that is my policy. This is a secure site.

What is your standard microphone configuration? We have 16 high-quality inputs and generally use 12 of them: BD internal, BD external, snare under, snare over, tom1, tom2, tom3, HH, overhead R, overhead L, room R, room L. We can make any variation on that configuration that you request.

What if I have a large file but a slow internet connection? You can always send me the file through regular mail on a DV-R.

How can we communicate? Emailing me some info about your musical preferences is a good start, but beyond that we could communicate though Skype (a free download) or iChat.

Can I be physically present at the recording session? If you live in LA (or want to travel here) and want to be at the recording sessions, separate rates apply. Contact me at shaydrums@hotmail.com for further info on this.

How do I pay? With Paypal, of course! Most major credit cards accepted.

Master Quality Custom Drum Tracks

Drum Track Processing Tips, Part 4: Ambience by Thai Long Ly

Drum Track Processing Tips, Part 6: More Equalization Guidelines

Drum Track Processing, Part 5: Equalization Guidelines

Drum Track Processing Tips, Part 3: Parallel Compression

Drum Track Processing Tips, Part 2: Compression

Drum Track Processing, Part 1: Gating

Online Drum Recording- Why Drum Sounds are so Important

Online Recording Studios: Get Professional Services, Stay At Home

Drum Tracks: Why Communication Is So Important When Choosing An Online Session Drummer

Drum Samples Don’t Cut It: Get Custom Drum Tracks from an Online Session Drummer

eDrumSessions.com and Engineer Thai Long Ly in NAMM publication

Online Drum Recording: Save a Huge Amount of Money Over Traditional Methods of Getting Drum Tracks

FREE DRUM TRACKS: DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF FORCING THEM ON TO YOUR MUSIC

Custom Drum Tracks: Make the Right Choice

Online Drum Tracks - Tips for Success

Session Drummer Shay Godwin

Major Label-Quality Custom Drum Tracks From A Versatile Session Drummer

Email Us Now At Shay@eDrumSessions.com

"How to Easily Get Killer, Pro Drum Tracks of the Highest Sound Quality: Risk Free!"

Sound engineering is a serious skill that takes experience.

"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

Here's how it works:

That's right, ***THREE TAKES!***

"Your process is great. The three takes is a perfect way to make sure it works."

...WITH ABSOLUTELY NO RISK TO YOU BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T WANT THE DRUM TRACKS YOU JUST WALK! Your deposit (which is made upon sending us your material) will be immediately refunded and you have no obligation whatsoever!

So if you are truly committed to getting the highest quality online drum tracks for your music and saving big money risk-free then contact me right away at Shay@eDrumSessions.com

REMEMBER, getting your drum tracks here will save you lots of money over going into a studio (while reaping all the benefits of that situation) and lots of time over using drum samples (with much more musicality), and you will be STOKED with the drum sounds!

links/sponsors

Listen To Sample Tracks

Drum Track Testimonials

custom drum tracks engineer Thai Long Ly

Drum Track RATES

Gear

Online Drum Recording : How It Works

Drum track FAQs

"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

That's right, THREE TAKES!