Behind The Kit 38
The ’70s Are Back: Here’s How to Get a Fat Snare Drum Tone
Since the dawn of popular music, fat snare drum tones have been highly sought-after. From thunderous John Bonham drums on Zeppelin records to R&B, neo-soul, and hip-hop tracks from today, that thick, fat, ’70s-esque snare tone can elevate an entire song. Read on, and we’ll show you how to get that thick snare goodness from […]
Two Drum Miking Techniques for Four-Input Interfaces
When most musicians think of miking a drum set, they often picture four microphones right off the bat. One for the snare, kick and a pair of overheads — beautiful simplicity. But where do your overheads go? Where do you mic the snare, or the kick? Today in the studio we’re down to 4 inputs […]
Down to Two Mic Inputs? Use This Technique to Record Your Drums!
Your drum kit is a complicated beast. High and low frequencies collide during every hit, and it’s hard to capture all that complexity when you’re limited by the amount of microphones you can use. Maybe it’s your interface — something like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 or the Presonus AudioBox iTwo only provides two XLR inputs […]
No Excuses: Four Ways to Record Drums with One Microphone
You’re down to your final input on the audio interface after miking guitar, vocals and bass, but there’s an entire acoustic drum kit you still need to mic. Or maybe your interface only has a single input and you’ve got drum tracks to record, what do you do? That’s easy, you use one microphone. Though […]
The LinnDrum: Shaping a Generation and Beyond
The iconic LinnDrum sound revolutionized the way music was made in the 1980s. The ability to have drums-on-demand over 40 years ago was no small feat, not to mention the fact that it shaped the percussive elements and bottom of nearly every song it was used on. How did the LinnDrum come to be, and […]
How to Make Your MIDI Drums Sound Human
Programming drums in a DAW MIDI channel is a convenient and easy way to plot out the skeleton of a composition you intend to record without busting out the big, loud drums. With the amount of drum plug-ins and modules available today, you can have pretty realistic-sounding drums on your track in a matter of […]
Strike Pro SE: Alesis Brings Out the Big Drums
The biggest difference between acoustic and electronic drums is often the feel — sometimes even more so than the actual sound. Alesis has redefined what an electronic kit can feel like with their Strike Pro Special Edition. A 20-inch bass drum rounds out the realistic look and feel of this powerful electronic drum kit. Up […]
The Art of Cast Cymbal Making
The modern cymbal brings life, complexity or even darkness to a composition like nothing else. From the fast and fiery splash cymbal, to booming and ominous oversized ride cymbals, each has unique characteristics and sound. But some of the best and most prestigious-sounding cymbals from brands like Zildjian and Sabian are built the same way […]
Dave Elitch on Sabian HHX Complex Cymbals
The Sabian HHX family gains a few new members with the historic launch of the Complex Series. The zZounds crew flew out to meet Sabian artist and certified ripper-behind-the-kit Dave Elitch to talk about HHX Complex cymbals. Elitch is playing a mixture of HHX Complex medium cymbals and HHX thin cymbals. Elitch has worked with […]
