EQ Magazine - December 2008 - (Page 40)

DRUM HEADS TO COMPRESS OR NOT TO COMPRESS “If you compress the room mic, the character really changes a lot because the decays are so much longer. You want to adjust levels before you compress, though; don’t take the easy way out. The attack and release parameters are just as important as the ratio. “EQ is also important. Sometimes with a sharp EQ you can bring up the tone in the bass drum 8dB. As a different example of EQ, I might take a stereo mix drum loop, then split it into three sends, all pre-fader, and each with a filter: highpass, lowpass, and bandpass. I’ll turn down the main level control and set the filter crossover points to split the signal into low, mid, and high bands, one on each track. That gives you a lot of options. You can really control the kick drum when you process each band separately, and it has a mixture of frequencies.” ABOUT DRUM REPLACEMENT SOFTWARE Several software programs can analyze an audio file and generate MIDI data for triggering samples. SoundReplacer is an AudioSuite plug-in that can pick transients out of a file, then split them into three velocity zones for triggering multisamples that get mixed back into the file. An RTAS realtime option, TL Rehab, works as an insert and allows realtime auditioning of samples. Its principle of operation is similar to Drumagog, a cross-platform plug-in that works with VST/AU/RTAS systems. Drumagog works best with multitracked drums having separate tracks for snare, kick, etc. It includes excellent samples for replacing existing drum sounds, or you can create your own Drumagog-friendly drum sample sets. To replace a drum sound, you insert Drumagog as a plug-in, then adjust its controls for reliable triggering. There’s also filtering if you need to isolate the drum from bleed—it’s even possible to use this feature to pull a drum sound out of a mixed track, although the results depend on how “buried” the drum is in the mix. Drumagog also offers some advanced features, like a “ducking” option (e.g., if your “old” snare sound remains in an overhead mic track, you can duck the snare sound in the overhead track when the “new” snare hits). Drumagog can also generate a MIDI out for triggering a soft synth or hardware synth with drum triggers. —Craig Anderton 40 EQ DECEMBER 2008 www.eqmag.com http://www.downloadablesoundz.com http://www.mackie.com/420 http://www.downloadablesoundz.com http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - December 2008

EQ Magazine - December 2008 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Punch In My Morning Jacket Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Cakewalk Sonar 8 Propellerhead Reason 4 Indie 500: Lunchbox Pres and Compressors 500 Series Preamps 500 Series Compressors Gadgets and Goodies Sounds Room with a Vu

EQ Magazine - December 2008

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