Rhythm Bookazine 06 (Sampler)

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Presents

Inspiring drum ideas from the pages of the UK’s biggest selling drum magazine Ultimate drumming tips, tricks & Projects

ot troubleshoin your drumm g

superchargkeit your drum

Learn how mtos record dru

Gear buying advice Budget upgrades for your drum kit Prepare for the studio Learn to solo Free video content with our expert tutorials

jan 2016

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Ultimate drumming tips, tricks & projects

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contents

8 MOT Your Drum Kit

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16 Buyer’s Guide Gear Advice 20 21 Budget Kit Hacks 26 How To Buy Vintage 34 Vintage Restoration Projects 42 Gear FAQs 47 Troubleshoot Your Drumming 63 How To Make Your Beats Groove 66 How to Solo

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71 30 Day Drum Workout 90 Beginner’s Guide To Big Band 96 Playing FAQs 102 How To Prep Your Kit For Recording 104 The Easy Guide To Recording Drums 113 Classic Drum Sounds & How You Can Recreate Them 134 How To Build Your Own Studio 138 Become A Remote Session Drummer

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144 Recording FAQs www.musicradar.com/rhythm

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improve your gear: vintage restoration

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reston Prince of Tiki Drums in Brighton takes a badly yellowed Slingerland snare drum from the 1940s, restores it and re-wraps it in Black Pearl.

The drum in question is a Slingerland Hollywood Ace Swing Model Radio King. It has a 14"x7" single-ply maple shell with solid maple reinforcing rings. Preston says, “The badge is aluminium which dates the drum to between 1942 and 1947. I bought it on

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The badly damaged drum as it was bought on eBay but with the bottom hoop removed

INSPECTION Preston Prince: “I first checked to see if the hardware/ fittings needed replacing or just a good cleaning [Fig. 1]. I removed the upper and lower hoops and made a note of any original or non-original tension rods. You can look at the ‘patina’ of the tension rods too. New ones will have less patina or rust marks. Also check that all the rods are the same length and that none have cross-threaded. Self-aligning lugs are generally okay and in fact these were all fine. The threads seem to be standard since the 1940s.”

RE-GLUING THE REINFORCING HOOPS Where the reinforcing hoops have de-laminated they are glued and clamped back together. [Fig. 3] “I inspect the reinforcing rings to see if they have come away at all – de-laminated. And I also check that the shell is in the round. The reinforcing hoops were coming away a little so I glued and clamped them. Hopefully this will also help bring the shell back into round. “Sometimes in the past, with an out-of-round shell, I have taken a metal counter hoop that I know is perfectly round and placed that over the shell (without a drum head). I then wedge it each side and glue and re-clamp the re-rings using wood PVA. I wet both surfaces before applying the glue as this will draw in the glue and make it less brittle. This can be quite tricky because sometimes the de-lamination is only minimal. So I use a little injection needle to get in there and get it quite wet. I inject the glue as well. It’s a common mistake to use too much glue. “There was also a little bit of ‘breakout’ on the shell. Sometimes they used to make the shell with quite green wood, which would help with the

eBay in the UK three years ago for £180. It was advertised as “needing some TLC, grab a bargain, buy it now”. Even though in poor visual condition it was still worth the money. There were photos of the inside with the craftsman’s signature on it and I asked the seller if the shell was in-round. It is not perfectly round, but for a solid wood drum of that age it is good, probably 2mm or 3mm out. The drum was all complete, all the parts were included in the sale. I thought it would be a nice project to have going on in the workshop for myself or an apprentice. “On visual inspection I discovered various cracks and splits in the White Marine Pearl, which was

THE ORIGINAL WRAP The wrap was damaged with splits around the strainer. [Fig. 2] “On visual inspection there turned out to be various cracks and splits in the White Marine Pearl covering. It was too brittle and beyond whitening, so unfortunately on this occasion it was not worth saving.” The wrap was stripped off to reveal the maple shell. “The wrap, which was originally glued, mainly pulled off by hand,” says Preston. “It was not too difficult. Where it was stuck I used a flat knife and carefully pulled it out. The wrap was thin and brittle, not like the thick Delmar stuff you get now. “Vintage wraps may have been stuck down with animal glue originally,” he explains. “If it is really stuck you can heat it with an iron and that sometimes reactivates the adhesive. Use a warm iron, not piping hot, and cover with a wet towel if you want to preserve the original wrap. What you have to be careful of is ripping it and hacking away, thereby pulling off some of the shell and splintering it.”

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also yellowed beyond recovery. So, as I had some Camco Black Diamond Pearl covering I decided to do a re-wrap. It’s a shame the wrap had to come off, but it did. “With a vintage drum like this you just have to go by gut instinct, really. I saw the photos online and thought it was worth a punt. I have done it before though. If it isn’t salvageable, or you don’t have the time, or some parts are missing, you can either buy the parts or re-list it and sell it on for the money you paid. You do need to know what you are doing for some things, or take it to a restorer who can do it.”

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The original, damaged Marine Pearl covering

TIP

”The mistake people make removing the grommet is doing it too dry and going hell for leather and the grommet starts to spin around. Use a bit of oil to lubricate it.”

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Aluminium Slingerland badge has oxidised quite severely

ALUMINIUM BADGE Where the reinforcing hoops have delaminated they are glued and clamped back together

bending. And if the shell wasn’t steamed enough, moist enough, it would be brittle so some of the grain would pop out. You might see a little bit of that on the outside as you strip the shell back. You don’t need to do anything, just make sure it is flat when you re-wrap it.”

“The badge must be removed and this destroys the grommet. [Fig. 4] I drill from the inside of the shell using a wider drill bit. A little oil on the drill bit helps the blade cut through the brass, making it a softer cut. “Some people try to preserve the grommet by wedging it out with a flat-head screwdriver, but you risk hacking into the shell. So I think it’s better to replace the grommet. These are readily available from Len Howe (www.classicdrums.com) who knows all the right sizes. You can ‘age’ it a little also using a Tourmaline bronzing solution.” www.musicradar.com/rhythm

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Ultimate drumming tips, tricks & projects

CLEANING THE HARDWARE [Fig. 5 & 6] “The hardware is nickel-plated, not chrome. It will not look pristine when cleaned, but the complete drum will look smart. I use a Dremel tool to clean moving parts, like the strainer and internal dampener. The Dremel is a small hand-power polisher, like a dentist’s drill which accepts attachments polishing mops or fine wire wheels [Fig. 7 & 8]. The finest grade of steel wool just burnishes off the rust, it won’t get it back to the original shine. I give it a light dusting of Carnauba beeswax which gives it a sheen and protects it. I don’t want to make the drum look over-restored or new. This drum has probably been in someone’s garage and the damp has got at it. Hopefully in its new form it will be looked after a bit more.”

GLUING THE WRAP “To replace the original wrap I had some Camco Black Diamond Pearl. I cleaned this, then rubbed it down and keyed it with 240 wet-and-dry ready to apply the 3M 30NF contact adhesive. I apply two layers of adhesive onto the shell and leave it overnight. I do one more coat and let that dry for two hours. Then I apply two coats of contact adhesive to the wrap, leaving it until touch-dry, which depends on the temperature in the workshop, before fixing it over the shell.” [Fig. 10] “The fixing line of the wrap must be square. I achieved this by working the shell previously on the flattening table, which has fine sandpaper on it. Ensure both sides are square using a ‘T’ square, retaining the original seam position on the shell.” [Fig. 9]

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Some of the hardware and fittings before cleaning. Lugs show patina and rust spots

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A Dremel tool is good for cleaning small moving parts

RE-WRAPPING:

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“Wrapping is a difficult operation because if you get it wrong you have to pull the wrap off and start again! The square line should work. However, to be safe I do a ‘trial run’ using grease-proof paper [Fig. 11]. I attach the front of the wrap to the marker line and offer the wrap entirely around the shell and see where the join arrives. If all is square you are good to go. You may need to make the slightest of adjustments and offer it up again until the opposite end arrives at the satisfactory position. It’s best to allow a slight overhang when measuring the wrap to allow for any alignment issues – especially when dealing with old

Shell with attachment line for the wrap

The original threepoint mount strainer disassembled, all working well

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Using the Dremel tool to clean up the internal dampener

shells, as they can be slightly warped. Applying thicker wraps to older, temperamental shells, like Radio Kings, can be a nightmare as there is very little give. That’s why I chose this thinner wrap that I had lying around the workshop. “I mask off the fixed side of the wrap and then lightly key the surface with some wet and dry. I then apply a thick layer of (low odour) Evostick Time Bond to both sides, allow to dry, then apply pressure, using clamps and two protective pieces of wood. “Trimming the wrap is done on the router table with a very fine 45° router bit. This tidies up the outer edge without destroying the original form of the edge, which is important to me.” [Fig. 12 & 13]

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10 Inside of Camco wrap, cleaned and ready with contact adhesive applied

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Dry run to check the wrap fits, with greaseproof paper temporarily laid under the wrap

Sharp trimming scissors are used to clip off the excess covering

The trimmed wrap


play better: 30 day drum workout

30 day drum

workout I t ’ s t i m e to ge t p hysic al be h i n d t he k i t wi t h t h i s ha rd core dru m p rogr a mme de sig ned to i mprove your p lay i ng i n jus t on e mon t h Words: pete riley & Chris barnes photos: joby sessions

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t’s a familiar scenario. You go for a fill or kick pattern and something gets in the way; the coordination isn’t quite there, something feels awkward, the fluidity is lacking and you stumble through, but not with the execution you’d hoped for. These moments are usually the result of coordination and independence problems, perhaps there are other skills that need attention. There comes a point when you must meet this head on to take your playing to the next level. The daily exercises presented here are intended to

gradually address key areas and progressively build the level of difficulty until new levels of technical ability, coordination and independence are unlocked, allowing you to reach previously unattainable levels of playing with a new-found confidence. We’ve worked hard to create a well-rounded plan and provide you with everything you need to prepare for and complete the programme, from the accompanying video lessons and exercise notation to tips and advice from experts on key subjects like nutrition, hydration and sleep. Progress is going to require some dedicated daily

hard work. Thirty days is just a guide – it doesn’t matter if your 30 day workout takes 60 days – your development will remain significant. Ideally you really want to be able to play the previous day’s examples relatively effortlessly before moving on. An alternative approach is to tackle each new day’s examples as best you can, making a note of the ones you’d like to revisit at the end of the month. These lessons will boost your playing and you should soon start to feel improvements as your hard work unlocks your hidden potential. So, let the workout begin… www.musicradar.com/rhythm

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Ultimate drumming tips, tricks & projects before you start

30 day drum workout Getting stuck into a whole month of drumming sounds like fun, right? Absolutely, but unless you iron out a few important creases before you start, 30 days of intensive drumming is going to be gruelling physically and mentally and you won’t get the best out of it. Taking the time to get your body and your gear in shape before you start means you can focus on pushing your playing and having fun as you tackle this drumming challenge.

What you’ll need Ideally you’ll be using your full kit for this programme as many of the lessons will require you to work with your hands and feet. Use a well tuned acoustic kit, or select decent sounds on your electronic kit. Match your e-kit with a pair of comfortable, quality headphones for these extended periods of playing. If excessive noise is an issue with neighbours or family we’d recommend investing in drum mutes. These inexpensive pads sit on your acoustic heads and can reduce volume by up to 95 percent. If a kit is out of the question then a practice pad mounted on a stand is perfectly workable too. Pick up a bass drum pad too, if you can (head to p35 for more useful practice tools). Although you won’t be at a real kit, don’t forget the importance of good posture here, so set up your pads with ergonomics in mind.

1 Prep your gear If you’re taking on the 30-day programme on your acoustic kit, it’s advisable to top it with fresh, bedded-in heads, and make sure your drums are well tuned. A quick MOT to get rid of any unwanted problems like pedal squeak or broken snare wires is advisable too. The better they sound and feel to play, the more you’ll want to play them.

2 Perfect your posture Take the time to set up your kit properly, with your seat at the correct height and your drums, cymbals and pedals positioned so you don’t have to reach excessively. A comfortable, tension-free playing position means you can practise for longer.

What level am I? There are Beginner, Intermediate and Pro versions of each lesson in this workout. Here’s what those levels mean Beginner You’ve not been drumming for long, but have an understanding of the basics (if not, get started with our Drumming Essentials YouTube playlist: bit.ly/drummingessentials). In these lessons you will start slowly and ultimately should be looking to play each example, snag free, for 1-2 minutes at a time. Your focus should be on developing timing, accuracy and consistency of hits. Intermediate You already have a solid grasp of key drumming principles and kit experience. With commitment to this workout, your playing level should advance considerably. At this level you will build on your foundation of accuracy and consistency and perform examples at faster tempos. Aim to play each one for 2 minutes-plus at a time. Professional You really know your stuff, but feel you’re rough around the edges. Using these lessons will seriously boost your speed and endurance, with challenging tempos designed to really push your playing forward. With practice you should be able to play these examples for 2-3 minutes-plus at a time.

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3 Rest is best You’ll be taking on board a lot of information in the next month, both mentally and physically, so we’ll be recommending rest days too. These are an opportunity give your brain and body a break, and a chance to absorb what you have learned.


Ultimate drumming tips, tricks & projects

How to prep your drum kit for recording Power up your drum takes with a little pre-session effort

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record your drums: prepare your kit

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ust like any other instrument, drum kits aren’t always set-up for the perfect recording. A more experienced drummer will have evolved and enhanced their kit; they may have found a favourite snare or two, collected a few good cymbals, and will have set up their kit so that it feels right to play live. A drum kit will sound different in any room, and any song will call for a distinct drum sound, so for every session you will need to fine-tune the kit and the room for that specific demand. Every aspect of the kit has to be addressed and this feature takes you through all the issues that should be ironed out prior to you hitting the record button. There’s no substitute for experience, but this guide will help to ground you in the basics of the drum session, speed up the learning process, and give you a feel for how to get the kit tuned so that its sound wins through in the final mix.

Choice of Kit

As with any instrument, the quality of manufacture has a huge impact on the sound it makes. Any drummer worth their salt will have evolved a good fettled kit around them, but their playing ability might occasionally outstrip their ability to pay for a good kit. If your kit works for you then great, but if not you might want to consider borrowing one from a generous mate or even hiring one for your session. The same goes for drum mics – aim to get hold of the best quality you can. A poor sounding kit will sound exactly that on your recordings. The better recording kits include Gretsch, Ludwig, DW and Yamaha, and some makers are famous for individual drums. For example, Noble and Cooley snares, Ludwig kick drums and Zildjian cymbals. The Ludwig Black Beauty snare is a timeless classic recording snare. A good drummer will have a selection of snare drums and cymbals and the choice will be determined ultimately by the song you are going to record. It’s the job of the drummer and the producer to make gear choices based on how you want the end result to sound. Ask yourself questions such as, ‘Does the song need a deep fat snare or a high snappy one?’ Make changes to suit. If you’re not sure what sound you’re after, listen to some of your favourite albums to give you inspiration. Maybe you want your drums to sound big and boomy like John Bonham’s, or tight and crisp like Travis Barker’s, or even dry and punchy like Questlove’s. The more you know and prepare in advance, the less chance there is of you and your band feeling disappointed with the end result.

sure you have spare heads with you. Undoubtedly every drummer has their favourite heads but, as a general rule, coated heads record better – their tone is warmer and they still have a good ‘skin’ attack. And although it’s always a personal choice, two-ply heads tend to sound much better than single-ply. Clear heads tend to be overly bright and without body on the top side, but they work well for the bottom resonant heads where thinner is better. Once new heads are installed, ensure they are properly bedded in with some playing and stretching so that they don’t lose their tune during the session.

Tuning

With decent tuning and a good set of heads, most drum kits can sound and record brilliantly. Learn the basic principles of tuning, or get friendly with someone in the know. Our basic rule of thumb is to finger-tighten all tension bolts, working in opposites. Once finger-tight, use a key to tighten using a full turn on each opposite tension bolt until the head is fully stretched and cranked up and you can hear the glue cracking on the hoop, then leave it

are bunches of thin sticks lashed together which make a more diffused but clear hit. Or why not try nylon tips instead of wood tips for more attack, or play with the butt end of the stick? You could even arrive at a combination solution with a stick in one hand and a brush or hot-rod in the other.

Dampening

Moon Gels and gaffer tape are essential items for the studio to help dampen unwanted overtones and excessive ring. At this stage it’s also worth keeping in mind that things like a towel over the floor tom, or your wallet placed on the snare drum will eliminate ring and produce a ‘dead’ drum sound, as popularised by drummers such as Ringo Starr.

Headphones

Headphones are a necessary evil unless you go all-out for a live-style recording with PA and wedges and embrace the spill. But considering how you will be recording at home (or perhaps in a garden shed or pod-style recording environment), that’s an unlikely scenario! Most drum sessions will be done using headphones, and to avoid spill they should be of the closed-cup variety. The long-time classic studio headphone is the Beyer DT100. They’re hardy and not too bright for highvolume listening. That said, there are better-sounding cheaper headphones to be had, particularly from the likes of Audio Technica.

You really should have a good idea of what you’re going to play once the record button is pressed. There’s nothing worse than waiting while the drummer tries to nail a new fill idea Know your parts

Drum heads

skins should always be brand new, or at least thereabouts, for a recording session. Drum heads soon lose life after repeated beatings, so make

to stretch-in and settle. Repeat for each drum until complete. Turn the drums over to begin with the resonant head. Tap the head at each lug and tighten the bolts until you get a consistent equal tone. Once done, turn the drum over to the batter head and begin de-tuning. De-tune each lug by half a turn until the batter head is half a turn below your desired pitch and then gradually increase the tension until you are at your desired pitch level. Remember that a higher-tuned resonant head means a shorter, shallower note; a higher batter head means a deep note with long sustain and a good stick response, and if they are both tuned the same you get a longer sustained and pure note.

Sticks

your choice of sticks is determined by the song and the weight of playing required. A drummer should carry a selection of weights and varieties of wooden sticks, and you should have a feel for which stick is required. You may find that a softer song requires brushes or mallets. A good in-between solution is a pair of ‘hot-rods’. These

A lot of time can be lost during a session because some band members aren’t completely clued up on their individual parts. There will always be the opportunity to change something when you’re recording if a part really isn’t working for the song, but you really should have a solid idea of what you’re going to play once the record button is pressed. After all, there’s nothing worse for the rest of the band than waiting around while their drummer tries to nail a new fill idea.

Physical preparation

If you’ve never warmed up before playing, now’s a good time to start. You want your takes to sound natural and flowing. If you’re stiff and pent-up, your playing will be rigid and lack life. Remember, this isn’t a gig so you won’t have an hour to get warm. You want to be ready to go for take one, so hit the practice pad or do a couple of run-throughs before you record. Get a decent sleep and eat well the night before, too, as you’ll be more alert and less likely to tire out when the ninth take of track 11 comes around. www.musicradar.com/rhythm

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record your drums: classic drum sounds

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c i s s la

In this monster feature, learn the stories behind some of the most iconic drum sounds and find out how you can recreate them yourself! Words: James Hester photos: Joby Sessions

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Ultimate drumming tips, tricks & projects For this track, drums and cymbals were recorded separately – drums with e-cymbals…

No one knows Queens Of The Stone Age Drummer Dave Grohl Album Songs For The Deaf Producer Eric Valentine and Josh Homme Approach Isolated drums and overdubbed cymbals

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hen you’re recording one of the most famous drummers of all time, the question of ‘how do I record them?’ is bound to crop up. Guitarist/vocalist Josh Homme wanted to make the record sound bizarre and claustrophobic and so they used a technique they’d used before, recording the drums and cymbals separately. The lack of reverb and space makes all of the instruments sound in-your-face and, really, in your head. Producer Eric Valentine is no stranger to drums (he was the drummer in T-Ride) and has a taste for innovation in terms of sound, from developing and making his unique ‘drum-brella’ to focus the tone of the drums, a mic-adjusting robot that he can manipulate from his control room, through to a handmade console that is made from porous material to stop reflections of sound.

How we created it

The first job was to record the ‘drums’ part with no cymbals at all, just electronic pads. To emphasise the feeling of close, dead, ‘claustrophobic’ drums, I used lots of gaffer tape and Moongel to stop as much interaction between the drums as I could. I also used an idea that Stanton Moore showed me – putting an acoustic tile or a soft snare case under the floor tom head to stop the resonance bouncing back from the floor to the head – it makes a huge difference to the resonance. I assimilated Eric Valentine’s ‘flapper’ idea with a couple of sweat bands, a metal plate and some gaffer and this worked very nicely, allowing a small amount of resonance from the head. I then set up Roland pads to allow me to play the cymbal parts without any

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And then the real cymbals recorded with drum pads

Heads Up Phase

Phase describes the position of one sound wave relative to another. Two identical waves are ‘in phase’ when the peaks and troughs of the wave meet, and are ‘out of phase’ when the peaks of one signal meet the troughs of another.

sound getting to the mics. I was most careful about making sure the left, right and centre overheads were the exact same distance from the centre of the snare to keep phase in close check. Once this was done, the job then was to go around the room and hunt down anything that was resonating when I was playing the kit – from a radiator to cymbals, or a loose wingnut on some spare hardware. Going around the room with a fine-tooth comb you suddenly realise how many rattles

Really locking down the staccato hi-hat patterns with the previously recorded drums was something I really needed to pay attention to and squeaks there are. Once I had taped down, covered with blankets or removed anything I could find, I then lowered the movable ceiling clouds to really close the

room in. Tracking the drums was simple enough (apart from ‘that’ fill in the chorus) and the key here is consistency of sound on the snare and bass drum. Having no reverb on the track made me acutely aware of the fact that it had to sound exactly how I wanted it to as it hit the mics. With the drum take done, it was a case of switching all of the drums for pads and the pads for cymbals. I kept the left, right and centre overheads the same, I didn’t need the drum mics but after a few tests I discovered I was going to need a little control of the hi-hat so that was close-miked. In terms of playing the cymbal part, I was surprised to find that really locking down the staccato hi-hat patterns with the previously recorded drums was something I really needed to pay attention to. Remembering exactly what I had played on the drums (was there a skip note on the snare, did I hit the rack tom? etc) was much more important to getting the cymbals to sit right within the track than I thought it would be.

The mix

I didn’t use any compression or EQ on the overheads, I had them panned hard left/ centre/right and they were the lead mics in the mix. I edited the tom mics to gate them so they were only live for the tom hits and I EQ’d the bass drum and snare to really


Ultimate drumming tips, tricks & projects

HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN

drum studio So, you’ve learned how to record your drums, and even recreate classic drum sounds, but there’s still the matter of where you record. Studio time can be prohibitively expensive, so here we show you how, with a little outlay, you can build your own studio at home Words: Pete Riley

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record your drums: build your own studio Being able to record in your own home studio is every drummer’s dream

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s record and production companies continue to look for ways to cut costs, they become less willing to budget for musicians and recording time. However, the constant advancements in digital technology are making access to better equipment more financially viable for the artist or musician, in turn making setting up your own recording studio a realistic possibility. This will still require a sizeable investment of both time and money, however, so if done with a commercial incentive it’s a good idea to assess how much work it will generate, otherwise you may find yourself with merely a useful yet expensive practice space. But, if undeterred by financial ruin and the taste of plasterboard dust, read on, as we’re about to show you 10 important factors to consider when building your own studio.

1 Location, location, location The first consideration when contemplating building a studio is where to build it. Most drummers’ studios are at home in an outbuilding or part of the house itself, but some rent space for their studio. If you are

using a rental space, it’s important to consider how long it will be yours for – after going to the effort of soundproofing somewhere once, you probably won’t want to relive the experience for some time. At this stage it’s also important to consider just how loud a drum kit is and how viable soundproofing is for your situation. For example, if you want to convert a garage in your garden, you’ll probably be left with a reasonable space inside after soundproofing, with minimal noise escaping. However if you’re looking to convert a room in a house or flat, you may have your work cut out if you want to play without anyone hearing anything and, if the space is small to begin with, you may find it unreasonably cramped after soundproofing. With a suitable room chosen, let’s consider some other important points…

2 Let there be light Daylight is such an important ingredient when it comes to creating a nice place to work in, and a lack of it can make your workplace feel like a prison cell after just a few hours. It’s easy to assume that blocking up windows is the only option when soundproofing a room, yet a combination of a single

IT’S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER JUST HOW LOUD A DRUM KIT IS AND HOW VIABLE SOUNDPROOFING IS FOR YOUR SITUATION

double glazed unit with no opening windows and a sheet of acoustic glass (comprising of two sheets of glass with a thinner sheet glued inbetween) will work incredibly well if installed and sealed correctly.

3 The doors Your studio will have at least one doorway to contend with and, like the window, this is another potential area for sound leakage. Simply using a heavy door can help, though adding weight by building a regular door up or applying a layer of Sheetblok (a special vinyl material designed to act as an effective sound isolation barrier) can have the same effect. You may also find it necessary to add a second door on the inside if results aren’t satisfactory. Either way, each door must seal completely when it shuts. While regular sealing strips are available from DIY stores, there are sets commercially available specifically for this purpose.

4 Something in the air With all of the windows and doors sealed and walls caulked and airtight, there is the small issue of how you’re going to breathe. Surprisingly easily overlooked, the supply of air into the studio is important, not only to avoid lapsing into unconsciousness mid-paradiddle, but also for the preservation of the recording equipment, on which moisture can collect. Long-time Rhythm contributor and BIMM tutor www.musicradar.com/rhythm

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