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-   -   Mixing drums using stereo aux (https://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=179026)

johnwayne 10-09-2006 01:06 PM

Mixing drums using stereo aux
 
Anybody ever tried this drum mixing

If so how did it come about. It seems a little confusing sending each drum track to 2 seperate stereo busses. Any opinions?

3JDamon 10-10-2006 09:51 AM

Re: Mixing drums using stereo aux
 
This is an implementation of partly dry compression, where you compress something and blend it with the uncompressed signal. It's not about getting a different sound, it's a "compression for dummies" way of controling compression, which doesn't mean the author is an idiot, but the technique stems from a teaching tool to understand what compression does. Partly dry compression does not achieve anything you can't get with different compression settings unless the compressor does not allow for such adjustments.

I don't subscribe to the technique, nor do I subscribe to compressors without attack/release controls, and in this case I definitely don't subscribe to bus-compressing drums. IMO each drum calls for different attack/release settings, and I hope the author of that article isn't putting overheads through that process!

IntelDoc 10-10-2006 10:26 AM

Re: Mixing drums using stereo aux
 
ITs just a different way to get drums sounding crushed, fat and bright. Not bad, and not too uncommom with Rock stuff. Same idea with a TRASH mic that you hammer with compression going in.

I do not do this, but may look at it to see what it sounds like for curiousity sake.

Doc

johnwayne 10-10-2006 12:36 PM

Re: Mixing drums using stereo aux
 
I think you are missing the point. This is added after you have individually compressed each drum. if you do not want the super squashed sound you have another aux that has no compression on it. The beauty is where you compress all your individual drums as you like and that is your aux 3-4. Now put another compressor on top of what you have already done to get a supercompressed sound. Now blend the squashed drums with the drums you have already mixed.

I think it sounds amazing. if you don't like much squashed drums barele ad it to the mix. It definitely adds punch. Maybe its just my opinion and I don't think this is compression for dummies. This is to add to what you have already compressed. That i think is a given. No individual drum gets the same amount of compression. I'm not that stupid. Anyway just though I'd show it to see if anyone likes it.

3JDamon 10-10-2006 03:23 PM

Re: Mixing drums using stereo aux
 
Most of the rock mixes I do and have seen done do not squash the drums themselves nearly as much as the ambient mics, and in PT LE land that job is being taken over by convolution reverbs, since they're so much more tailorable. For the snare in particular, size is almost entirely achieved by room ambience.

For big rock toms in addition to top tom mics I'll use large diaphram condensers up tight at the middle of the bottom skins, which offers a lengthy and rich ring. 414's have the advantage of getting the diaphram closer, but I've been happy with Rode NT1A's when budget required. I gate the toms manually, but you can also use the top skin mics to trigger bottom mic gates.

For the kick I'll add a speaker as a mic for a similar effect, though part of it is the speaker's momentum, so go big (12") if you want big, go small (4") if you want tight. If it's still not big enough, pitch-shift it down to the "brown note" (~50Hz), leave the standard kick mic(s) where they are. The speaker picks up only the deep bottom-end, it isn't apparent that they're different "notes".

Just some ways to beef up a kit other than squashing, which may still be desireable.

Naagzh 10-10-2006 03:47 PM

Re: Mixing drums using stereo aux
 
It's called NY Compression or parallel compression, and it gave the recording scene in NYC a sound easily distinguished from L.A.- and London-based studios during the 70's and 80's.

I'll kindly disagree with the "compression for dummies" comment. Wise use of this technique actually ensures that all drums do NOT get the same compression, because how hard of each drum's signal hits the compressor is determined by it's aux send fader. Don't want the overheads to get squished? Turn down or mute their sends. Want more sustain in the toms? Hit the compressor hard with those tracks. Of course you can still compress toms, snare, and kick individually. Or not. Depends on the song. Use both (serial compression).

The NY compression is a bit different from squashing a "trash" mic (same as an ambient mic, right Doc?), because you can pick and choose which drums get squashed and by how much via the aux sends, whereas with ambient mics you are at the mercy of the room and (oh no!) the drummer. I suppose the purpose is the same, though.

Doc - have you seen the article on McDsp's page about using Chrometone on a dupped pair of room mic tracks? Pretty cool stuff. Not new, but cool.

IntelDoc 10-10-2006 03:52 PM

Re: Mixing drums using stereo aux
 
Read it some awhile back. Will look at it again though.

Doc

3JDamon 10-10-2006 04:57 PM

Re: Mixing drums using stereo aux
 
Well I don't care what either coast does, I'm not going to agree with any method that puts the same attack and release on a snare and the bottom mic of a floor tom, no matter how "wisely" it's applied.

Matt Whritenour 10-10-2006 10:13 PM

Re: Mixing drums using stereo aux
 
also there is no point in setting the output of each drum track to No Output and Using 2 Aux Sends.

Set the output of each track to lets say Bus 1-2 and that will be your dry drums without any compression on the Bus then use aux sends and bus each track to Bus 3-4 and you can have your compression on that Aux Track.

jonathan jetter 10-10-2006 10:35 PM

Re: Mixing drums using stereo aux
 
every mix i do where the drums need to really thump gets this sort of treatment.

usually im compressing the individual mics first, then sending the kick, snare, and toms to the 2nd bus.

i find its actually pretty essential to getting my hard rock drum tracks to sound right.

i usually squash my room mic but don't bus it to the compressed subgroup. same with the overheads.

jon


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