Analog Drum Buss Breakdown

Just moved into a new garage studio. Here's a quick & dirty breakdown of a new analog drum buss chain I'm experimenting with where I use an old Allen and Heath sr16 mixer, and the Urei LA4, DBX 163, DBX 119, AML ezp (pultec 1a3 clone) and an Alesis Wedge as auxiliary sends.
The noise is crazy in this space right now, but hopefully I'll be up and running again soon with some beefier drums.
SKIP AHEAD if you need to --------------------
0 - 1:24 - intro/routing breakdown
1:25 - 2:21 - boom bap sound example
2:22 - 3:22 - tweaking the snare with AML ezp Pultec EQ
3:23 - 4:20 - more beat experiments
4:21 - final thoughts (sorry for the hum)
5:00 - 5:42 - bonus beats outro

[@UrbanJournal]

Over time I’ve accepted that I go through seasons with DAWs. There’s times when I feel like an idiot for ignoring the functionality and capabilities at my fingertips. Then there’s time when I don’t even want a computer in the studio. I’ve accepted both and settled somewhere in the middle. Whenever I lean towards one over the other I’ve begun using it as a sign to switch something up. It could be something as simple as starting with the melody first instead of the bassline, or some more vast like completely rerouting my studio. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and interactions with sound on your channel brother. Peace.

[@eddieleonard6925]

I totally relate to your experience with workflow. I switch back and forth so much, depending on my mood and curiosity. Right now, I'm going back to using a dedicated digital multitrack recorder. Old technology, but I'm excited about the balance between possibilities and limitations. Cheers,

[@officialmagnumopusmusic]

Man I love your page as an engineer it is really cool to see all your outboard gear is super fresh vintage gear with warmth.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for checking this. I wish I had studied engineering, it's so fascinating to experiment with.

[@ChuckSutton]

top 10 production videos on youtube

[@eddieleonard6925]

glad this resonates. just sharing process. thanks for the support.

[@tomblaze2]

Love the analog mix setup

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad you dig. It's fun to work with.

[@phdirac]

Cool signal chain, drums sound nice and punchy (especially the snare)! Very cool, thanks for sharing.

[@eddieleonard6925]

A work in progress, but fun so far. I'll send u some new experiments soon brother.

[@maximustheproducer]

DYNAMIC SIDECHAIN PROCESSING (D S P) BEAUTIFUL!

[@eddieleonard6925]

well said.

[@lloydbrothers3315]

Thoughtful, and wonderfully accessible. Looks like alot of fun. Nice collection! Great breakdown!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for checking the vid. Glad u dig the experiments.

[@OPdbx]

Very warm and raw sound! Glad to see the dbx119 it's an insane drum smasher!

[@eddieleonard6925]

I love my dbx. Highly slept on, and smashes beyond belief.

[@ceciliafbrown373]

Well done Eddie! Thats some serious hardware.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad u dig it. The gear's definitely being put to use.

[@rawedginnah]

Loving your channel bruh. I’m so glad I found it. Keep ‘em coming.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad u dig the experiments. cheers.

[@beatsbyclaessic]

Great video Eddie! I'm sure gonna check out more of your stuff. Keep it up man!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Appreciate the support. Just vibing and experimenting with sound. Glad u dig the content.

[@marcferry]

Hi Eddie nice mixer and nice gear, great sound design, congrats for your new studio. Regards ¡

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for the well wishes. It's a work in progress, but getting somewhere...

[@kewbag5115]

Pure analogue goodness!!

[@eddieleonard6925]

I love me some analog.

[@CRLFNKL]

Man. This is inspirational. Really nice!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks. Glad this sparked some inspo.

[@bonafidebeatz20]

Bruh i been searching for an Allen & Heath mixer for the longest. also that Pultec is something i need next in my setup! loving the beat!

[@eddieleonard6925]

oh word. i actually have an extra one i'm selling. i can hold it for u if you want. reverb.com/item/72676467-aml-pultec-ezp-1a-pulse-pultec-1a-clone-3u-2000s-used

[@currycases]

Exactly where I’m headed with my routing situation right now. Can’t wait

[@eddieleonard6925]

It's a fun experiment that can be endlessly adjusted to each track. recommended.

[@sumitosway]

Bro this is amazing. Keep making these videos

[@eddieleonard6925]

Appreciate the support. I'll try to keep them coming. Cheers,

[@patrox247]

Man you are getting some cool old school tones!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Old equipment adds a lot of character, which can be good, depending on your genre. Cheers,

[@lucasmaranhaao]

great video as always

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for vibing!

[@shanzyan]

finally my algorithm got it right for once.. glad to have found your channel

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad this resonates. I live in a hidden corner of youtube...

[@iancain6647]

Nice beat. Cool stuff.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Appreciate u tuning in.

[@SclimBeats]

damn I\m so happy i found this channel

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad this sparked some ideas or inspo. Thanks for checking the vid

[@yourchildrensghost9736]

That was Slick.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks. I really appreciate that. Always experimenting over here..

[@pushermode]

Your MPC workflow is nasty. Dope video thanks for sharing!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks fam. It's a great machine for improvising.

[@TheNathtube]

Awesome set up and workflow, drum programming is fire

[@wdb2g]

Bro that's like one of the illest drum loops ever!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Appreciate that. I make these daily.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Crazy, cause I already threw this out. This was just a sound test. Thanks for listening...

[@jayemakebeats]

Dope Set Up!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad you dig it.

[@McEnroe911]

Just found your channel. Great stuff man.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad you dig it. Thanks for tuning in.

[@BritoWorx]

What a dope page man. Subbed!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad you dig. Just experimenting..

[@joshd265]

Your vids are really inspiring 🔥

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad to hear it. Hopefully it gives u some ideas on how to mix things up.

[@jeejeeBlaps]

Let's gooo, welcome back Eddie.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Appreciate u, g.

[@kiujay]

Awesomeness. I love seeing people use DBX products. One of the las American made great companies

[@eddieleonard6925]

Great products, and surprisingly affordable. Love their smaller boxes.

[@kiujay]

@@eddieleonard6925 yup I have a 286 and 166xs. Looking at this 160 black for the low.

[@Jamusictv]

What a nice crusty warm sound. Dope !

[@eddieleonard6925]

Noisey...but warm, indeed. Thanks for vibing.

[@TommyVamoz]

Love the gear! 🎛🔥

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks Tommy. I know you understand the importance of analog. Makes the drums BOUNCE. :)

[@deebaker4671]

That last beat is tight bro !

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad you dig it. Thanks for listening.

[@user-sx3bi4vo7t]

analog drum bussy fr 😎

[@user-sx3bi4vo7t]

🤨📸

[@user-sx3bi4vo7t]

my bad y’all, intrusive thoughts be intruding

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks!

[@Elektragen]

This guy is tha man 👨 👌

[@eddieleonard6925]

Appreciate u checking the vid.

[@Mr_Tummy]

Thanks for sharing, appreciate the outboard gear breakdown!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad this resonate. Just experimenting..

[@Mr_Tummy]

@@eddieleonard6925 My primary beat box is the Akai Force with 4 outputs, going into 4 500 series pre-amps. I also have a Pro VLA II and Lin76 compressors, patch bay w/audio interface into Logic. I may expand to include other beat boxes which would require more inputs, so your use of a mixer is timely as I'm researching them and their use outside the box. Are there analog mixer brands that you recommend? Thanks again and looking forward to more videos!

[@123dread2]

Great , love seeing you work your gear . Give me hope for my set up . Thanks 🙏🏾 💯

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad this sparked some inspiration. It's really fun to experiment with routing.

[@automationtraveler]

Loving it

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for listening.

[@lucasturney4269]

Solid video, as usual. 💯 This is the first time I've seen anyone with an LA-4 in their setup. Most people who make beats and have an analog setup gravitate towards the DBX160. In The Box, I have Fuse Audio Labs' VCL-4, an emulation of the LA-4, which I often use on my drum buss; just a touch of it brings everything to life similar to a limiter, but with Opto buttery-ness.

[@eddieleonard6925]

I always wanted an LA-2 or LA-3, but they're so expensive. In general, nobody seems to like the LA-4's, which is why I was able to grab one for cheap. They're a little darker, but still have that smooth opto style compression, and as you pointed out, they "excite" whatever passes thru it. I love what it does to snares. Honestly, it would be great to have two and put it on an entire mix, subtly...

[@Doit4mojo]

LUV U EDDIE

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for the love. and for vibing.

[@aseomg]

Came for the shelf sag...stayed for the drum sounds, lol. A couple of Sibbhult brackets from Ikea ($1 each) did wonders for adding support for my garage shelves.

[@eddieleonard6925]

haha! whatever it takes to make it work.

[@ninetofiverecordings]

Great one, thank u eddie

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad u dig it. Hope it sparked some inspo

[@iengineer_247]

That snare is nastyyyyy. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks. Been working on that high-end 'snap'...

[@punishyt981]

Love that hedgy funk beat 👍🔥

[@eddieleonard6925]

Always keeping it funky. Glad u dig the sounds.

[@kirkstate]

Great video

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for vibing...

[@uriel-heavensguardian8949]

Awesome

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for checking the experiment.

[@uriel-heavensguardian8949]

@@eddieleonard6925 yesssirr

[@miguelfranco9655]

Thanks for sharing. When you put that eq on that snare?! 😮 woohh that’s prob what made the garage so hot mane lol dope

[@eddieleonard6925]

haha! facts. Snare is the hardest to dial in.

[@dopesnare]

super dope

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad u dig it.

[@PatMcGuireMusic]

Great stuff. New sub.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad u dig the experiment. Cheers,

[@lindasson]

Dope setup my brother! Love the visuals, what camera do you use?🙏🏾✊🏾💚

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for tappin in. I use a black magic camera with some old nikon ai lenses. Cheers,

[@CJtheCynic]

Nasty!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad u dig the sounds.

[@ericedubbswashington1396]

OmG!!! Nice!!!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks! Glad u dig the experiments.

[@ObriMensah]

Nice

[@eddieleonard6925]

It's the best. Smashes beyond belief.

[@canalthekacper]

im in love

[@eddieleonard6925]

:) me too

[@alfredocamba1995]

I gotta get back on my game

[@eddieleonard6925]

Hope this sparked some ideas.

[@rayredding72]

Might need to get some of that old gear recapped. Its a noisy mess

[@eddieleonard6925]

Facts. Already re-worked this new space to address some of my noise issues. Much better now. Thanks,

[@user-zv7lm8uk7h]

Dope video. You might want to convert it to Rec709... or not, nice look...

[@eddieleonard6925]

Word. will look into that. thanks.

[@user-zv7lm8uk7h]

Almost ridiculous to mention because your visuals are so smooth its really nice. Good content brother! @@eddieleonard6925

[@R.Es1]

The extra Uumph added to the drums is niiice. Just elevated the Smack n pounding on em. Just wondering, i use an OG MPC2k and just started recording onto software , but started lookin into stand alone analog to compressor to run the beats through. Is there a compressor or 2 that you can recommend that I look into? Something that won't break the bank , but is solid? thank you in advance

[@eddieleonard6925]

I love the OG 2000. There's actually tons of stereo compressors that aren't too expensive, each with its own flavor. For cheap, you can get this great little compressor called RNC (really nice compressor) that does a nice job. Audioscape makes a great SSL style buss compressor in a 1u rack unit that sounds great. I would just do a search for stereo compressors, and maybe grab a nice VCA-style compressor to add some weight to your tracks.

[@R.Es1]

@@eddieleonard6925 really appreciate the reply. Will definitely look into these. I appreciate it.

[@tullamusic]

This sounds absolutely KILLER. It's videos like this that really make me want to get my hands on a 1176-like comp and something like a 1081 and Pultec clone but I just can't justify the prices knowing I have pretty much perfect replicas in VST format, of which I can use as many instances as I want. So what made you go for physical hardware instead of in the box mixing? Is it just the workflow you have in mind?

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for checking this. Honestly, I prefer analog gear because screens hurt my eyes and I absolutely despise software updates and being tethered to a computer. For example, my pultec clone (along with most gear I have) almost never needs updating of any kind. I plug it in, it works. Occasionally, I'll replace a light or a tube, but that's about it. Keeps me focused. I've worked in a daw and i love the sonic possibilities, and i miss using well-designed plug-ins. Especially love that you can have multiple instances of the same plug-in across a track. That's a game changer, especially when mixing.

[@jermainelong1843]

If I had the time and space bro. Strictly in the box nowadays but I miss the thickness of my Akai 950s running into hardware outboard.

[@eddieleonard6925]

I'm sure you can replicate in the box. But yes...the 950 adds something special.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

That's a nice collection of gear, can I ask how you payed for it, My first time here just interested to know.

[@eddieleonard6925]

I'm old, I work a lot, and spend most of my savings on gear. Sometimes it takes me years to save up just for one piece. Other times, I get lucky at flea markets and thrift stores.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

@@eddieleonard6925 I dont find very much music related stuff at Flea Markets but find stuff at one Thrift corporation thats got stores all over the country.

[@schoeferproductions2394]

Do you have any drum packs with this crunch and warmth? One shots and drum loops? I love this bus but don’t have much analog gear or know where to start! The most analog I have is the sp-404mkii

[@eddieleonard6925]

I don't have any drum packs, but was thinking of making one soon. Hit me at eddieleonardbeats at gmail and I'll make sure you're on the list when I make some. Enoy that sp404. Great machine.

[@torocruz1192]

Are those Oxford channels on your left? Good videos btw 🔥🔥🔥

[@eddieleonard6925]

Shelfords. Took forever to get em.

[@torocruz1192]

@@eddieleonard6925 Ay yo! How do they sound? I’ll be running everything tru does my dude!

[@eddieleonard6925]

@@torocruz1192 they are flawless, & flexible

[@andrewzeno8532]

Have you tried isolated power strips for the noise? I had something similar and a trip lite isobar made it go away 😅

[@eddieleonard6925]

Nah, I haven't. I need to try that, cause the noise is killing me!

[@Jim_KYB]

Woukd it be better to compress after the reverb, maybe on a mix insert?

[@eddieleonard6925]

Great idea. I'll have to try that next.

[@djgreenhornet2892]

🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for vibing.

[@Jim_KYB]

That old Alesis Wedge sounds pretty nice, i assumed they were junk due to the price.

[@eddieleonard6925]

The effects on that thing go deep. I love old digital reverbs tho

[@lafoudrepasslafoudrepass5238]

does your snare peak past zero decibels? it sounds distorted but some how sounds tamed

[@eddieleonard6925]

My snare peaks but the chain is all analog so I think I'm able to get away with it. Listening back,..it's actually a little too loud. I always boost my snares too much, bad habit. :)

[@lafoudrepasslafoudrepass5238]

@@eddieleonard6925oh I got you, I'm always curious about the technical side of things, but I think you should do it how you want to

[@andmoreagain]

you could approximate this in the box for sure, but i dont care what anyone says, its not going to sound as good as pushing it through actual gear like youre doing.

[@eddieleonard6925]

I feel the same way.

[@xn-triq7607]

All these modern gear junkie hipsters claiming "Dawless" that come across this video will be crying onto their teenage engineering digital screens and cheap plastic blip blop machines, just wishing they would of saved their money and bought something with some actual personality and real sound potential.

[@eddieleonard6925]

lol...tell em!

[@nugznmugz]

Super noisy bro...

[@eddieleonard6925]

I know...lol.

[@terrytees]

I don't mean any disrespect but take all that over priced outboard you have, stop running it though that desk and infact sell all almost. If you want to mix on a board, which I can totally understand why, take the money you got from selling the VU DBX's and Urie plus RND and what looks to be a 1073opx (like why?) sell it all and buy a better desk that you can actually mix on. Buy some efx and an cheap old reel to reel for delay returns on the aux. You can get some absolute gems board for 4-5 grand or as little as under a grand on the used markets of lesser known pro desks from the 80's and 90's. You could get a sound craft ghost for under a GRAND!, plenty of hits made on that and you can mod it to sound world class, again really powerfull eq parametric which is what you need for hip-hop, both have great routing and aux's. You could find a MCI 600 for that money, same desk DnD used, although it won't sound as good as the ghost yet cost you more. As for compressors, some old DBX 160's in the 1 u rack format are great for hip-hop, they used to be pretty cheap only a few hundred bucks, DnD had racks full of em. If you want a comp that does it all buy a couple of Kush Audio Tweakers, you will never need another comp as they can do all of them in one unit while costing a fraction of the price. You don't need half that gear, but you do need a better desk that can be used to it's full potential which in turn you push you more.

[@eddieleonard6925]

yoo..i appreciate this feedback. my bread and butter is sampling and working on the 3000. With everything else, I'm completely self taught, so i just buy stuff, try it out and if it doesn't work, I sell it. I looked up those soundcrafts and they're waaaay more capable than this Allen and Heath (which i basically got for free). I appreciate the suggestion. That may be my next experiment. This is a work in progress, as I teach myself to engineer and search for new sounds. I actually believe wasting time buying gear you don't need is actually part of the process. Thanks again for the thoughts.

[@terrytees]

@@eddieleonard6925 No worries, over the years I have found myself buying gear that wasn't always needed but you know what they say, less is more, your right part of learning experience. But there something to be said about having a desk that can do good routing and has a flexible eq.