How To Mix ML Drums: Volume, Compression & Saturation (... no EQ needed)

[@fatdaniel5023]

ML Drums is my go to songwriting drum template. The default sit great in the mix right out of the box. I really appreciate the TLC put into this! Well done

[@danielbailey1727]

Dude, These are the best drum samples I've ever heard. I dropped ML Drums into an old mix and wow. The only thing missing is built-in midi. This is the first vst mixer that I trust. Nice work. Thanks for affordable drums with pro sound.

[@mlsoundlab]

Thank you ever so much Daniel! We're happy to hear that it's working nicely for you 🙏 -Kai

[@jnbovee]

Not even halfway in and the value here for me is extraordinary

[@robloyst4514]

For those of us using this with real drums(converted to midi), I’d like to have a stereo aux input that would include the same effects as the rest of the channels, but include a HP filter to feed our real overheads through. Maybe even some sort of limiter or compressor designed for ducking the snare. Maybe the compressor ducker setting would have simple band adjustment that feeds the compressor detector to isolate the snare. I mean all simplified to fit into the current config eg keeping it visually like the other channels.

[@Riisiluro]

Tanks a lot! Such a great and helpful tutorial to really understand and take advantage of the whole mixer page!

[@mlsoundlab]

Thanksss🎉

[@Games-Hunter]

I got Yamz and I'm going to get DWell soon enough🔥 ML Drums is the meaning of perfection I'm not joking They helped me more than once♥️

[@mlsoundlab]

Thank you! Glad you're loving them 💪 -Kai

[@woodward_alan]

Just purchased the drums and are enjoying them! Sound is excellent.

[@mlsoundlab]

Thank you ever so much! 💪 -Kai

[@Tryggvasson]

joe west said: as a beginner i would reach for an eq to shape my sound. with experience, i started reaching for a compressor, for the same job. once i have really understood what i was doing, i was just thinking what piece of gear to run the signal through. but you need the source to sound great, for that. the additions to the essentials pack do sound great - love the snare and the heavy ride - and all the samples do, too. and i really appreciate the fact that they're raw - and give me all the latitude in processing them. great sounding raw samples are hard to find in virtual drummers. meaning not only the quality of the recording, but the engineering required to capture every component of the hit in just the right proportion - attack, bottom, fullness, weight, expressiveness, a tiny little bit of ring, etc. - so that they sound natural AND mix ready at the same time - and allow you to take the sound in whichever direction you want to. great job!

[@mlsoundlab]

Thank you ever so much - it really is all about getting the great source tones. We pride ourselves on not using post-processing on any of our demos, outside of a little bit of master bus glue just to keep things cohesive. 🙏 -Kai

[@seitsen]

At first I was thinking of running the raw tracks through my other plugins, like Mikko jokes about in the end of this video, but the mixer page/tab actually quite impressed me and pretty soon i realized there's no need to do the extra work, i can just use the built-in ML Drums mixer. Also gives me more flexible options to mix "on the fly" with the song and other instruments. Only for reverb i'd rather use my other plugins for snare and toms reverb but that might be just me.

[@mlsoundlab]

Definitely worth learning the mixer first to see what it can do for you - little bonus is that it saves on the processing power too! Reverb is one that comes down to taste for sure, but we would love to hear what the external reverb is offering you that you're missing from ML Drums 💪 -Kai

[@mlsoundlab]

That's one of the biggest things that takes development in our end. Actually making a mixer that is for real super high quality. Really these are tools that we build for ourselves to use too. 😊

[@seitsen]

@@mlsoundlab Basically separate low and high controls would make a big difference already. Pre-delay would be bonus. Getting pretty advanced already... 😅 At the moment I'm preferring Lexicon or EMT style reverb plugings.

[@seitsen]

@mlsoundlab I had to come back to comment and correct/specify that separate high pass and low pass filters is what would make the reverb almost complete on its own. Add just pre-delay and it would be complete.

[@emmanuelaina4709]

Nice walkthrough… I’d like to see midi packs for your drum library

[@mlsoundlab]

Thank you for the suggestion! 🙏 -Kai

[@MC-og5ss]

Really, really great library and the price is ridiculously good! Before the update it sounded too mechanical for my taste but now it's a beast, especially the Luxe Pack. I can't wait to see how ML Drums is going to evolve over time.

[@mlsoundlab]

Thank you! We appreciate you sticking around for the update - we've got some pretty cool things lined up for the future too 💪 -Kai

[@MC-og5ss]

One thing that I would love to see is a separate parallel channel and the ability to control how much of each mic is send to it.

[@TheNeumanizer]

I am impressed. I do a lot of mistakes it seems. Thank you.

[@smh-drumming3813]

Hey Miko, great tourtorial. ML Drums is the best affordable Plug-In I know. But just one thing or suggestion you could do, even you say that the mixing Page is pretty good. I´m working with Studio One and when I´m doing ML Drums with Multiple Outs in Studio One I have the feeling I´m having a much louder Signal on my In Ears when I´m playing on my Roland TD17 KVX. So probably a Tourtorial about how to mix ML Drums in a DAW (in my case it would be Studio One 5 Artist) would be extension of my and maybe some others horizon or more Eye Opening on Drum Mixing. But all in all keep up the great work!

[@mlsoundlab]

After multi-output routing, you might want to mute the main ML Drums channel - this will be the master channel in the plugin, so unless you're using this for parallel compression purposes, you can mute it -Kai

[@MahmoudNader]

Im sold .. once this goes on sale ill buy all expansions and the essentials How did i sleep on this one lol

[@h3lio5]

Step 1: download ML drums. Step 2: have a drink while you bounce your track because ML drums is perfection.

[@mlsoundlab]

That's the way to do it! 💪 -Kai

[@DabooksofEli]

If I close my eyes I swear Brynjolf from Skyrim is explaing how to better my drum mix 😁

[@mlsoundlab]

Not sure what that means but I'm sure it's my accent. 😂

[@becominghuman3561]

I can’t unhear it now lol

[@MahmoudNader]

Can't unhear it now lmfao

[@twosons5290]

EQ is for removing microphone characteristics that may get in the way of a clean sound. Frequency separation as well. Giving instruments their “ space” in the mix as it relates to the whole mix. Be careful. EQ affects phase relationships so use as little as possible. It’s all about phase.

[@DS-wi3bk]

wowww thanks man

[@mlsoundlab]

You're welcome! 💪 -Kai

[@Luancwav]

Hey great video! Is the EQ pre or post compression? :

[@mlsoundlab]

Pre-comp!

[@CFChristian]

Reverb everything.

[@sharkuel]

Question: Can you add a second snare to the drumkit? Or are the slots fixed?

[@mlsoundlab]

The slots are fixed, you're not able to add two snares to the kit at this time -Kai

[@sharkuel]

@@mlsoundlab well that would be a great update to have, given that there are a lot of drummers that play with two snares, and the snares you have on ML Drums sound great :)

[@JB._.Uzumaki]

Dude can you send me a preset of already mixed drums for metal? I have the basic free mo drums but am willing to by essentials or dwell kit if I can get a already mixed preset for it!

[@mlsoundlab]

All of our drums packs come with presets - I think Essentials probably has the most presets in the widest variety. Grit is probably the most mix-ready metal kit right out the gate. Dwell is a more natural sounding pack, but the presets are pretty metal-focused. -Kai

[@sheldonwright8770]

My MacBook won’t let me on to your website? Says unprotected & not safe?.. any recommendations?

[@mlsoundlab]

Could you try an alternative browser? -Kai

[@bobrossthetruegodv2]

What DAW or program are you using?

[@mlsoundlab]

Mikko uses Cubase here, but the tips should apply in any DAW! -Kai

[@The1steven2]

Planning on getting a plugin. Which would you recommend for both cleans and hi gain?

[@mlsoundlab]

Good question! Personally I'd say Icon has my favourite clean and hi gain option, though if you want something a bit more raw and dry, it'd be worth looking at the ML5 plugin. I'll be happy to offer up other suggestions if you let me know what kinds of cleans and hi gains you're going for! -Kai

[@The1steven2]

@@mlsoundlab Thanks for the response! I like to play music from bands such as killswitch engage, trivium, slipknot, lamb of god, gojira etc. something that would help me get a great tone for these kind of bands.

[@mlsoundlab]

Pretty varied bag there, I'd say the CB4 plugin might suit your needs best in that case! Killswitch, Slipknot and Lamb Of God all use the drier, raw side of high gain, while Trivium and Gojira are a lot more squashed and saturated. -Kai

[@sohitkhalifa9777]

how to mulit out midi ML drums

[@mlsoundlab]

We did a video covering this! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bX-9XnR3YtVgi5Y -Kai

[@eschaton]

With I hadn't missed the opportunity to upgrade Windows 7 so i could run this. It sounds pretty damn good 😥