Cutting Through the Mix - PART 1 | Season Four, Episode 45

[@NacekO]

I've learned exactly this over the years of playing an instrument in badns. Everybody was always miserable because of exactly the things you describe here. Trying to play too much at once and everything ended up a jumbled mess. But the we learned the three most important thing of music. Arrangement, arrangement, arrangement :D

[@ZeBubba]

Basically, cutting through a mix = a good dynamic arrangement. Well put.

[@jonashellborg8320]

My own favourite memory is when I was drumming and singing, and overpowering my vocal line with a huge cymbal hit. I wish I could say it’s only happened once. Excellent stuff - I really like the ego talking points. It can be subtle, not always that you’re an all out diva. It can be enough to have practised and developed a lot, and you want to show it off to everybody. But maybe that’s not the goal of this very gig/recording session.

[@AdamSoucyDrums]

This is why I love you guys. The importance of context/setting/arrangement gets TOTALLY lost when so many people discuss this stuff!

[@benr4165]

Really helpful discussion. Having played many musical theater shows and rhythm sections supporting a vocal groups, I have been well served by always asking myself, how can I best make the other performers shine? Most of the time, I need to decrease so others can increase.

[@drummercarson896]

Awesome topic and very interesting video

[@theintellectualdrummer1541]

Any advice for approaching band members on this topic? Specifically the concept of bringing the overall volume level down to allow for a more interesting and effective dynamic range? I've personally never heard any guitar player utter the phrase, "Gosh, my amp is turned up too loud guys sorry bout that let me just turn down some." Admittedly, I suffered from playing too loud too often for quite some time. I have remedied that a great deal, but still have a ways to go in my own dynamics. These days, though, I am very aware of and intentional about my dynamics which necessarily means I play softer much of the time. Oftentimes, this means being completely washed out as opposed to sitting comfortably in the mix. One part banana to 20 parts strawberry if you will. Love the channel, gents. Always excited to see a SLD notification!

[@grantturley8600]

As an audio engineer I can’t love this video enough. Thank you!!

[@jasonshort1437]

Great video. I think we as drummers would be taken more seriously as musicians if we tried blending in more rather than cutting through a situation. I took a lesson with the great Paul Wertico and he told me to try and be transparent in the music. Such great advice.

[@taylorunis5418]

You guys should do a video on only dampening the bottom head. I’ve been using a very thin piece of flannel from a craft store on the bottom on the reso side of my floor tom with bull dog clips on the rim. Did this to my floor tom and tuned it Benny Greb style. It has so much tone and punch and rings out just the right amount. I’m looking into internal mufflers on all my toms and only using it for the reso side. It’s changed my life you guys should look into it and do a video on it. I have pictures if you want to know what I’m doing. Love your stuff guys

[@mr.145]

Once upon a time every one played through 50 watt amps then it became 120 watts..we stil had the same gear.As a side note ,Earl Palmer used a Zildjian A 18" crash ride ,to in his words " cut through the mix" it worked on Sinatra records, Batman,Flinstones themes etc. I have one and from the 90s( they are different now) and not my favourite on my ears when playing it ..but it sure does cut through.

[@paulbruno8327]

Well said Cody!

[@dodo13500]

Great info!!!

[@-thebigclatter-50sjzrr86]

great channel..👏🥳👍

[@famitory]

I play drums almost exclusively for my own compositions, and my best "cutting through the mix" tip is to set up each element so they aren't stepping on eachothers frequency ranges. tuning the snare higher if the guitar will be tuned down, picking dark cymbals if the mix has a lot of bright stuff going, ECT.

[@famitory]

to that end there are a handful of times where the more destructive "cutting through the mix" really actually what's needed. great example is a track I did that's straight ahead DnB, it needed a really aggressive ride bell sound so that at the beginning of each 8th, the bell sound can briefly overpower the resse bass without having to duck it or any of the other elements.

[@GrampaPiggie]

#willitblend love this! tysm for the video. it was incredibly informative. I would love to hear some examples of two instruments playing off of each other at different sound intervals and rhythm choices to really hammer that point home. Not everything needs to be loud, not everybody needs to be playing sixteenth notes, know when it's your time to shine. When talking about cutting through the mix I think back to jazz rhythm sections and how locked in everybody is in not just tempo, but also volume and knowing when to lay back or step forward.

[@bradchoi9679]

Spot on about the ego thing. Lots of musicians have that "look at me" complex. LOL!!

[@bruceslam261]

I'm playing a gig next week. I think this will help me a lot!

[@OvExX]

you're right in most things.. though there are things that DO need to cut through the mix and there are things that need to be "felt" more than "heard". depending of genre of course, in rock you need that hi hat and snare to cut through the mix, in jazz that ride, in metal that bass drum and snare. As you said, it is all about balance, but the whole accoustic picture usually needs certain aspects of each instrument to cut through the mix. its not about just which is louder, or the size of the egos, its about differentiating which part of the sound of each member needs to be in the "cut through the mix" group y and which doesnt. and there yo actually can have every member "cut through the mix" regardless of how much time to "shine" each one has. a great example for this is bryan mays guitars, which have a kind of agressive cut in lows and mids, but it cuts through the mix, and sharing a similar approach for the other instruments, the whole spectrum is covered, all instruments are perfectly heard and it sounds amazing. just dont listen to that guitar on its own. you might find it lacking tone.

[@dorianclini]

All my breakthroughs (both for my sound and my playing) happened while I was recording. Sound guys would tell me "Your toms are too low". I wouldn't understand. Then, I would record and realise that I couldn't hear the pitch of the toms, or tell them apart. So I would tune them up, and BOOM! They would come to life! I would also write all sorts of intricate riffs for my bands. Then I would record them and realise they sound so muddy. So I would start looking for an alternative that sounded good on the record. And I would come up with this super simple drum riff that would just KILL it! So my personal piece of advice is to record yourself. This is how you will be able to take a step back and understand what you can't understand when you're too busy hitting sticks like Animal lol!

[@marcusbrown87]

You guys should do an episode on how to blend into the mix easier. I often find myself trying not to cut through too much, even though I play mostly rock and metal (i know, i know - i should be happy to cut through the mix right?) It's good to have options though and I think most drummers, no matter what style they play, can probably relate. Just thinking about what the answer is here, and I would imagine you would suggest different cymbals, sticks and even playing quieter. My problem with being told to play quieter is, by doing so, you change your tone completely. Imagine if everyone told John Bonham to play quieter, or Danny Carey... Maybe there is no answer to my question... Did I even ask a question? i dunno

[@MrDeagunJones]

If I had a dollar for every time I watched a live band and especially when the drums weren't mic'd And all you can hear were the snare and cymbals maybe the first or second tom, but as soon as the guy started playing the floor toms, he might as well been playing air. So many people think they need to tunel their drums super low, and they only hear how they sound right at the drum when you're playing them. But they don't realize that it's not transferring to the audience. Just to mention one drummer who realized this and found a way to solve it. That would be John Bonham.

[@firstnamelastname9955]

I still struggle with this. I just lay into my floor tom super hard though, as mine is only 13x12

[@buckjohnson2836]

@@firstnamelastname9955 Check out some of kenny sharretts videos on tuning intervals. This changed a ton for me as he shows you what he uses for live shows that are just proven methods and tunings for live playing. The sound guys have been very happy with my tuning lately :).

[@catfishmudflap]

I've always heard the phrase, but, kind of ignored it. Now I know why. When everyone in the band can hear each other, that's the enjoyable part.

[@The_Other_Ghost]

Buying roto toms?

[@jonathanreddish8590]

most of the issues of density, are best sorted out in the song writing, and orchestration.....

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Exactly! And depending on the format of composition, this may need to be more of a verbal gathering of the musicians in order to agree upon the priorities within the music.

[@ericessenberg3591]

The most important person in the band is everyone but me. If everyone in the band felt this way……

[@matthewkeane8382]

Kale! /:

[@DoppelgangerShockwave]

All that matters is sounding good together. Anything else is an ego trip.

[@balfit]

Mic drop

[@patdeniston3697]

ego? 🤔 I have no ego if you wanna cut through the mix then concert toms and Paiste rude cymbals will do the trick 😁

[@raynoobkac]

high tuning + rimshots on toms..