How I Recorded Album-Quality Drum Tracks In A Crappy GARAGE

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People will tell you that you need a perfect room, expensive mics, high-end preamps, and a $100,000 console to record professional drum tracks...
And it's COMPLETE B.S.
In this video, I show you how I recorded album-quality drum tracks in a dingy old garage with a basic USB interface and a handful of affordable microphones.
I hope this video inspires you to take immediate action with your music using the stuff you already have.
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All music in video mixed and mastered @ www.frightboxrecording.com

[@FrightboxRecording]

►► Download your FREE Polished Production Checklist by clicking HERE: frightboxrecordingacademy.com/polished-production-checklist/

[@DMSProduktions]

LENT! (NO such word as 'lended'! )

[@adamwells6079]

Bobby out here trying to topple the entire recording industry. If he goes missing, we'll know why

[@cedhawkins5013]

Protect Bobby at all costs!!!✊🏽

[@DMSProduktions]

LMAO!

[@chelseam5927]

Wow! Does Not look crappy to me!! Where I live this garage would cost me $1,000,000

[@craigpaulson3503]

I'd be interested in listening to a mixed recording from your studio and then from your garage (not knowing which is which) and then we can decide which is the better of the two. I think that would definitely prove your point. Thanx for everything you do for us.

[@FrightboxRecording]

That's a great idea!

[@adainjarrio]

Well I doubt it will sound better. Just different. Professional level recordings can be done at home. Zepplin recorded Levee Breaks in a house.

[@FrightboxRecording]

Well said...and to think that was recorded in a house 50 years ago! What we can do now with next to no gear is virtually unlimited@@adainjarrio

[@adainjarrio]

@FrightboxRecording Facts. We get so caught up in recordings sounding great we forget to capture the performance.

[@aeoteroa818]

kevin parker made innerspeaker in a beach house with run of the mill gear and that album won album of the year@@adainjarrio

[@addisonbjork]

This also a testament and puts major perspective on how much we can accomplish from a limited funds/gear perspective. You said that you prefer these situations for recording but there was a point in time where the only option was the big studio for album quality. So thank the tech gods for so much progression and advances in recording!

[@FrightboxRecording]

Well-said, Leroy!

[@godofspacetime333]

I also love drums in cinderblock rooms. And totally agree with the idea that room mics sound good no matter what the room (they just might take some more EQing). You get real drums that sound like they were recorded in a real room, which I think is more and more important nowadays in the era of sample replacement and quantized drums. Home studios should really start utilizing what they have to get cool, unique sounds as an alternative to the pristine sound that is the “modern production” we’re hearing on what they call rock these days. So I’m all for everything in this video. Another tip: those PZM mics are some of the best kick mics around. Stick it inside your kick drum on top of a blanket or whatever muffling you’re using in it, HUGE kick sound with lots of sub lows. Also, if you’ve got a ribbon mic put it in front of the kit like 6-8 feet away 90 degrees off axis so the drumset is in the dead zone of the polar pattern and you’ll get nothing but room sound. Play with the height to adjust how much low end you want. Even just that one mic blended in with the close mics will make the whole kit sound like what you’re actually hearing live in the room while the drummer is playing.

[@TyneGuitar]

Got my subscription. This is exactly the sort of thing I've learned over progressing to high level mixing over the last few years. What it sounds like is what it sounds like. With a good sources, everything can work with everything with enough knowhow. Bravo.

[@southportdrivers]

As a highly prolific and terribly untalented basement recording artist, I greatly appreciate this video and your approach…..great tips and advice and thank you for the free download……my e609 and AT2035 salute you sir……

[@Escapism7133]

A couple of important things (imo) to note that were not brought up: 1.) Even IF you're lucky enough to have access to a garage or other large enough space for this, that doesn't mean your neighbors will be happy about drums being played loudly over and over again for tracking (something that is hard to avoid when you're in a non sound treated space). 2.) Continuing off of sound treatment and isolation, you might also have to worry about the sound of vehicles/traffic and other unwanted sounds if all the separates your room mic is a thin garage door. Nothing like a random car horn, alarm, or motorbike to ruin a take. 3.) I counted 14 mics total. Sure, this is not as many as a pro-studio might use but it's also not "only a handful of mics". I agree with the ethos of this video. Recording should be accessible and not some mythical, expensive, or unarchivable thing for musicians. These 3 things I listed are just potential issues some might run into. Yes, 100% the source [a good musician with a good sounding instrument(s)] is certainly the most important variable when recording.

[@SiloSoundStudios]

I used to have a 3000 square ft facility here in Denver. Ive made a mobile rack with 32channels of PT HDX and preamps. I can travel and make records in unique places now. Ive traveled all over the US now and can honestly say. Its more fun than being trapped in a studio.

[@FrightboxRecording]

I love it!!!

[@liveraddieradder]

It's refreshing to see this, a lot of other audio recording channels & forums make recording drums so intimidating, and they make it seem like you can't get decent quality tracks without spending numerous thousands of dollars. I like the approach of working with the gear you have.

[@WickedDrums]

I love the different styles of content and how you demonstrate the method that you used to get those phenomenal results. Keep it up! 🤘🏼😎

[@WiredTalkWithBigG]

Awesome video Bobby, looking forward to hearing the finished product 🤘😀

[@luis_swlr]

This video came at the right moment for me. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge!

[@coleford4258]

My band recorded our last EP ourselves, and we used a reflective room (old converted garage). Got some good results. We're going to do the same thing for our next album with a bit more knowledge, and some slightly better gear (still fairly budget). Hoping for a killer product without the pro studio costs.

[@GoderikCristobal]

I just downloaded your PDF. I always love scheduling books/personal philosophies on recording methods. Engineers who release those kinds of things always get an instant sub from me because it's like having your college professor in your pocket.

[@LeeVerrill-ym2pt]

Loved the drum sound...the snare is absolutely killing it.

[@vhmendonca]

Great as always, Bobby!

[@CamB00drummer4LYF]

Love this! Sounds killer

[@alterhijo164]

Love this! I often record in untreated rooms with natural reverb. Always seemed more natural than playing in a dead room and applying reverb in post. Work with what ya have mindset!

[@FrightboxRecording]

I've found the same to be true!

[@jimmyjames7809]

I really admire your creativity. This is a very clever approach to recording with astounding results. Great work! 👍

[@ixamedia6572]

Very useful info here!!!❤❤❤ Thank you!

[@iseeu-fp9po]

Very cool video. In my previous band we recorded our drummer in our practice space. It was so much fun and the results were pretty decent.

[@h.p.dominocus]

Excellent room sounds!

[@jannetestailee]

Thank you for this video! I subscribed.

[@robgracia509]

thanks alot buddy the recording sounds awesome thanks for all the tips

[@DadRockAndGuitars]

Crazy how dry those close mics were given the space! Sounds really good 👍

[@nonesovile8812]

Awesome video as well as the stellar sound you have produced.

[@FrightboxRecording]

Glad you liked it!

[@el_ambient_dude7424]

Great video. I also have an unfinished laundry room surrounded by concrete walls which I have added some acoustic treatment but nothing to expensive. Maybe 100 bucks on foam for the ceiling and sides of the room but that's it. I like some of open natural sounds and close mics do a great job of getting the sound. Love the room mic techniques and snakes for suggested tips. Keep it going!

[@dfnymusic3396]

Amazing video as always and definitely an eye opener for the gear obsessed…..

[@mangybones]

Dude you have become my favorite recording/mixing/production guy on KZbin. This information is helping so many people (especially those of us who don't have a ton of money to go to some fancy recording studio). From listening to you over the past couple years, I can confidently say our new album I'm wrapping up will be leagues better than our EP from 2021. Thank you so much! I hope you have exponential success as you go along. ☠🖤🤘

[@FrightboxRecording]

Dude I'm so happy to hear the content has been helpful to you and I can't wait to hear your new album!!

[@mangybones]

Fuck yeah man! I will send it your way when we're finished@@FrightboxRecording

[@joejtunes]

Fantastic video! I’ve always had the same opinion that the room isn’t super important; my friends seem to think you gotta rent out a real studio for great drum sounds, but I’ve tracked drums in a completely drywall basement and got good results. The room mic setup you have is great, and I love the sound you got!

[@ChristianIce]

Garages are super cool to record drums. Great ER reverb, much better than a dead booth in a studio.

[@FrightboxRecording]

I agree!

[@homemademusic7]

This is a breath of fresh air. I have some of this gear already, and feel more confident with the use of this “junk” 😂. Learned alot and look forward to making some recordings. Thanks man!

[@FrightboxRecording]

So stoked to hear that...keep me posted on your recordings!!

[@bm63]

My band recorded two albums in a studio converted barn in 1996 & 1997. (There was a cow shed next door). It was the most basic set up ever. The mic’d drums came out killer, but I can’t recall the close mics we used, but I know we used two RadioShack PZM flat mic as overheads that were stuck to the ceiling. The guy recording us swore but these cheap mics for ambience.

[@vincentemerald2574]

This is awesome Bobby!! I've attempted to record my drummer I got one track finished with lots of editing and drum samples. Mic placement is where I'm falling short . I need to get better results at the source! This is great insight on your simple approach! Great video.

[@1siriuswolf]

This is excellent

[@zerogives]

Love this video 🔥🔥

[@katielowen]

Maaaan this video is super inspiring; thanks a ton for making and showing all of your process! I don't know if you'd consider continuing this video, but would love to see a video where you go through and show your EQing / processing of these room mics vs your overheads. My biggest problem right now is figuring out how to treat overheads vs room mics.. my room mics either have way too much low end to deal with, or can get too harsh.

[@FrightboxRecording]

Stay tuned!

[@mattwhite399]

That’s a great drum sound!

[@nj1255]

My philosophy for recording drums is simple: as long as the drums are good sounding and tuned correctly, you have the right mics for the drums (doesn't have to be expensive mics just as long as they sound good on the kit), you don't need a good sounding room. You don't even need a big room (the garden hose technique and micing the adjacent room works fine).

[@joemarta8221]

Oh man I have almost all the same stuff... you can get super good sounding stuff for not that much. Also running Yamaha stage custom birches with aax cymbals - reasonably priced and sounds really good. Same mics too, just a couple different. Love it

[@Studio22mix]

Some decent good advice here 👍🏼

[@dylanjastle]

Really good vid. New sub

[@FrightboxRecording]

Thanks for watching!

[@jordanols]

This is great!!!!

[@niklase5121]

Nice job man, I'm a fan of these procedures as well. The only problem I experience with very budet friendly electronic components like the Behringer mixers, cheap monitors, etc. is their durability when using them a lot. Greetings from Germany

[@DMSProduktions]

You DID it mate! \m/

[@InnerDegradedFer]

this is amazing!

[@set22band79]

Very cool! We record all our stuff in a garage. Going to take some tips from this. Thank you!

[@FrightboxRecording]

Happy to have been a help 🤘

[@Pandora-Estudio]

Nice Bobby!

[@fartpooboxohyeah8611]

Actually that space is nice and big (although the ceiling looks a little low) and that's desirable for recording. Acoustic treatment is really geared towards small mixing rooms with early reflection problems, this wouldn't be a problem in a room the size of your basement. The sound your going for works well, great job.

[@downcode-backstage]

The crashes/overheads sound great man, this is what the samples struggle with the most! Looking forward to the rest of the process :))

[@FrightboxRecording]

More to come!

[@thorstenhalfas3646]

I Love it!!!!

[@drewbarka833]

sounds great

[@TheIronOutsider]

I'm not sure if it was said in the video, so apologies, but this works because drums are usually in the "Background" of a mix. If you did record in an "acoustically perfect" environment, you would very likely add reverb and delay in post to make the drums sound "big". However, not everything in the mix SHOULD sound "big" or big. Vocals for example would not do as well an environment like that basement, unless that's the vibe you're going for, which a lot of folks probably aren't. A good hack for that would probably be to record your vocals in your car or a closet full of clothes. Very cool video man and very cool way to challenge traditional recording concepts!

[@BcBaxley]

Bobby got them 🐐Skills that make EVERYTHING sound KILLER 🤓🍻🤘

[@mattnagy2565]

That is killer! \m/

[@Pimpadeus]

Thank you for taking the time to produce this very informative and casually entertaining video. Anybody who is hating on you at this point, should probably spend their time producing content instead of trolling people.

[@JamieDrumz]

Meant to tip before but it crashed my browser. Excellent video - very inspiring and brilliantly put together. Thanks again

[@lucyfuir6386]

I often record my drums with 4 mics using My rehearsal room. I have a set of those Octavias for overheads an old 70s shure unidyne II For the snare and a CAD bass drum mic.

[@redwoodlloyd4320]

Thanks. Looking forward to the new King Kelly songs

[@LetsTalkAboutReaper]

i like running my ride mic from underneath, tucked in close near the bell. Seems like it helps reduce bleed significantly, using the ride as a shield from the top side of the kit

[@FrightboxRecording]

I love it! I do it from time to time as well, but sometimes I find I capture too much kick transient in the ride mic with certain drummers. It definitely works well for me for extreme metal when guys are usually hitting lighter.

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

I’ve got those E3.5 monitors in my bedroom studio and they are fantastic

[@FrightboxRecording]

They can also withstand a beating, which is great for Guerilla recording.

[@mitchdeathblossom]

It's about time people wake up and realise, the entire industry post analogue is riddled with clever marketing and lies. As someone who has been recording as a minimalist (small sudio) for almost 20 years now, you dont need fancy speakers, rediculous treatment, expensive microphones, bold claim software, all you need is a pathway to deliver what you hear in your head to the consumer. Digital amp sims have NOT got better in years, theyve just got clever at selling them to you, Drum programs are barely changing right now, its just endless samples that confuse you. You can make top records in any circumstance, the question is, understanding the space, and adapting accordingly, if you have that talent, you are golden. Nice video my dude :)

[@mcpribs]

I’ve had an XR18 for over 4 yrs. Can’t believe more folks don’t use it in the home studio realm. Bought a refurb for under $600. Where can you get 18 I/O?! Match that with PSM-16s, and you’re tracking monitoring is checked off the list, all with two CAT cables. Great vid, thanks!!!

[@GrandNebSmada]

The method of using a cheap live digital mixer as your interface is a legendary tip that not many people seem to realize is a great solution in most cases. I own an M32 that I use at home in exactly the same way.

[@FrightboxRecording]

I agree!

[@ArloTarr]

I’m getting ready to upgrade my Steinberg UR22 to Audient Evo 16 so I can start tracking drums in my home studio. I use EZdrummer 3 for my demos. I write and record the bass/vocals/guitars myself. I found a killer drummer that played in Blue Man Group. This video makes me feel like I’m on track with my plan for recording my music. Thank u🤘

[@FrightboxRecording]

That's so exciting to hear...keep me posted on how it goes!

[@ArloTarr]

@@FrightboxRecording will do. I dig your channel🤘

[@BigNoseTony]

I get very good mixes from an xr18, some 57s and a NT1 pair, a 52. Maybe 7 mic. Into a BS old Lenovo running Linux with reaper. I love the challenge and the savings.

[@jonnyrugg]

Just recorded drums in my reflective dining room , with room mics lying on the floor in the hallway... It was the best sounding drum recording I've made BY FAR. This is so underrated as a technique! Not to mention that none of the mics cost over £150, and it sounded way better than a kit I mic'ed with Neumann mics in a studio...

[@SilentScreamsStudios]

Ya those drums do sound killer. Good video

[@okaight7248]

It came out sounding good! IMO I’ve had experience with garage recordings my entire early career and for super fast music is where it does tend to hit its limit in having a pleasant sound. Too much wash. Easily solved with some DIY treatment though!

[@maxfreniere3563]

Very inspiring Bobby. Question: Is the mono room mic (LDC) pointed at the wall (for reflections) or the drum kit (for more direct sound) ? 🤟

[@FrightboxRecording]

Great question! The mono room is actually facing the kit, but it's much lower in the mix. I have the L & R rooms cranked much louder.

[@CrushingAxes]

Quite sure the bike plays a huge part in the sound. Nice video!

[@FrightboxRecording]

😂

[@iengineer_247]

I do mobile recording with mixing/mastering at home. I like open spaces like this. The studio is cool but something about recording in spaces like this feel more cooler and real. With gear of today you can record anywhere and still make it sound professional!!!

[@FrightboxRecording]

Totally agree!

[@JesseRinaldiDrums]

I wish more people would recommend the xair or other digital rack mixers (i have a soundcraft ui24r) for drummers on a budget recording. Nearly everyone at this level uses 8 channel interfaces like a Focusrite or Tascam and those mixers not only have more channels for not much more money, but they are great for mixing band practice, recording quick ideas without a computer, etc. I had no idea they were even an option until recently.

[@FrightboxRecording]

I agree! You definitely get way more band for your buck with a digital mixer as far inputs. It's also great that it can be used for multiple purposes, like live sound.

[@DonaldMerrit]

With regards to the space/room that you're recording in, a lot of emphasis is placed on having an acoustically perfect room. There is a significant advantage to having and acoustically perfect room, but it isn't necessary for good sounding tracks. To prove my point I offer the following; I live in Southern New Hampshire, I had a subcontracting business and I ended up doing work in Tom Schultz home in Massachusetts. I was in the basement where Tom Schultz recorded the first Boston album. And I can tell you the basement was anything but acoustically correct.

[@LunaticCraft]

interesting perspective on drum recording

[@chrisherrera108]

Excellent video, about to record my first project with my own band , been mixing and mastering for a while but first time tracking.any advice for recording drums in a 10x10 room?

[@FrightboxRecording]

Don't skip the room mics. Also try adding one or two mics in an adjacent room, it'll add a ton to your drum sound.

[@amfk8079]

I ran a mobile setup like this for years before I got out of it. never had an issue with rooms unless they were way too small

[@silentskystudios]

Room mics for the win!

[@LordBaktor]

Nice. My band is very DIY when it comes to recording stuff so I'll show this to our bassist/sound engineer to see if there are any nuggets of info he didn't already know about.

[@FrightboxRecording]

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!

[@LordBaktor]

@@FrightboxRecording He said he's already seen your video. Which was kind of expected of a DIY recording geek.

[@deadave100]

“We were playing in one room in a house with a recording truck, and a drum kit was duly set up in the main hallway, which is a three storey hall with a staircase going up on the inside of it. And when John Bonham went out to play the kit in the hall, I went “Oh, wait a minute, we gotta do this!” Curiously enough, that’s just a stereo mic that’s up the stairs on the second floor of this building, and that was his natural balance.”

[@patrickfouhy9102]

I think the point you're missing when you record in a "proper" studio is that they purposely make the room sound sterile so that it can be a one size fits all kind of thing. That's why the old school albums that are always celebrated for their drum tone were recorded in "unideal" places. Like houses, or barns or whatever. Also, back in the day if you wanted a reverb with "character" many studios had chambers, or plates. I think it's Sunset Sound in LA has or had a basement floor that was an empty concrete room, they'd pipe audio into it from a PA speaker, and record with mics spread out around the room. Essentially making a parking garage for their reverb chamber. They also had actual plates, and spring reverb units for more character. These days, studios have tuned live rooms out of tradition. You mentioned Albini, perfect example, his studio is not a perfectly treated room it was designed with intent, but the intent was to not be sterile. So yes, you can get "pro" results in all kinds of rooms because those are the same types of rooms that pros used for years and years. I couldn't agree more with your list. A great drummer, and well setup kit are infinitely more important than anything else. I have two drummers that I work with pretty consistently, one is a world class drummer, the other has been drumming a long time, but never very serious. It's night and day recording them. Will, the worldclass guy, his tracks are basically done once they are tracked. Add a little compression here and there and a little EQ maybe, and that's it. The other guy takes hours of editing, and so many tricks to avoid using samples. But often times I have to use samples with him.

My only concern if I'll record like this in the future (or in any room that’s not acoustically treated), is how to deal with the neighbors?

[@-Mardos]

Dude the snare sounds awesome. Result of the far away room mics + a drummer hitting consistent rim shots?

[@FrightboxRecording]

It was a combination of a few things: 1) We chose the right snare (an old Yamaha that sounds similar to a Black Beauty). 2) We spent a lot of time finding the right snare tuning. 3) Jake hits the drums very hard....consistently. 4) the room mics captured the natural power and ambiance of the snare in the physical space.

[@gregglen-hoodedratmedia]

F@ck yeah! Well done bro

[@doknox]

Blending in even one room mic can give you some amazing results. Kinda pissed at myself for knowing this but not doing it until recently. I'm in a basement and getting some damn good recordings

[@vulgarproduction]

I can see the close mics and overheads going well, but there are some prices to pay with using room mics in a room with no acoustics. You can “make up” for it in the mix, but it honestly just doesn’t match up with the quality of a real studio setup, or at least having some acoustics. Even some room reverbs tend to do really good in comparison when it comes to the final product IMO. There are a lot of factors to this however, such as the products, the user, etc. You could easily make your own acoustic panels or use blankets, and easily improve the quality you would get out of your mics. You don’t need a fully decked out acoustic setup, but you can control and dial in that reflective environment you like to get a cleaner tone overall that you won’t have to make up for later. I think even just makeshift bass traps themselves would help a lot after listening to the room mics. The setup is unique, and I feel like that is apart of the art itself, so I cant really say what you’re doing is wrong, if anything I think it’s really cool that you’re doing this. I’d even encourage others to do the same, I even started off using iPhone demos to track lol. Buttttt, as someone who records in the garage as well, I would personally aim for a little bit more control of the room. You could get a lot more out of your overheads and room mics using your current mic placements. I’m jealous of the amount of space you have as well lol. Please don’t take this as harsh criticism, I think your doing good, I just had some opinions on some the claims you had about not needing acoustics. I think it would make your life a little easier in the mix, especially on the low end. Maybe even nicer on the ears while recording.

[@JamieDrumz]

Thank you!

[@FOHFILMS]

This is the acoustical definition of “if you can’t beat them, join them”

[@kronbakeren]

nice video! where you able to phase check during setup?

[@MichaelSheaAudio]

You know what sounds sick? A good band playing in a bar or club. Bars and clubs are big, reflective rooms, so it wouldn't make sense to try and recreate that in a nice, sound treated studio. If you want the true sound of a band, record them in a similar setting to where they're likely to be heard. My friend's band had the drums recorded for their first EP in their other friend's basement, and then I recorded everything else and mixed it in my bedroom, since I offered to do it for free because I still wasn't quite there in my mixing. It's not the best mix you've ever heard, but it sounds exactly the way I heard them when I sat in for a practice. It sounds like them. The band is called Vacant Space if anyone is curious, they released the EP in 2020 and their most popular song is Head In The Clouds. I knew that song was their hit and I told them it had to be their first single.

[@FrightboxRecording]

I agree! I have a 2nd KZbin channel where I record bands in small venues and I love the way those rooms sound: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZuugqGGe7anitUsi=WjG6a0PvcfU_IQH0

[@pietrogirgenti367]

Super interesting

[@ezoguitarcovs]

is it a good idea to use one overhead mic for this type of environment? im not looking for this exact reverb like sound but something punchy and sharp. would that work out for that type of sound?

[@rongriguts3660]

Protect this man at all costs.

[@JasonCastellanos]

Maaaaan this is sick! Freaking cool! But, you do think about the room and that´s why you choose this space.. If you need to record jazz or something like that, you will not do it here.. But this cool sound huge drum room makes the REAL source sound... So, in my opinion, the room IT IS important depend on what you need to record, sometimes I use my stairs to record grunge compressed loops.. but congrats bro, those drums sound REAL WARM HUGE!

[@bfunkadelicmusic]

So crazy question but how do you keep those mics, especially the room mics, in phase? Do you not worry about it and use something like AutoAlign?

[@FrightboxRecording]

There were no phase issues whatsoever. I can count on one hand the number of times I've had phase issues in the hundreds of drum sessions I've recorded. Phase is another thing that's overblown and exaggerated on the internet. If it sounds good, it is good.

[@jannik19191]

I think the last point is actually the most important: be prepared. Lay out the track in your daw before recording. Make sure the drummer knows their parts. Think about how you want your drums to sound to serve the sound of the whole track (like in the video with the Albini/Bush comparisons). Also during recording, make sure that the song was actually played correctly. I've had two whole sessions that were unusable because the drummer played some parts too long/short, or skip one beat. Also he wasn't playing to the click very well, so it couln't be saved though editing. Dumb mistakes, but I learned a lot from that.

[@SpendCroof]

Yeah! 🤘.

[@alimkassim]

Nice 👍