Mixing Drums With DEPTH & CHARACTER

Here are a handful of techniques to add Depth and Character to your drum mixes! We'll look at enhancing your drums with rooms sounds and saturation, as well as a few handy tips and tricks on cleaning up harsh cymbals and dealing with stray peaks.
I'm Rhys Zacher and I run Spinlight Studio in Newcastle Australia.
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[@WaBoo78]

Shit, everything looks so easy and relaxed with you. your tips are really great! Thanks!

[@spinlightstudios]

Thank you!

[@gustavopeters227]

Man I always learn something from you! you're the real legend

[@spinlightstudios]

Thank you mate! Glad you’re taking something away from these videos!

[@12Ytse]

Bro, you’re a legend!

[@spinlightstudios]

Thanks mate!

[@audiodemon]

All great tips. Saturation definitely adds so much 'mojo' and life to drum tracks - and many other tracks to be honest. The snare room sample is a great idea.

[@spinlightstudios]

Thanks man! Saturation is a secret weapon - blended to taste 😄 Thanks for watching!

[@thebubuofficial1785]

Those distortion/saturation effects......... Killer tricks 🔥🔥🔥. Well done man 👌

[@spinlightstudios]

They work so well! Thanks for watching man!

[@Nikogigineishvili]

Best tips, what I saw on KZbin!

[@spinlightstudios]

Thanks mate!

[@akeyzstudio6620]

i will really love you do a full tutorial on one of your mixes

[@geirjohannessen8480]

Brilliant video man

[@spinlightstudios]

Thanks mate!

[@Simeon_Harris]

great tips!

[@spinlightstudios]

Glad you think so!

[@danthemanmillan]

Great stuff!

[@spinlightstudios]

Thanks Daniel

[@akeyzstudio6620]

nice one thanks for all this tips

[@spinlightstudios]

You’re welcome!

[@russgenders7550]

best channel

[@spinlightstudios]

Cheers Russ! Your support is appreciated mate!

[@mariobecerra6251]

Nice video !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@spinlightstudios]

Thanks mate!

[@xangai87]

Hey, awesome video! Insane tips! About boz clipper, did you put on the end of the snare and kick chain or just before compressor or sort?

[@spinlightstudios]

Thanks man! I put the clipper at the very end of the kick bus and snare bus - which is where I’m summing all related close mics and samples.

[@AlterSoundsPH]

my brain hurts

[@spinlightstudios]

😝😝

[@philippgrunert8776]

Those toms sound brilliant. Do you incidentally have a video on your approach to mixing those? This is my personal issue in mixing drums, they always end up thin and papery for lack of another word.

[@spinlightstudios]

Thanks mate! I have a few drum mixing videos if you want to take a look!

[@01left]

Hi ..awesome video ! What Snare Sample did you use? Thx

[@spinlightstudios]

Thanks man! Unfortunately I’m not sure, I printed the samples and deleted the triggers in the session haha but probably snares from the CLA trigger expansion or GetGood Drums modern and massive. They are my two usuals!

[@evanmcgregor3758]

Awesome video! Thanks. Question though - by lowering the volume of the room mic and having it only come up when the snare hits, doesn't this imply that the only part of the room mic sound you want is the snare aspect of it? I always assumed that a desirable part of the room mic is the full kit to gets it depth, but you're not getting any of that with that processing, correct?

[@evanmcgregor3758]

ok whoops, I think I misunderstood... so are you just expanding the whole room sound when the snare hits, which allows you to bring down the overall room mic volume down but not completely? This way essentially you just have move snare in the room sound than everything else?

[@spinlightstudios]

Yeah basically just making the room sound pop out more on the snare - makes the snare feel bigger. It’s a blend to taste kind of thing, if you want all your drums really roomy, then don’t use this technique, if you just want the snare to feel more explosive with ambience/room sound but keep the kit a little tighter sounding, this is a good technique!

[@Bania107]

I Love to use radiator on drums. I thought i am the only one 😅

[@spinlightstudios]

Radiator on drums is tasssty

[@georgezorbas9036]

What about phase with all this parallel mixing. ( I like your videos..fast, clever, no much talking)

[@spinlightstudios]

Thanks! I haven’t ever noticed a phase issue, I just make sure to route the parallel processing into the drum bus, that seems to keep it all Sounding tight

[@georgezorbas9036]

@@spinlightstudios route the parallel drums processing into drum buss. Oh..I usually don't do that. I thought I should blend the parallel with the drum bus both going to master bus. You think what you said would work better?

[@SoundsByHeazy]

Hey @spinlightstudios and @georgezorbas9036 I've also never though about routing my return tracks in the drum bus, I've always ran them along side into the mix bus. I'm deffo going to try adding them into the drum buss to see if it all glues together a little more!

[@SoundsByHeazy]

@@spinlightstudios I've also never thought about routing my return tracks into the drum bus, I've always ran them along side into the mix bus. I'm deffo going to try adding them into the drum buss to see if it all glues together a little more!