Tracking drums with Jack Joseph Puig

Full video available exclusively on mwtm.org/jjp-various-drums
You're watching a snippet from JJP's "Tracking drums" series shot at the legendary United Recording Studios.
Jack Joseph Puig shares his deep knowledge and effective techniques for capturing an impactful drum sound. He first demonstrates the application of certain tools and accessories in preparing a kit, then takes you through his favourite microphones and preamps to use. After discussing details of the acoustic space, drum positioning and microphone placement, Puig enters the control room. Here, he shows a clever way of determining signal polarity, then illustrates his analog treatment of the audio. Joined by legendary drummer Josh Freese, Puig finally auditions every signal and contrasts the raw and processed results for you to hear.

[@mixwiththemasters]

Full video available exclusively on mwtm.org/jjp-various-drums

[@somuchmusic19]

Shout out to Josh for playing that shuffle for 8min straight

[@seanemmettfullerton]

crazy huh?! Josh is a force of nature...

[@nicksmarto]

"All I wanna do when I wake up in the morning is see your eyes"

[@steveataylor8805]

poor drummer at 6+ min the hi hat starts stiffening a bit I'll wet his muscles were screaming, does more fills to shake it off, what an animal, go Josh!

[@steveataylor8805]

bet not wet $%!

[@quentinrochas2243]

Josh Freese is such a machine >

[@atishep]

It's ridiculous how good these drums sound. I'm absolutely amazed by it. The instrument, the room, Josh's playing, the gear, JJP's experience and taste, all part of the picture.

[@BlackRootsUNLIMITED]

💯

[@paolomotta900]

The Rosanna Groove 🥁

[@freez092also]

I was singing the Bernard Half Time Shuffle Rosanna the whole time ;)

[@CHayden07]

JJP’s drum sounds on the Jellyfish records (particularly Spilt Milk) are some of the most bombastic, badass sounding drums I’ve ever heard. Hell, ALL of the sounds on those records are great. Wish I could pick his brain about those sessions.

[@seemtorecall78]

Spilt Milk, that record is amazing

[@danwilson25]

JJP looks like if Alan Rickman was playing Willy Wonka...

[@AndrewJohnClive]

🤣

[@courtbeall7768]

Uncanny resemblance.

[@NinthDensity]

Omg yes

[@OrangutanTradeSalesmen]

funny

[@iambridge1]

I could hear the subtleties even through my iPhone. This guy is a very talented engineer.

[@freez092also]

I love that I'm listening to this on my home control room speakers and can hear everything that JJP is showing us!!

[@Christopher-md7tf]

Weird flex but okay

[@skaneverdies]

Wow. Just the overheads at 3:43 sound better than any full drum mix I've poured over for hours.

[@seanemmettfullerton]

ha! right?! that room is pretty dang special for drums...

[@Fabmus3]

RIP Mr Bruce Swedien you will be missed 😢 🙏 💔

[@DJSidhu24]

😢😭 He will be missed

[@seanemmettfullerton]

Great clip! Thanks MWTM... love the dark and light contrasts and balances. Go Jack! It's been said that the drum kit is the first truly original American instrument. I love that idea :)

[@kodykindhart8230]

Josh just steady crushing 🤩

[@jimbeaux4988]

What a great tour of drum sounds. Thanks for the insight!

[@AG-mz7vm]

Amazingly great sounding drums. JJP!!!

[@TJF97]

This might be the best video MwtM has ever put out

[@subtstudio4861]

Love you Jack! Thank you for teaching us. Amazing.

[@TheMadComposer]

Loved the Porcaro/Purdie shuffle. JJP is a killer engineer with so much to share!

[@BlackRootsUNLIMITED]

Brilliant. Unbelievable. Loving this channel 👌🏿👌🏿 Greetings from Uganda 🇺🇬👊🏿🖤❤️

[@davidcalingasan8131]

Serious question: How did they get the hi-hat mic to be that clean, without any snare bleed?

[@haidar6280]

Supercardioid

[@freez092also]

that is an epic high hat capture!!

[@dancegod1691]

Its about microphone type. There are microphones specifically designed for being drum close-mics that help isolate specific drums.

[@EtcEtcAndEtc]

heavily hi passed too

[@snapascrew]

On top of everything else that everyone has said: He’s not hitting the snare very hard

[@ektopia]

Fascinating vid. Thanks.

[@kylecalandrelle7209]

Sounds amazing!

[@theeverybodies8383]

Awesome shuffle for days , way to go Josh

[@surfz247]

Mr Freeze! Awesome video.

[@ARPEGGIOSMPOFFICIAL]

excellent technic !!!! Thanks!!!

[@Soulpuddinghtx]

Such good info. I mic in a similar way even with the processing, but never with the front and back over heads :o I’ma try it!

[@johnfee4257]

6:25 "obviously not a great sound" lololol that one mic sounds friggin amazing!

[@RiotHomeRecording]

That’s a great console.

[@marc_leblanc]

I use that 200Hz boost as well for snare to give that deeper tone. Sometimes I even cut a half dB on 1k.

[@seanemmettfullerton]

yeah yeah yeah! put some smokey secret sauce on it :)

[@LucasConforti]

me too, with a nice MEQ5.

[@artysanmobile]

Compex really is a magic compressor. It’s the only hardware compressor I truly regret not buying back in the day.

[@seanemmettfullerton]

Yes! soooo punchy on drums... it retains a certain raw and open energy that can get smoothed out by other types of compressors.

[@lazoo2000]

Good one... Thanks!

[@fredbissnette3104]

Kick snare and one overhead

[@BlackenedNL]

Awesome!!

[@unhtread]

That kick 😍

[@fabriceoze]

Thank you

[@rnemchev]

The drummer is a beast!

[@hestonpras]

Can anyone explain to me what "speaker" did he use on the snare (after the 64). Is it a speaker cone that people often use as sub kick? And how would he mic it?

[@dreambook2364]

you can actually rewire an old speaker to be a great sub mic! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqPSfZlmmJeZga8

[@mashcigar]

I had the same question. The tape on that track says JBL SNR.

[@reedbass5644]

This is great! Would have loved a proper look at his miking technique.

[@MoveUpMedia]

I had no idea Professor Snape could engineer a drum kit.

[@o_aydin]

RIP

[@kurdtjohn]

Or Hans Gruber

[@JoeyAndersonMusicProducer]

Compressioso

[@ektopia]

Josh is a machine

[@seanemmettfullerton]

oh totally... he can go from ultra finesse to full-tilt beast mode in a heartbeat. crazy talent!

[@Gretsch0997]

I feel like I missed out on the following - where is the speaker 🔈 mic located for snare. - what’s an “ American “ in audio gear?

[@justiceforcier3853]

This is more.... “Master being a Master with the Master”!

[@Fabelnegros]

ohh laaa thxxxx a lot !

[@bear-headstudios1212]

Jeff P would be proud

[@j.charleshiggins5503]

This is interesting to hear and see, My only issue is you'd have a full 24track 2'' full of just drums. How do you record a whole band like this? I cant get away with that many drum mics unless i pre mixed and commit to that balance and print it. Some bands get recorded to just 4 or 8 track tape, drums get 1 2 channels max. That makes my job much more challenging to make every one in band happy. different work flow I get but having limitations makes for better song writing and arrangements just my 2 cents

[@godofspacetime333]

Yeah being forced to live with what you’re doing generally leads to more interesting results. And also yeah most of us don’t have the luxury of 24 mics on a drum kit. Though I don’t even think it’s necessary; Steve Albini routinely records drums with 8, and no one can argue against his drum sound. The Smashing Pumpkins apparently had two full 24-track machines when they did Mellon Collie, one of them just for drums. But that was Jimmy Chamberlain, and it was like 25 years ago when money wasn’t an issue if you were a band of any note. I’m kinda where you’re at, I’m usually limited to a stereo track for drums (recording on an 8-track), so that means getting drums on tape first or doing them last, either way having to make some commitment. These videos are cool to watch, but I generally find almost nothing I can actually take away from them.

[@fairuzhussaini7301]

0:36-0:39 Thank you.

[@dreamwavez]

If you are a MWTM member and a video like this comes out, are there multitracks provided? On non-copyrighted material like this shuffle beat?

[@ricerice245]

who drew all over your fader?

[@DomSimpsonDrums]

Has anyone seen the full video and know where exactly he placed those cymbal spot mics? They look like they're real close up on the bell of the cymbal which in my experience is where all the nasty overtones live. Would love to see a different angle of the kit to see just how they're placed.

[@maxhammerum7705]

With great cymbals you won’t have any nasty overtones, only good ones.

[@FVDaudio]

wooohooo 🎶👏🏻

[@TANKSINATRA289]

At What lever does He record the drums ?

[@joehernandez2021]

How did he get that hi hat mic so clean?!

[@Behine.DeChilis]

That's my question too! How is it so isolated? There is no bleed from anything else. I can never get that right. Gating wouldn't work I don't think, too much information coming through.

[@joehernandez2021]

@@Behine.DeChilis exactly. I usually mute the hi hat mic if nothing is playing but other than than there not much else I can think to do other than filtering.

[@apollospyrol7168]

Supercardioid mic probably with a high pass to

[@ChristianIce]

Looks very close and in axis with the Hihat stand. Sounds hipassed too.

[@onionhat9141]

definitely a Rosanna inspired groove

[@jas_bataille]

It is the Rosanna shuffle, even the fills are about the same :) For 15 years I've been studying drums and been working on this groove for 8 or 9 years no kidding. I'm pretty good at it now... but not yet at Josh's level

[@coscrupi]

Shout out to Jeff P 😎

[@AaronSternke]

How about a hand for the drummer

[@wyshwood]

Somebody please set up a campaign to get the funds for that missing slider knob

[@levikerteszdrums]

I’ll never use any of this equipment lol

[@ChrisBrideauMedia]

Same. Sad face.

[@crackerbarn]

If you are the luckiest person on the planet to be able to do this for a living and using that kind of gear well kudos to you!! HOWEVER, back here on earth this is nothing but showing you what you will never be able to do if your a indie producer/engineer. I believe most people watching this, to include myself, this is nothing but gear porn. It would be nice to see these high-end engineers show you how to do a lot with a little and with gear that most people have access to.

[@user-ze5oe9tx5t]

It’s a good reference point for what you can work with should you be willing to put in the work to get there. That’s not an easy task, and not everyone is cut out for it. But people of that caliber start on earth and work their way to the sky.

[@TheHouseofKushTV]

This is only true if you limit your thinking and reactions to the specific sounds and examples he's using and talking about. But behind all of his explanations, underneath and between the words, is his mindset. Ignore the WHAT of it all, pull back and listen to HOW he's listening, the things he's listening for, the things he responds to, what he does with the information that's coming into his ears... that's the money, that's what actually matters and that's what can be leveraged in any production at any level.

[@sbrave]

Could've recorded a loop?

[@ChristianIce]

No, if you want to A/B with the compressors On and Off.

[@sbrave]

@@ChristianIce Can still do with him playing a loop

[@ChristianIce]

@@sbrave Repatching everything just so the drummer won't have to play? It would take double the time, and drummers are expendable :)

[@genephillips4809]

Kinda figured he’d play Rosanna...

[@HunterMusicYoutube]

why does this feel like waaaaay to many mics? impossible to mix

[@eutheuz1410]

that's why they already processing it. after that is just a matter of details

[@kodykindhart8230]

Are you from the 60s 🤣🤣🤣 don’t get me wrong but 8 to 16 mics on a drum kit seems normal to me you don’t always have them in or sometimes is subtly

[@autodidacticprofessor869]

I agree. Just not a fan of this type of drum mic setup. The more mics, the more phase issues and the less impact the drum hits actually have. I respect JJP but this is a bit too much for my taste. I will say that Steve Albini uses lots of mics but does so in a way to get the drums to sound impactful and huge. I just don't get that vibe from this.

[@apollospyrol7168]

@@autodidacticprofessor869 you dont think these drums sound huge?

[@joshuamrosenau]

mixes are like meals. the simple ones are the most satisfying. sure you might remember some crazy complicated preparation at a fancy restaurant, but the meals you actually value are the ones that did one or two things really well. there is just too much going on here to have a clear feeling about the result. the result is the only thing that matters, and you don't need all this wizardry to get good results. have one clear idea, not five. have one or two good microphones. use your ears more than your eyes, or your wallet, for that matter.

[@SocialGore]

Why does he dress like a magician

[@skunkdub760]

Because he is.

[@Pianomagicdude]

Listen to Spilt Milk by Jellyfish and you'll understand why

[@TheHouseofKushTV]

For the same reason you comment like a snarky tween? Just a theory...

[@SocialGore]

@@TheHouseofKushTV So it's because you're empty inside?

[@Chris-sv8ty]

I was told to never trust a guy with a fedora but now I'm conflicted

[@brownhooque]

We only THOUGHT Hans Gruber was dead. 😈

[@mrhexadus1303]

when your suit is worth more then some peoples cars...

[@courtbeall7768]

Josh's right hand had to feel like falling off.

[@craigsanderson4330]

That snr speaker mic is gravy.

[@seanemmettfullerton]

right?! just tuck that thing in there!

[@sleepisoptional]

JJP always looks like his mother still dresses him

[@mostpeoplearebots]

lol

[@Christopher-md7tf]

Why does he look like a bad magician

[@mattcartwright1638]

Why did the drummer count in when he's on his own.. Pisses me off when people do that. Sick beats though

[@TheHouseofKushTV]

He's a session player, every studio track needs a count in, it's a professional habit. It also signals what's about to happen to everyone from the engineer in the room to the editor in post, which makes their life easier.

[@dino_not_dyno]

so much sub comig off that kick regardless of the sub kick addition. the main kick tuned super subby

[@sadmachinesaudio6462]

If he is so warm that he starts sweating why doesn't he shed the Willy Wonka costume?

[@dms5341]

what's with the hat

[@JamieTateJamieTate]

He forgot to mic the drum stool. That kinda sounded like sh!t.

[@jas_bataille]

Ahahahaha

[@ChrisBrideauMedia]

I can not for the life of me get my hats to sound that good. Tons of bleed.

[@CotymoG]

Don’t be afraid to high pass, and a supercardiod mic won’t hurt, either!

[@Studio8Recording]

How the F is he getting SO MUCH isolation on the hihat mic? Barely hear anything but hat! FML

[@vladfarcam4817]

Nobody is feeling sad for the drummer?

[@jas_bataille]

Why? I've been playing for 15 years. Any good drummer can go on and on and on for hours and we have a blast! If you get tired you have bad technique!

[@vladfarcam4817]

@@jas_bataille really? Like you can just keep going? For me(not a drummer) the shuffle seemed demanding lol. Good to know!

[@jas_bataille]

People in the comment made me laugh... yes any good pro drummer can play for hours an end without getting tired... I've been playing for 15 years and this groove I practiced for 8-9 years, trust me going for 8 minutes is absolutely nothing, I can go for 30 min routinely in a jam even continue going on after everyone stopped playing to keep the beat between instruments switches or song to keep the vibe going. This is the standard that pro drummers are held to, Josh is amazing, but it's really nothing special, if you've ever been to a pro level jam session, that's expected really. Just a matter of technique and experience, we're not even remotely breaking a sweat lol

[@Gretsch0997]

Jesus.....? Was the guy having to drum the whole time?