Tracking drums with Jack Joseph Puig

[@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 $%!

[@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.

[@BlackRootsAcademyOfSoul]

💯

[@AnodyneHipsterInfluencer]

Yea, for sure. Really, this is like the absolute _pinnacle_ of drum recording; the drummer, the kit, the room, the engineer, the microphone selection, the preamps, EQ's and transformers in that _incredible, DOUBLE wide_ Neve 8068 console, the selection of outboard equipment - it's kind of akin to a kid on his Xbox, creating a _ridiculously_ over powered player on his Madden football or FIFA soccer game. With all their stats just totally *MAXED* out. Some engineers put up a ton of mics on a drum kit, then get all bashful about it and try to dismiss it by saying "Well, I likely won't use at least half of these mics. They'll just give us the flexibility to find what sounds work on this kit and in this room and give the mix engineer plenty of options." Whereas with JJP it's like, "No, we'll use all the mics" with each one having it's own unique roll in the grand scheme. I like that about him. Although he always defers to the importance of knowledge, skill and experience, I appreciate that he also dismisses the pretentiousness of producers and engineers doing interviews and talking about "the gear really doesn't matter" while sitting in their personal control room with a million dollars of console, mics and outboard equipment surrounding them. With some big time mix engineers talking about, "I can get my mix done without _any_ of this stuff and do it all in the box." Which although _technically_ true, it belies the fact that when they mix entirely in the box, they're doing so as a matter of _budget_ because the project dictates it. They conveniently fail to mention that, when budget allows for it or when they're working on their own, personal, passion projects that they want to sound as big and impressive as possible, then suddenly plugins go by the wayside and their vintage, "blue stripe" 1176's, army green LA-2's, Fairchild 660's and 670's, giant EMT plates, H3000's, Lexicon 480's, RMX 16's and the like all get fired up and put to work.

[@quentinrochas2243]

Josh Freese is such a machine >

[@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

[@paolomotta900]

The Rosanna Groove 🥁

[@freez092also]

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

[@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!!

[@Howitchewstofeel5gum]

Weird flex but okay

[@Fabmus3]

RIP Mr Bruce Swedien you will be missed 😢 🙏 💔

[@DJSidhu24]

😢😭 He will be missed

[@kodykindhart8230]

Josh just steady crushing 🤩

[@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...

[@TJF97]

This might be the best video MwtM has ever put out

[@AG-mz7vm]

Amazingly great sounding drums. JJP!!!

[@BlackRootsAcademyOfSoul]

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

[@jimbeaux4988]

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

[@danwilson25]

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

[@AndrewJohnClive]

🤣

[@courtbeall7768]

Uncanny resemblance.

[@NinthDensity]

Omg yes

[@OrangutanTradeSalesmen]

funny

[@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!

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@theeverybodies8383]

Awesome shuffle for days , way to go Josh

[@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.

[@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?

[@RiotHomeRecording]

That’s a great console.

[@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 :)

[@johnfee4257]

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

[@ektopia]

Josh is a machine

[@seanemmettfullerton]

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

[@rnemchev]

The drummer is a beast!

[@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

[@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.

[@unhtread]

That kick 😍

[@fredbissnette3104]

Kick snare and one overhead

[@ricerice245]

who drew all over your fader?

[@ektopia]

Fascinating vid. Thanks.

[@kylecalandrelle7209]

Sounds amazing!

[@justiceforcier3853]

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

[@fabriceoze]

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?

[@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?

[@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.

[@wyshwood]

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

[@surfz247]

Mr Freeze! Awesome video.

[@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.

[@bear-headstudios1212]

Jeff P would be proud

[@fairuzhussaini7301]

0:36-0:39 Thank you.

[@ARPEGGIOSMPOFFICIAL]

excellent technic !!!! Thanks!!!

[@TANKSINATRA289]

At What lever does He record the drums ?

[@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 :)

[@lazoo2000]

Good one... Thanks!

[@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

[@Fabelnegros]

ohh laaa thxxxx a lot !

[@coscrupi]

Shout out to Jeff P 😎

[@AaronSternke]

How about a hand for the drummer

[@BlackenedNL]

Awesome!!

[@FVDaudio]

wooohooo 🎶👏🏻

[@Chris-sv8ty]

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

[@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?

[@levikerteszdrums]

I’ll never use any of this equipment lol

[@ChrisBrideauMedia]

Same. Sad face.

[@genephillips4809]

Kinda figured he’d play Rosanna...

[@mrhexadus1303]

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

[@courtbeall7768]

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

[@brownhooque]

We only THOUGHT Hans Gruber was dead. 😈

[@sleepisoptional]

JJP always looks like his mother still dresses him

[@mostpeoplearebots]

lol

[@Studio8Recording]

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

[@dino_not_dyno]

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

[@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!

[@craigsanderson4330]

That snr speaker mic is gravy.

[@seanemmettfullerton]

right?! just tuck that thing in there!

[@dms5341]

what's with the hat

[@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!

[@Howitchewstofeel5gum]

Why does he look like a bad magician

[@sadmachinesaudio6462]

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

[@JamieTateJamieTate]

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

[@jas_bataille]

Ahahahaha

[@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.

[@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?