Vic Firth: Stories Behind The Sleeves | Gavin Harrison

[@miloszkisio6063]

Listening to Gavin talk is just as enjoyable as listening to him play drums. I love this guy!

[@dr.strange.2655]

Agree.

[@RogierRJDonker]

Totally!

[@nexdrums]

Yeah me too!

[@narwal3178]

Despite he is a very eloquent guy and does have a lot to tell, I honestly listen to him play even more then talk :)

[@CameronWinters]

No doubt this will have a ton of invaluable info. Saving this for later so I can take notes. And I don't even play drums...

[@edhannigan4327]

It’s so weird to hear Gavin mention Hammonds Hammers I’d forgotten those. I remember when Gavin would come into the shop in Watford with myself, Matt and Pete and he’d just chill out, grab sticks and talk drums. He’s always been a top guy 👍

[@RogierRJDonker]

Great info. People often forget these guys started out like everyone else. They just put in time and dedicated themselves. Gavin is just brilliant.

[@magatsujuke960]

Instead of taking a box and packing it to see what fits inside, Gavin Harrison takes multiple boxes and puts them inside and on top of one another. It’s so inspiring how creative he is while also keeping totally in control of his timing, volume, and timbre to fit the song. Definitely my favorite drummer of all time. I’m just sad I don’t live in Europe lol

[@sigsfast]

He’s such a MONSTER drummer

[@DavidePettirossi]

I have the fortune to be a Vic Firth artist myself and what it’s really interesting for me to note is the fact that I had in my hands of both the Rock models and the Spears just before landing to your model! I must also say that in the middle I used for several years the Buddy Rich, both for their length and for the shape of the fabulous tip that work so well on the cymbals and that reminds me a lot of both the model Spears that yours. I’ve been using your model for about 6/7 years now and I find them the best drumsticks ever and I think I will use them for a long time. Thank you Gavin, thank you Vic Firth!!!

[@afqt80]

As always, fascinated by the musicality and creativity of Gavin. And finally got to see the big room. Those mics in the big room sound so amazing.

[@LDdrums20]

How not to love this gentleman? A true drum hero and an audio geek

[@williamkjwilliamkj1815]

I think Gavin needs to do a full house tour now. Vic Firth Cribs. Those studio mixes sounded badass.

[@mikelealbadrummer]

That drum kit sounds so damn good, maybe one of the best I've ever heard.

[@JustLilGecko]

44:44 Those splashy quarter notes on the hihat with the foot is amazing holy crap

[@charlesabboud1613]

An insanely creative drummer with phenomenal chops at the top of his game…

[@danielvdspank5183]

i just saw him live at Bospop, so seeing this just makes me more excited to sit behind the kit again, and actually getting my own acoustic set and studio. Man, i love your work Gavin, espaccialy the 'porqupine tree' stuff! So this was super valluable to me❤!

[@NikhilSharma-Capt]

Gavin just makes it look so easy its so natural when he plays. He is one of the most influencing drummers i 've ever come across. Learned a hell lot of things with Gavin every time I hear his music. He really makes the drums proud when he is playing them .

[@crisdrumming]

I have been waiting years for this video. Finally an organised presentation of some of Gavin’s pills of wisdom. Great man.

[@martingregory161]

Fantastic! Gavin is the epitome of skill, musicality, eloquence, and intelligence - both behind and in front of the kit. Thank you Vic Firth and Mr. Harrison!

[@wagnerdamasceno3]

thanks Gavin and thanks Vic Firth!!!

[@dbass4973]

im not even a drummer myself, but have watched the whole video with a great interest Gavin is the best

[@justinrensel8518]

I used to watch his videos before I started playing drums...cough cough

[@DMSparky]

Wow it’s really amazing how meticulous, well practiced and knowledgeable Gavin is with absolutely everything related to his craft. I guess there is a reason he has one of the most recognizable sounds in drum history.

[@НаильМагжанов-ю1б]

Most tasteful drummer ever 🙏🙏🙏

[@DrummerK]

Anyone else notice the really slick stick swap @17:25? What an amazing drummer!

[@UserNameNiemand]

Amazing! You can even hear the bouncing of that stick for a split sec.

[@Jamesdrums89]

played it back twice haha can hear it bounce :P sleek as always

[@OliKember]

What a masterclass! Truly so generous of Gavin to give us so many insights. Thank you Vic Firth for putting this together for us!

[@santibanks]

Great interview with Gavin! I love his sound for more than a decade now. It's so recognisable. First time I heard him was live with PT. Those first opening drum hits in FOABP (which was not yet recorded at that time) really hit me like a hammer. I never heard a drummer sound like that and have that effect. Just a few notes regarding his recording. The SOR8 plugin (highly recommended) is supposed to emulate the EL Distressor hardware too. And Gavin can use a lot of bleed from the tom mics in his recordings because his kit sounds top-notch, his recording space is tuned, his playing is stellar, and the quality of his mics is very high. The problem with bleed is that stuff ringing all the time is the sound of a drumkit, but most people are not able to capture their drums nicely, especially the toms. This means that as a mix engineer, you will try to make the toms sound nicer by adding a lot of processing. The problem is that by changing the sound of the tom, you are also changing the sound of the other elements in the kit because they are captured on that same track. To make things worse, bad mic setups will then cause you phase issues and the panning might be weird because the snare sound is coming from multiple sources panned all over the place. And to add insult to injury: certain drummers are loud on their snare and cymbals but weak on their toms, resulting in tom mic recordings which have more cymbals and snare in them than actual tom sounds. To finally top it off with that the sound of the snare mic is out of time with other mics. Simply because sound waves need to travel and the snare mic will be hit first, then the toms, then the overheads. There is a good few milliseconds difference which can give you phase issues. Personally: i'd usually either gate or cut up the tom track to have just the hits. Mixes far easier and gives better control over the sound. It takes a lot of investment and practice to get the quality Gavin is getting. I can tell you that even in professional studios and trained engineers, not all of them will be able to get the sound Gavin gets.

[@ВладимирЧебоксаров-ж8з]

17:23 I've seen the performance about 15 times, before I saw that. Amazing, such a fast and at the same time confident movement with the stick.

[@barkingeye]

That was enjoyable. Gavin is awesome. And who would have thought that his spare room in his house for reverb was a gymnasium. :-)

[@samuelp5649]

This should be advertised more. Honestly, so many questions I've for many years have been answered RE his mix and studio sound. and I accidently stumbled across this!

[@WayneDdrums]

Anyone wanting to record professional drums, this is an excellent video to bookmark. So many great tips, all adding up to an excellent drum sound. Gavin is a master at the craft, start to finish.

[@csanakyattila3665]

Please, someone upload this version of Uncovering Your Tracks! At 13:59 in this video. Its great to hear Gavin talking, but this song I have to listen to again and again :-) A drumming masterpiece.

[@gusbandicoot]

This is absolutely BRILLIANT! Thank you Gavin and Vic Firth!

[@jonashellborg8320]

This “behind the sleeves” series by Vic Firth is amazing, I must say. I have loved every episode of it I’ve seen, and this is no different: amazing stories, insights, in such a nice format. Thank you!

[@MateuszKoscielny]

Thank you so much for those The Pineapple Thief songs❤My favourite band🔥 They are great😊

[@NikhilMaira]

I have been waiting for this video since May 28th 🔥💯and no matter how many times I see Sir Gavin Harrison play, talk, or deconstruct a simple concept, fact or just show us a magic trick. There's something to learn in every second of his music, published videos, or interviews. This lockdown has been so tough on me, I have not had a chance to play the drums as much due to a variety of ill-fitting cogs which hinder motion and progress. So stoked to see the big hall and the big room mics, that made me smile the most-your home is an absolute marvel! I love the sunlight falling inside and the architecture, down to the star-studded knob on the staircase. The mixing masterclass was phenomenal, so many easter eggs to learn from. Thank you for being a beaming lighthouse of inspiration for us kids in India, who have grown up listening to your albums on repeat and dared to pick up drumsticks, in the hope to have 0.01% of your skill, dedication, focus, and commitment. Lastly, thank you Vic Firth for this wonderful series release! 🌟

[@paulandrews__]

What a legend. Thank you Gavin and thank you Vic Firth.

[@rayauclair2543]

The man is Amazing!!! Can watch him play for dayzzzzz.

[@M4RCM0NT31R0]

7:11 i cracked up on that part 🤣! The bit that made me laugh was the "Oh yeah, what's this then?" part (7:22)!

[@markmullen9919]

Best drum video I've ever watched. But I'm very partial to Gavin so that might have a lot to do with it.

[@JohnPaulsEuropa]

That was great...always love to hear what time has unfolded for an honest and willing knowledge transfer. I don't have a big room, but the overhead placement and explanation was a light bulb moment for sure....thanks for sharing G.

[@eaiii1262]

I am so glad I found this! Thank you Vic Firth for doing this. Gavin’s drums sound so good and this is a wonderful insight into how he accomplishes that! 🙏🥁🙏

[@kamb26]

My favorite stick. I switched to them after my hands hurt when using smaller sizes. Thank you for doing this Gavin. Thank you Vic Firth for doing this.

[@NeCtRiCkS]

That's just perfection!

[@roburgosg]

Great class Sir Gavin Harrison! (hope the Queen takes notice soon as the Sir of Drums! Such knowledge and wisdom paired with mastery and elegance, and always delivered with such simplicity and humility. Wondeful human being. Thanks!

[@jcdrums2798]

thank you so lot Gavin...you are are my inspiration.

[@Deech72]

Amazing video! Could listen to him play and talk all day. Well done!

[@hawkeye1680]

Such a gem to watch, and such a fantastic teacher. Mr. Harrison, thank you.

[@retailteam588]

absolutely amazing insights. especially when it comes to tuning/mixing. What a legend, such priceless info here.

[@carlosclerigadrums]

Thanks for doing this!!!

[@fernandosaliba4253]

Tks Vic Firth ! Amazing! Gavin is one of the best drummers IMO, his creativity is impressive.

[@РаевАлександр]

Gavin Harrison потрясающий барабанщик ! Спасибо Vic Firth за шикарное видео !

[@dd5380]

Really helpful ! Thanks Gavin & Vic Firth 😀

[@andym28]

Been wondering about his ghost notes for years.

[@nexdrums]

Awesomeness in person

[@mjm5081]

Thanks so much to Gavin and Vic Firth for sharing this. Happy drumming everyone!

[@clintonmiller4917]

Amazing drummer!

[@markyanish1188]

This video made my day so much better 🙏🏽

[@Gravengaard]

47 minutes of pure gold. Love your work Gavin!

[@MrNickDrummer]

Mixing is such an important aspect of drumming itself, every drummer should learn about it, at least the basics. And it's true, compressors are great tools. When used correctly, it will appear you didn't use them, but the sound will be huge.

[@Jamesdrums89]

you're 100% correct! I've been learning a lot about mixing using Superior Drummer 3 as it gives you access to a LOT of microphone setups and bussing options. I haven't got the space or ideal setup for my own acoustic drums yet but i'm sure if I did I'd be able to apply the skills learned from the Superior mixer to the real life mixer and drums :)

[@paulleigh5351]

Absolutely love Gavin. As someone else said. It is as enjoyable listening to him talk as it is hearing him play drums.

[@ryrodrums6727]

Gavin's amazing. So creative and so much knowledge

[@tonschalestudio5791]

Thank you Gavin! …and thanks to VicFirth for this amazing amount of useful informations. I enjoyed it very much.

[@Goxdra]

DRUM GOD!!

[@isashax]

That was fab! Thanks Gavin!

[@annapaolagrandini1052]

Awesome and thank you for sharing: I'm really hypnotized listening to him !

[@storminsea]

Brilliant, really appreciate the insights and advice plus those songs 🎵 were class 👏👌 thanks Gavin 👍🥁🥁🥁 inspiring

[@jcoriha]

Great tips. Gavin is an all-time favorite of mine.

[@mazetoeden9334]

definitely

[@oreothebest]

@gavinharrison thanks so much for this video. What an interesting and unique way of thinking about drums. Definitely the best drum sound in my opinion!

[@MySynthDungeon]

Enjoyed! Excellent !!Well Said!! Cheers!;-)!

[@grant3226]

Glad I'm not the only one who went through many sticks before I settled on a pair I like, Extreme 5B, although I'd like these with a round tip

[@martinmees878]

Have a look at Vater's different Fusion variants. They have a round tip and feel amazing.

[@jeffreystaley5266]

Interesting Gavin! Also, really enjoyed the Pineapple Thief performance in general and the meticulous and interesting drumming.

[@RafikGRizkallah]

Thank you Gavin , that was super useful .

[@Dwendele]

I was making my own "Vic grip" in the late 80s, very early 90s, with electrical shrink tubing and/or tennis racket wrap. It.... Worked. Lol.

[@crackers472]

I really dig his signature sticks. They’re beefier like I prefer, but have a good feel to them. I used to use 2B.

[@torjantai6842]

Gavin 🖤

[@GeloAlcantara]

It's like I'm listening to Simon Philips 👌👌👌💪 Got my VF pairs (Aaron Spears'), and yes they really feel balanced for me too, and it last!

[@ILikeWafflz]

One small but potentially important thing he didn't mention about initially seating the lugs when tuning a head; it's also a good idea to make sure that the resistance you're feeling is indeed from the lug pulling on the rim. I spent a decent amount of time having a _lot_ of trouble tuning toms until I noticed once that some of the lugs would encounter resistance _before_ they would contact the rim. This was not from negligence either, my drum set has spent its life indoors and I've put a small dab of grease on every lug. From then on, when I snug down my lugs, I wiggle them back and forth until I see that washer no longer moves around loosely. Another thing that's loosely related but might be good to know; there was a time when my bass drum playing quality went down and I thought I was just losing my feel for it, but after too long I inspected my pedal and found hairs or threads tangled in the bearings. Cleaning it up made a huge difference.

[@dominicneri1842]

Fantastic lessons from this maestro \m/ Thanks for sharing

[@renatolouzada8394]

Obrigado Gavin.

[@tallnotdeaf]

I have his signature sticks and they are the best sticks around for large hands and I can never put them down.

[@nexdrums]

Great sound engineering skills as well

[@jakpenders123]

It cannot be understated just how much The Pineapple Thief lucked out when they got Gavin. Obviously no ill will towards the band, they just couldn't have gotten a better man for the job.

[@kamas74able]

every day i think tha same Jack. :-) Lucky basterds :-)

[@RogierRJDonker]

They really struck gold. I've seen them live. They all sound amazing. The band is really good.

[@ВладимирЧебоксаров-ж8з]

You fight like you've given in, You sound like you've Gavin in

[@sarinsahil]

Thank you! :)

[@ViorelStolea]

couldn't help noticing the varispeed setting in logic. was it only for the purpose of demonstration of this video? Love your work! Thanks

[@mrid191]

I'm hoping Gavin will do a jam with you guys soon.

[@MateuszKoscielny]

428 cm sticks. That's a bit more than 4 meters! Mind blowing 😂

[@LGpiotr90]

Only Gavin can handle it haha

[@drumrnva]

Let's see now... if the sticks are 428cm, that's about a 14ft stick..... that must mean his bass drum is approx 19ft in diameter! 🤯

[@SuperShlez]

minute 17:22 he swapped sticks right?

[@joshmcgrady9427]

Gavin, I’m a huge fan! If you’re reading this I was wondering, will you be coming down to Texas with King crimson on July 31? It would be amazing to get to see you play live!

[@carolynwilson5314]

He is on the bill as far as we know! We have tickets for Detroit :)

[@ehoc42]

Don’t see why he wouldn’t, he’s a member of the band

[@Jamesdrums89]

Well that was pretty epic! haha I didn't expect to see so much of his recording/mixing technique and he really lucked out with that big open area for his ambient mics :)

[@alexriquelme]

Brutalísimo!

[@matthewpaluch777]

😎👍🇬🇧🔥🥁🎼💣 GAVIN!!!

[@matthewpaluch777]

I've been begging VF to sell me a gross of sticks without the grip paint. They turned me down...so much for customer service!

[@eskilseter]

@@matthewpaluch777 They've got a huge production and logistics line going; they're not going to disrupt that for 144 sticks. Try contacting Coca Cola and ask them for 10 cases of coke with half as much sugar, and report back with their reply.

[@PaoloZucchetti]

amazing

[@PatrickBuzoDrums]

freakin awesome

[@powellrandolph]

@gavinharrison , You talked about learning gain staging to help with mixing. I use Logic as well and I noticed that lots of the individual track channels are in the red over zero DB but it sounds great! I have always thought I needed to keep the levels under zero db as well as the summed mix. However when I do that the visual transients are pretty small so I end up pressing the magnify samples button on the transport bar. I know that you can view pre input mix as well as after the effects etc. I’m just wondering if I should not worry as much about it or if there’s a resource video I can use to learn more about it. Always love your lessons and projects! Thanks for the inspiration!

[@gavinharrison6242]

It doesn't matter if the individual channels go way into the red as long as the Master never goes over zero. Sound On Sound magazine proved this many years ago.

[@powellrandolph]

@@gavinharrison6242 Oh wow! I did not know that. Good to know. Thanks so much for your response. Happy Holidays!

[@TeslaNick2]

Yeah, the rubber Vic grips gave me awful blisters because the sweat has nowhere to go. I gotta' get a set of SAR2's....

[@pkfiya]

Gavin: "I tune my bottom heads a major third above my top heads" Me: "I whack em. HARD."

[@mazetoeden9334]

🤣

[@cicero73100]

um cara muito preparad

[@LizzardKing-2112]

Hi thank you for this very interesting video 😁 I’m just login into Vic firth but I don’t know how to have access to the bonus features… could you help me please ?

[@zenzenzen4741]

It’s fun watching his legacy unfold huh fella’s?!!

[@JustinWilson01]

If anyone is curious you can see Gavin playing with Iggy Pop in clips on youtube from a show on 11/14/86 at the Ritz.

[@TheVermifuge]

Tried the baby blue ones, grip kept sliding off. Interested in trying the SHAR2 model. Currently using the Thomas Lang Signature ones.

[@Streichholztasche]

Hell, those Thomas Lang sticks are actually tree trunks. But they sound big!

[@TheVermifuge]

@@Streichholztasche kzbin.infoxspM0Oq5K1w?feature=share

[@BoogieWoogieCat]

@@Streichholztasche They are, but they're so incredibly well balanced, you just don't think about it after a while. They also last a very long time, which is great.

[@Charlie_Xplorer]

Highlight - 17:20