Hey there, fellow drum enthusiasts! Jonathan here....
Are you tired of inconsistent drum hits ruining your drum productions?
Have you ever struggled with bad miking techniques or poorly tuned drum kits?
If so, fear not! In this blog post, we're going to cover some must-have plugins that will help you overcome these challenges and more.
First up is Drum Leveler by SoundRadix
This plugin does exactly what it says on the tin. It levels out drum performances, making hits more consistent and delivering a great performance every time. Plus, it also features a noise gate to get rid of bleed on the microphones.
Next, we have Auto Align by SoundRadix
This plugin is great for aligning your mics, especially if your engineer has forgotten to check the face on the top and bottom mic of the snare drum. Simply run two instances of the plugin, one on the top mic and one on the bottom mic, and let it automatically align the mics for you.
Another great plugin is Soothe 2 by Oeksound
A dynamic equalizer that works wonders on cymbals. With some great presets and the ability to tweak the knobs to get the result you want, this plugin can be used on a range of instruments, from vocals to bass guitars.
Next up is Waves RBass
This plugin adds low-end harmonics to your drums and can be used on toms, snares and kick drums. Just select which three frequencies you want to add, pop the intensity knob and voila! Your drums now have that much-needed low-end punch.
Last but not least, we have the SPL Transient Designer Plus
A plugin that makes your drummer hit harder or softer. This plugin is perfect for giving drum hits more attack or a shorter/longer sustain.
But wait, there's more!
When using drum sample libraries this is less necessary due to the fact that these are typically pre-processed, but for live drum recordings you gonna need a limiter on all close mics so your final bus limiter is not reacting to sudden spiky drum hits. Whether you use the stock plugin limiter or something like the Brainworx BX Limiter or FabFilter Limiter, it's essential to keep those sharp transients in check.
So, there you have it
five +1 ;) must-have plugins for your drum productions.
Happy drumming!