Red Pack Drums' Guide to EQing Your Drum Recordings

Introduction:

If you're a music producer or a drum nerd, you're probably always on the lookout for unique percussive instruments that can add that extra punch to your recordings. Red Pack Drums is a channel that provides videos of such instruments, along with sound examples, musical performances, interviews, and music production tutorials. In this particular video, Jonathan from Red Pack Drums talks about his philosophy and approach to EQing drum recordings. He provides tips and tricks that can help you achieve the right balance and sound for your tracks.

Tip 1:

Always Listen in Context Jonathan stresses the importance of listening to your drums in the context of the music you're working on. While it's tempting to solo individual drums to pinpoint frequencies you want to boost or cut, you must listen to all the sounds coming out of your speakers. This will help you get the right balance between your drums and other instruments. If you EQ your drums first and add other frequencies later, the overall balance may be off, and you'll have to start over.

Tip 2:

Try Not to EQ at All While EQ can be a powerful tool to shape your drum sound, it can also introduce phase shifting artifacts that you may not want. Therefore, Jonathan recommends trying to balance your microphones first, rather than EQing them. Drum recordings often come with multiple mics, including closed mics, overheads, and compressed mics. Each mic has its own sound and balance in low, mid-range, and high-end frequencies. Therefore, try to first balance the microphones you have and add or subtract them based on the sound you need.

Tip 3:

Start with Fewer Microphones To get the right balance between low and high-end frequencies, you should start with fewer microphones and gradually add them as needed. For example, if you need a closed mic sound, start with those, as they have more low-end frequencies. Conversely, if you need a room sound, go for the overhead and room mics, which have more high-end frequencies. Keep in mind that the closer the microphone is to the drum, the more low-end it will have, and vice versa.

Conclusion:

Jonathan's tips and tricks for EQing drum recordings provide a great starting point for music producers and drum nerds alike. By listening to your drums in the context of the music, trying not to EQ them at all, and starting with fewer microphones, you can achieve the right balance between low and high-end frequencies. With practice and experience, you'll be able to recognize the right frequencies you need to get the perfect drum sound for your recordings. So, go ahead, try out these tips, and let us know how they work for you!