Things that rumble

[Rigsby]

I'm recording this tune right now where i want lots of rumbling things going on in the background for ambience, so i've been sending out a low frequency drone into amps and speakers and placing them next to things that will rumble (snares/ the cooker/ toms/ washing machine etc).

Now i have enough of the actual drone recorded alongside the rumbling things i'm wondering if there's a way to cut out the drone and just get the rumble when recording or afterwards. I've tried cutting at the exact Hz that the drone is at but i'm still left with some of the drone, any ideas? Is it possible to entirely cut the drone on previosuly recorded tarcks with EQ?

I was wondering if there were techniques similar to when people have sent a recorded snare track out to a speaker and placed that next to a snare to get more of the snares rattling, how did you reduce the original sound and isolate (as far as possible) just the sound of the new snare track?

[lee]

i would imagine a high pass filter would do the trick. id say cut everything below 180Hz. im sure the rattle has nothing to do with anything under 180. but it sounds like you already did this, without satisfaction. you could "play" the rattle. a low freq might be a better rattler than you, but you can get out the brushes and rattle the way they used to when the jazz drummers started smoking pot.

that is a tough question...

good luck

[Rigsby]

i would imagine a high pass filter would do the trick. id say cut everything below 180Hz. im sure the rattle has nothing to do with anything under 180. but it sounds like you already did this, without satisfaction. you could "play" the rattle. a low freq might be a better rattler than you, but you can get out the brushes and rattle the way they used to when the jazz drummers started smoking pot.

that is a tough question...

good luck

I've done some of that too actually, the self-rattling thing but i like the sort of dada aspect to the other method too. Thanks for your thoughts Lee.

Anyone else?

[joelpatterson]

Ummm... flip the phase of the original drone, lay that overtop of everything and that theoretically will cancel out to the original drone?

Except that the techniques that are so good theoretically on paper have a way of just not working out.

Give us an easier question, Rigsby!

[Rigsby]

Ummm... flip the phase of the original drone, lay that overtop of everything and that theoretically will cancel out to the original drone?

Except that the techniques that are so good theoretically on paper have a way of just not working out.

Give us an easier question, Rigsby!

Hey Joel!

Actually, that's not a bad trail of thought, i had a lot of luck with that a couple of months ago when i accidentally deleted some pretty complex cello parts and managed to get them back by doing an identical mix of everything except those, flipping the phase and matching it with the rough mix i had with the cellos: i was left with just the cello parts again, worked out fantastically, i'll give it a go with this, it should work out if i record the same part again and take away the rattling objects, then flip the phase, as long as i keep volume/mic positioning/other variables etc the same. Hmm.. definately worth a try, cheers mate.

[I'm Painting Again]

I get a lot of rumbleing when i'm recording my bass stack next to a china cabinet and a drum kit..

to simulate it you might fix a subwoofer into a sealed box and put a snare drum next to it and a glass or metal bowl with screws and nuts in it on top of the box and mic that whole situation..send the kick and bass of the songs to the sub and "reamp" that way..to your rumble track..I imagine that could work really well..

stuff that already put down..you know take the time to do it over..dont pussyfoot with eq..thats my advice knowing you Rigs..

[I'm Painting Again]

im sure the rattle has nothing to do with anything under 180.

thats the best part imho..you want to feel the rumble..not hear the annoying top end of it..

[I'm Painting Again]

Ummm... flip the phase of the original drone, lay that overtop of everything and that theoretically will cancel out to the original drone?

no cancellation never works like that in reality unfortunately..

[I'm Painting Again]

Ummm... flip the phase of the original drone, lay that overtop of everything and that theoretically will cancel out to the original drone?

Except that the techniques that are so good theoretically on paper have a way of just not working out.

Give us an easier question, Rigsby!

Hey Joel!

Actually, that's not a bad trail of thought, i had a lot of luck with that a couple of months ago when i accidentally deleted some pretty complex cello parts and managed to get them back by doing an identical mix of everything except those, flipping the phase and matching it with the rough mix i had with the cellos: i was left with just the cello parts again, worked out fantastically, i'll give it a go with this, it should work out if i record the same part again and take away the rattling objects, then flip the phase, as long as i keep volume/mic positioning/other variables etc the same. Hmm.. definately worth a try, cheers mate.

except here where Rigsby perfomed a miracle!!

[Rigsby]

im sure the rattle has nothing to do with anything under 180.

thats the best part imho..you want to feel the rumble..not hear the annoying top end of it..

Totes.

[Rigsby]

I get a lot of rumbleing when i'm recording my bass stack next to a china cabinet and a drum kit..

to simulate it you might fix a subwoofer into a sealed box and put a snare drum next to it and a glass or metal bowl with screws and nuts in it on top of the box and mic that whole situation..send the kick and bass of the songs to the sub and "reamp" that way..to your rumble track..I imagine that could work really well..

stuff that already put down..you know take the time to do it over..dont pussyfoot with eq..thats my advice knowing you Rigs..

Good call all round G, thanks. Do i pussyfoot with EQ? It's too much fun not to re-track anyway, but some of the stuff i already have sounds great with the drone stuff, i just need more without. Just wish i had a sub small enough to fit in the washing machine.

[Rigsby]

Ummm... flip the phase of the original drone, lay that overtop of everything and that theoretically will cancel out to the original drone?

Except that the techniques that are so good theoretically on paper have a way of just not working out.

Give us an easier question, Rigsby!

Hey Joel!

Actually, that's not a bad trail of thought, i had a lot of luck with that a couple of months ago when i accidentally deleted some pretty complex cello parts and managed to get them back by doing an identical mix of everything except those, flipping the phase and matching it with the rough mix i had with the cellos: i was left with just the cello parts again, worked out fantastically, i'll give it a go with this, it should work out if i record the same part again and take away the rattling objects, then flip the phase, as long as i keep volume/mic positioning/other variables etc the same. Hmm.. definately worth a try, cheers mate.

except here where Rigsby perfomed a miracle!!

Man that was a good day, totally saved my skin, there was just one small click in the track after the flip which was pretty easy to take out.

[I'm Painting Again]

Just wish i had a sub small enough to fit in the washing machine.

that would be fantastic..all you really need is a big speaker in there really but a sub would be more discreet in terms of not having the drone in there..i guess

another think I'm picturing is if you were able to get a big version of the device they put into videogame rumble pads and trigger it somehow to go with the tempo of your songs..you could use that to vibrate a number of good rumbly things..like the washing machine or a china cabinet..

[I'm Painting Again]

Also this is sort of ironic because studios spend lots and lots of money to eliminate rumbling and get things so they don't vibrate..

The vibrations and resonances in a room have a huge effect on the recording..its a reason many struggle in home studios to get a good sound..I know about this..

[Rigsby]

Just wish i had a sub small enough to fit in the washing machine.

that would be fantastic..all you really need is a big speaker in there really but a sub would be more discreet in terms of not having the drone in there..i guess

another think I'm picturing is if you were able to get a big version of the device they put into videogame rumble pads and trigger it somehow to go with the tempo of your songs..you could use that to vibrate a number of good rumbly things..like the washing machine or a china cabinet..

Good call.. that really is a nice idea, which actually has lead me onto a few more too (which i'll keep under my hat for the time being).

What's all this with the china cabinet? It's a cabinet with china in yeah? ..not as in a cabinet made of china ..okay, i get it now, i was confused for a minute there. We don't have one of those, though i could get some plates and whatnot out as well.