Editing drum takes 101

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dynomike
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Post by dynomike » Fri Nov 18, 2005 10:18 pm

I'm gonna point the thread away from jca's crazy ass edits for a second...

What I usually like to do is fairly simple.

First, align all the takes so you can simply a/b them. Comp a take of the best bits, not worrying too much about lining up to the click or even to the other clips - you can make it fit later.

Then, turn off the click (if possible depending on style) and move the edit bits around till they work well together, crossfading btw clips as professor and others have suggested (staggering fades at the attacks of different drums, etc). I usually do it pretty damn fast though, just at a spot where there aren't a lot of cymbals. If need be, overdub a cymbal hit to transition it.

Then, if there are any bad hits, etc, try to take a better one from one of the other takes - if that doesn't work, layer the original hit with a sample taken from another take (not necessarily in the same spot, whatever). Then you should be "right rollin". Probably better to do this before compressing and stuff too just to make sure it sounds as even as you want it before you start doing corrective compression when you should be riding the fader or using a different take..

Mike
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stinkpot
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Post by stinkpot » Sat Nov 19, 2005 4:26 pm

joel hamilton wrote:Either move the few offensive hits by hand/ear, or open a whole can of worms trying to impose a grid on a persons performance. Even the best drummers I record, when subjected to "THE GRID" lose all the feel, and push and pull. Even when the hits are stupidly spot on, you can tell the difference.

I personally go after inddividual hits, and maybe a fill here or there.. Whatever it ttakes in the end of course, but it really is a WHOLE other process unless you just go after two or three offensive fills or hits.

Just my opinion.
Yep, that's the way to do it. I've had much better success doing it by ear - only going after what needs to be fixed. Otherwise the feel is shot to shit.

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tiger vomitt
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Post by tiger vomitt » Tue Nov 29, 2005 11:21 am

to the people who are shocked by what Jon is showing here-

this kind of approach is not uncommon at all in music production today. it doesnt matter what style is on hand either. it happens on albums where you wouldnt expect it too.

he is absolutely right to do it - the people paying the bills ask for it, making it the engineer's obligation to see it through.

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Brian
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Post by Brian » Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:53 pm

Looks like the computer thought about shitting itself! Hope you consolidated all that. Again, I'm with Joel :shock:, and then I read cGarges input, nice. When I pocket I usually look for the store detective. :wink:
:idea: Hire a better drummer. I always advocate employing a brother musician seeking bread. I understand you can't always, believe it or not, but when its possible and everytime, hire somebody.
Harumph!

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Post by joel hamilton » Tue Nov 29, 2005 5:47 pm

Brian wrote:Looks like the computer thought about shitting itself! Hope you consolidated all that. Again, I'm with Joel :shock:, and then I read cGarges input, nice. When I pocket I usually look for the store detective. :wink:
:idea: Hire a better drummer. I always advocate employing a brother musician seeking bread. I understand you can't always, believe it or not, but when its possible and everytime, hire somebody.
I should state for the record that I have beat detective'd entire songs, and moved every bass hit to match the kick, and quantized the christ out of every single fill, then moved the hits to make it feel more "human" as well. Nobody even asked me about it when they heard it. At all. They said, "sounds cool" or "wow, awesome. cool song."

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Brian
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Post by Brian » Tue Nov 29, 2005 6:57 pm

I feel guilty now, but, I'll never do that again, it took too long and in the end the song wasn't good enough to warrant that kind of work. I felt like a schmuk.
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bluespkr75
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Post by bluespkr75 » Wed Nov 30, 2005 6:44 am

Does anyone know the process to do this "pocketing" in Cubase SX? Also, Is there a way I can group different drum takes so I can quickly switch between the takes while editing them together?

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Post by drumsound » Fri Dec 02, 2005 3:19 pm

When you guys do this slicing and dicing, how do you deal with the spaces left in the drum tracks? Do you fill it in with a slice of ambience from the tracks, or is a reverb effect required to fill in the gaps?

This is so far from my world that I can't even comprehend doing it.

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Brian
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Post by Brian » Fri Dec 02, 2005 3:26 pm

Thats where the overheads and hat mics better be right. Editing drum tracks you considrr the individual tracks as gated drums except the overheads and hat. All the ambiance comes from them. So don't screw it up. You may have to layer in a cymbal once an edit to overheads and hat or all tracks is done to mask the gap.
Harumph!

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Post by tubemonkey35 » Fri Dec 02, 2005 10:44 pm

JCA, you're my cosmic twin. :) I have been doing the same exact thing in Nuendo; your screen shot looks just like my arrange window when I'm done, I guess I'm a freak too.

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Post by drumsound » Sat Dec 03, 2005 2:15 am

Brian wrote:Thats where the overheads and hat mics better be right. Editing drum tracks you considrr the individual tracks as gated drums except the overheads and hat. All the ambiance comes from them. So don't screw it up. You may have to layer in a cymbal once an edit to overheads and hat or all tracks is done to mask the gap.
Is there no snare in your overheads?

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Brian
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Post by Brian » Sat Dec 03, 2005 6:48 am

Depends on how you engineer as to how much snare you try to get from overheads. Some songs lots, some songs not as much. There's always some snare with them.
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