Springsteen Letter to You- drum setup

[losthighway]

Over the holidays I've been taking time to catch up on my streaming, and was excited to finally checkout the documentary about the excellent new Springsteen doc, A Letter To You. I'll spare you my entire review of the doc (so-so), but I have to say the sounds on the record are really open, and energetic, and big all of those adjectives.

Notable features: yet another big money artist recording vocals live through an SM7. He's got the foam off and however they're mixing it it sounds lovely. I imagine the switch is set to the brighter 'speech mode' but you can't see it.

The drum setup is bananas. I can't quite figure out how they're getting it all to work together. I looked for a still online to share, and couldn't find one. From what I could tell with all of the various camera angles and quick cuts here's what I can see:

Overheads are head height AKG SDCs barely spaced. It's like ORTF but a foot apart right in front of Weinberg's face. Then they have a Coles 4038 by his shoulder, looks like it's focusing on the floor tom. Another Coles is kind of in that center, front of kit position. Then they have an RCA out in front, even in height with the rack tom and pointed at its shell. And THEN they have another pair of AKGs close mic'ing the ride and hi hat.

Everything is close mic'd, but hard to spot without another view and a trigger happy pause button. Looks like another AKG on the floor tom. Couldn't ever spot the snare mic, but it sounds great.

I'd love to hear the engineer talk about this setup. It's a LOT of fairly close mics and I imagine some possible phase challenges. The sound is really big and roomy, but after watching the setup of the players I imagine they're doing some very convincing reverb add-ons. I just can't for the life of me imagine myself putting up two overheads, two cymbal spot mics and the 3 extra ribbons.

[vvv]

I hope Netflix gets it eventually, or the 'zon.

Edit: It's on uchoob? Is this it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt8W7igAcfA

No, I think that's a separate interview.

[Burnt Ernie]

Trina Shoemaker probably did it.You could ask her?

[losthighway]

It looks like it was Bruce and Ron Aniello on the board for tracking (I suspect someone else assisted and didn't get credit) and Bob Clearmountain mixed it.

[alexdingley]

I am certain in no danger of getting a drum sound that good, but there are a few things that strike me about the circumstance of the setup.

1. I watched it too, and I came away with the impression that this studio is there private shop, and it might be quasi-permanently set up. (I could be wrong about that, and I’m not likely to go back and re-watch the thing to double check)... but anyway, if you’ve got the time and resources to setup something long-term, having the time to experiment is gonna yield great results.

2. We’re watching the take unfold “live” in that shot, but there’s no way to know how much post processing is on that recording.

3. (And maybe this should be #1) If you put Max Weinberg on a kit, it’s gonna sound fucking good. He’s been making drum kits sound good longer than I’ve been alive.

[Nick Sevilla]

This is the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQyLEz0 ... pringsteen

Although I cannot really watch the drum mics, I can tell you, SDC AKGs are a thing back East. The rest of the setup,
is most likely from days of messing with the mics.

And yes it seems a private studio, where one could do this.

Merry Christmas to all.

[vvv]

Which ADK mics? The 3 Sigma or GK lollipop type, or the pencil SD's? Sompin' different? I can't imagine it's the SC's ...

[roscoenyc]

I enjoyed the movie.
Yes it is a private studio.
The thing that was most interesting to me was that he's got Max and his kit closest to his vocal booth for the best visual communication.
That's a pretty rare setup but I'm sure it's helpful.

I have a couple friends in the band.
Evidently they have all the guitar amps in a room that's behind the control room.
Everything else is out in the room.