The Perfect Drum Room

[JASIII]

What are the characteristics of the "perfect drum room"? What are you looking for, and not just "the drums sound good in it". What dimensions? Shape? Ceiling height? Wall construction? Interior wall surface covering?

How should it sound? What kind of acoustic treatments, if any, should be installed?

Of course these are pretty general questions, but in your subjective judgement, how would you build your perfect drum room?

[Red Rockets Glare]

I don't know shit from shinola about acoustic science, but that electrical audio room (Kentucky) with all the brick that floats sounds pretty frigging sweet, so I'd say that.

[gradwellhouse]

the perfect room should just sound good. there are millions of ways to build one but have always thought they a totally untreated room can sound pretty amazing. our live room is 100% natural and i think the tones in there are great. its 30x50 with slanter 13-18ft ceilings, drywall ceiling and cynderblock walls. industrial carpet on the floor and a drum riser with uncoated plywood decking.
http://gradwellhouse.com has pics

[EarlSlick]

I'm pretty sure that a has cube the ideal dimensions. If you are in a large cubical space, then it is easiest to predict how things will reflect, and picturing an ellipse inscribed in the cube, place the set a along the minor axis at one end of that ellipse, and then you could place mics a the two focal points, and that should minimize reflections. At least this is what i understand is a theoretical ideal, whatever that is worth anyways, but i may be mistaken. hopefully someone will correct me if i'm wrong, but geometrically it makes sense, and since sound travels in a very euclidean like nature. I have also read that is an ideal in speaker placement for hifi systems.

Bart

[cgarges]

I'm pretty sure that a has cube the ideal dimensions.

A cube is pretty much the worst thing in the world for dealing with standing waves. You can best avoid standing waves by not having two dimensions repeated. The best-sounding ambient-type rooms I've played drums in have been consistently odd shapes.

For me, a great drum room can be a couple of things not related at all. Yeah, Kentucky sounds freaking sweet, but so does Alcatraz and they have very little in common with each other aside from being in the same studio. The live room in Electrical's Studio B is pretty happening as well, but I'd hate to have that as my only option for drum sounds.

Check out records you have where you really dig the drum sounds and find out what they rooms in which they were cut are like. My faves include the aforementioned rooms at Electrical, Sunset Sound Factory's A room and the booth in the B room, RAK's A Room, AIR Monserrat, the old Arthur Smith Studio's live room, Ocean Way Studio 3, Sound City (that hallway or whatever it is they use for drums), The Magic Shop, and the old Q Division, of which I still have been unable to locate pictures.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[EarlSlick]

Thanks for cleaifying things Chris. As I said i was not sure. I thought i had read it, somewhere, but it is very very possible i misread, or am just loosing it after spending 12 hours over my last two days studying for Multivariable Calc exams.

Bart

[djui5]

What are the characteristics of the "perfect drum room"? What are you looking for, and not just "the drums sound good in it". What dimensions? Shape? Ceiling height? Wall construction? Interior wall surface covering?

Well.....this really depends on the sound your looking for....

What kinda music are you recording?

Is it Tool?....if so you're gonna want a really big room with plenty of reflections.
Is it a Jazz piece?...then you'd want something smaller...but must be comfortable for the artist and have a good sight line
Is it for a pop record?......then you'd want something really small.......just big enough for you to get mic's in there...and you'd want it to be pretty dead.........
Is it for "vintage rock"?.......then you'd want a medium sized room...with a moderate amount of reflections...

Personally....I'd make a drum room that's not too big....but not too small...and has movable acoustic panels that can be flipped over with 2 different surfaces on each side.....
I'd also have lot's of GOBO's incase I need a tight sound...then you can surround the drums with GOBO's to keep the room sound out (well..not completely but you can get most of it out).



P.S.,
Red Rockets....that's a sweet looking room....I'd love to track drums in there

[bigtoe]

"A cube is pretty much the worst thing in the world for dealing with standing waves."

yeah but this can actually make for a good drum room...i think in a tracking situation - there is no ideal - just variables to mess with. a control room seesm different.

example: there's a house studio in kent ohio called waterloo which has a cube for a drum room. it's pretty cool.

Mike

[joel hamilton]

I like mid size rooms for the most part, with some wood, and high ceilings. I dont mind if there is some carpet, and as long as there is plenty of reflection...

I kind of like square-ish rooms, as it makes imaging in the room mic's easier to get happening. I hate having to walk around for 5 minutes while the drummer makes your head hurt, just to figure out where a pair will actually work. I wind up using a mono room mic in weird shaped rooms....

Drum room:

Wood and brick, or plaster and wood, with a semi absorbent ceiling, and wood floors. Lots of wood.

[Devlars]

I find the sanctuary at the church where I record is an amazing drum room. Really high all wood ceilings, drywall, a wooden platform with a carpeted section in front of the choir loft. Really great for getting any number of sounds depending on where in the room you set up and if you use room mics (which always sounds natuarlly massive!)