Steve Albini Drum Sound?

[Randy]

Here are some sound files.

I didn't realize it until after we recorded with Steve at Electrical Audio, but the drums on this song sound a lot like the Roland drum machine he used in Big Black (and this is definitely a good thing).

http://www.lungcookierecords.com/pop128 ... dcover.mp3

He used two RCA 44s as overheads, an RE20 on the kick, a Sony 37p on top of the snare and a Shure lavalier on the bottom. The rack tom had Josephson mics above and below, the floor tom had two AKG 414s, and the batter head of the kick had a shure lavalier mic on it also. There were two Altec coke bottle mics set about 5 feet apart and away from the kit, lying on the ground. All this was going through a Neotek board and then into a Studer 24 track.

by way of comparison, here is one of the earlier practices of this song I recorded:
http://www.lungcookierecords.com/pop128 ... dcover.mp3
This was recorded to a MOTU 24i through a Ramsa WR-8428 console. The drums probably had two Oktava MC012 overheads with a Shure B52 in the kick and a Shure Beta57 under the snare. The room is small so there was bleed all over the place, and the vocal was coming through a PA as well as being recorded direct.

Oh yeah, and at our session Greg Norman disclosed the secret behind Steve's trademark vocal sound...

The popper stopper.

That was worth the price of admission alone.

[bobbydj]

i've not heard two records where his drum sounds sound the same...they always sound great to me but never the same...big fan of his style and mindset...but i don't know where he got pegged with a 'sound'...

Mike

When i hear drums he recorded i can almost always tell. I don't know if thats considered a sound or not. But thats how i think of it.

Agreed. There are exceptions, though. Stuff like Space Junk, etc. I don't think that stuff sounds like SA's other stuff. I dunno. Probably 'cos of the playing. Still, these bands are the exception I think, and by and large I also imagine I can almost always tell.

[bigtoe]

i think back in late 80's early 90's with the breeders pod and the picksies it was lot more noticable...listening to the newer neurosis and GSYBE they're completely different...as is a lot of the Shellac stuff...the last Tar record...nervana...he did a record here by a great band named craw afew years ago...just really thick-ass drums...but no noticable bonhamy stuff...

i dunno - i think he gets pegged more than most with a style that isn't there with the exception of it being interesting and high quality ...i heard some instrumental band on the radio that was super clean a few months ago...i wish i remembered the name but i instantly thought it a squeeky clean 'digital' job...it was an albini job...i think he's fairly crafty in how he switches things up actually...

sorry for all the OT jive from my fingers lately...bored.

Mike

[bobbydj]

I'm chairman of the bored. But yeah - I can easily believe the GSYBE. Mrs. dj is getting me Yanqui for xmas. Looking forward to that listen. It's sort of a interesting encounter, or something. SA and GSY in the same studio at the same time, etc.

[bigtoe]

I'm chairman of the bored. But yeah - I can easily believe the GSYBE. Mrs. dj is getting me Yanqui for xmas. Looking forward to that listen. It's sort of a interesting encounter, or something. SA and GSY in the same studio at the same time, etc.

It's a good buy, Bobby, i just listened to it on the way in to the cracker factory - i heard somewhere they mixed it themselves...i like the cymbals...a real basher...the music is a little repetitive but the emotion is like a wave hittin' ya...re: the drums on it - i could see this not being a typical rock session witha lot of room for room mics...i mean...if this was live in one room it is a fantastic job...the damn cello is way screechy though...probably intentional...

Mored Bored but signin' offs...
Mike

[bdp]

This is an old thread that I've discovered but I thought I'd quote from Mix July 1998 in which Steve discusses the recording of Page & Plant's "Walking into Clarksdale".

He states:

"The drums were recorded with custom Josephson microphones, supplemented with an AKG D112 and Crown GLM100 on the bass drum and Beyer M201 and Shure SM98 on the snare drum. The stereo overhead was a Neumann SM2 used in Blumlein confihuration. Ambient drum sound was recorded with a widely spaced pair of Neumann CMV583s with M93 capsules. These ambient mics were placed on the floor of the room to take advantage of the boundary effect, which reduces phase interference from reflected paths for mics close to a planar boundary."

He adds:

"Ambient mics (at a different studio) in the drum area were Altec 150 (21B) "coke bottle" mics, the stereo drum overhead mic was occasionally replaced by a pair of Schoeps M221b mics; the bass drum mics were Crown GLM100 and Beyer M88...
Both heads of all drums were recorded, with the tom mics being summed to a single track apiece. The acoustic phase inversion inherent in putting mics on both sides of a drum was corrected to tape, so all drum channels would combine additively in the mix."

And of course from the previous posts you'll know the "custom Josephson" mics were precursors to the Josephson e22s.

The are some really good pics on the Electrical website too.

bdp

PS If you work for Intertec Publishing please don't sue my ass cause I really can't afford it.

[djslayerissick]

Both heads of all drums were recorded

DANG man! if you've got a 5 piece set - snare, kick, and 3 toms - thats 10 mics right there! plus 2 OH's, and 2 'border mics'.

14 mics for the drums alone.

and my guitarist was giving me shit for using 9 mics when we did drums.

now this really really makes me question all this talk of getting a good drum sound with 3 or 4 mics. sure, you can get a 'good sound', even a great sound (Levee breaks anyone?), but you're not gonna get that modern, in-your-face with some space sound.

[bobbydj]

Good point.

*gazes regretfully at meagre mic collection*

[bigtoe]

"3 toms"

and he's using that e22 on top and bottom toms which costs some serious buckage.

he rules. i was just listening to rapeman last week...what a flipping nut bomb album. sounds like cherry bombs going off in a small tiled bathroom.

Mike

[LeedyGuy]

i've not heard two records where his drum sounds sound the same...they always sound great to me but never the same...big fan of his style and mindset...but i don't know where he got pegged with a 'sound'...

Mike

yeah...his signature "sound" could probably be called "really goddamn good drums"

[bigtoe]

hahah! excellent. no shit! that's funny. have a good day.

Later-

MIke

[onlyreason]

DANG man! if you've got a 5 piece set - snare, kick, and 3 toms - thats 10 mics right there! plus 2 OH's, and 2 'border mics'.

14 mics for the drums alone.

and my guitarist was giving me shit for using 9 mics when we did drums.

now this really really makes me question all this talk of getting a good drum sound with 3 or 4 mics. sure, you can get a 'good sound', even a great sound (Levee breaks anyone?), but you're not gonna get that modern, in-your-face with some space sound.

Personally I think it's easier to get a good drum sound with less mics (to a point.) Steve Ablini is able to use 14 mics on a kit because a) he's got a lot of nice mics, and b) he's an amazing engineer and knows a shitload about phase relationships, room reflections, etc.

If I tried to use 14 mics on my kit at home, it would probably end up being a phasey mess.

[I'm Painting Again]

The acoustic phase inversion inherent in putting mics on both sides of a drum was corrected to tape, so all drum channels would combine additively in the mix.".

whats acoustic phase inversion ?

lol..

[MichaelAlan]

To get the same sound as albini I would say, have the same exact kit, same gear, same room, same mics....same...steve. The Bun. E. loops just sound like a recording to me. I''m not impressed. And He did Point number one by chevelle, and although I like the album, the drums are butt. (IMO) Especially the kick.

[wing]

He definitely has a "signature sound", but I am I the only one here that would say it's not THAT impressive? Like in that sample done by Bun E., is anyone hearing that kick? It's unreal how mediocre it sounds! The snare and other sounds are also not that impressive in my opinion.

But don't get me wrong... Albini has done great work, and he's a very admirable producer / audio guy. I really like the stuff he has to say, especially at Tapeopcon... the guy's hilarious.