M. Ward's Drum Sound on "Never Had Nobody Like You"

[teleguy2]

Ok. I've been on an M. Ward kick lately and this song just pops out of the speakers/earbuds/car stereo every time.
HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs7Ks3AWwOc

It reminds me a lot of (and was probably an homage too the sound of) The Beatles "Revolution".
HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGLGzRXY5Bw

What's the trick to this drum sound?
I mean, I just like the whole mix and all the elements, but I'd love any pointers.
I already know the obvious: good players playing good parts and getting a good performance.

The kick has a nice "clicky" sound and is super present. And the snare is also totally killin it.
I noticed - no cymbals either (or super minimal).

[digitaldrummer]

sounds like lots of bottom snare mic and some kind of quick slapback on the snare too.

note: I listened on crappy headphones...

[I'm Painting Again]

the sound will come mostly from the instruments not particularly the production - if you want to do it live with a performer that is

it very much sounds like my personal drum kit when it's set up a certain way

20" maple kick 5mm 5-ply North American maple shell with 45 degree edges and wood hoops- aquarian modern vintage medium 10 mil on the reso side and modern vintage light 7 mil on the batter - tuned low as possible while maintaining the right balance of attack and boom on the beater side and slightly higher on the reso - both heads muffled to create the short sustain while keeping the lows and volume balancing said lows with the attack - felt standard beater

the snare sounds like my 6-lug 60's Slingy student model (maple thin shell 3 ply rounded bearing edges and lightweight metal hoops) - the splatty no ring sound and good snap comes with how it's set up primarily

kinda sounds again like a jazz head of the diplomat or maybe ambassador weight - Remo skyntone - aquarian modern vintage, etc. or a lot of muffling

maybe even a black suede or texture renaissance snare side head with non-chrome wires for that dryness

in the M Ward song it to me sounds a little unnatural - I hear the close mics more than I like - if that's your thing great - use close mics

in the song it sounds like there's a lot of bottom snare and a mic inside the kick pointed at the beater and also outside the kick - if it's an actual outside kick mic or it's the OHs or someplace else that is getting it I'm not sure - but the outside sound is got somehow

the inside kick mic sounds like it could be one of the modern scooped kind like a d112 or Sennheiser 602

they both might have a transient designer on them - very snappy - might even be a samples blended in there?

the snare sounds more natural though though both seem to have a very fast decay - transient designer? extreme muffling? I dunno..

def some compression happening

[A.David.MacKinnon]

I’m listening on an iPad so take some of this with a grain in of salt.
Snare sounds like it’s all bottom mic with the top head muffled. Maybe a cloth over it or something like that.

Kick sounds like there is no front head and a mic with lots of mids and highs right up on the beater. Sounds like it’s all click and no boom ( but again, iPad speakers don’t do boom). A 57 will do this just fine. An old EV 664 is also really good for this kind of kick.
Maybe there’s an overhead or front of kit? Maybe not. No room sounds and no cymbals for sure.

As stated above, this sound is more about the sound of the instrument and playing than production.

Revolution was tracked in a really small room. You don’t really hear the overhead come in until the pre-chorus section. That might be because the guitars are masking it or they left the overhead out or low in the mix until that section.

[teleguy2]

Thanks all!

I know I won't be able to get the exact sound, and I wouldn't want to. But I sure love shooting for a sound I haven't done before and then do something with it I haven't done.

[joninc]

sounds like my ludwig supraphonic to me... very bright snare.

[joninc]

sounds like my ludwig supraphonic to me... very bright snare.

[I'm Painting Again]

definitely could be a supraphonic or black beauty they sound pretty much like this if the top head has a ring or something on and it's tuned pretty low - I guess most snares can do this sound as it's mostly the wires and the character of the drum gets taken out with the muffling