MIXING DRUMS

Mixing drums is one of the most challenging aspects of music production. With so many variables, you can’t just fly at it willy-nilly and hope to get good results. No, you have to know what you’re doing, and here we’re going to show you how to take a set of raw acoustic drum kit multitracks and mould them into a powerful, cohesive mix.

Before you even touch those level faders, the one thing you absolutely must have is a decent set of multitracks, either recorded or from a quality ROMpler. No amount of mixing ability can make a rubbish recording sound good – unless you replace every single sound within it, which, although eminently possible, could have a detrimental effect on the overall feel of the groove.

So, if you’re recording your drums, be sure that you know what you’re doing in terms of mic selection and placement, room acoustics and drum kit setup and tuning. If