If you’re not adverse to fixing things in your daw instead of in SD3 you could try something like Oeksound Soothe or the new spectral eq/compression in FabFilter Pro Q4. Of course it might not be the samples themselves but velocity of hit. And if that’s it dynamic eq with a tight Q could well work.

As far as what your buddies think that’s just their opinion. For the ‘drums that don’t fit the song’ bit it could be the sample library used or it could just be the actual drumming doesn’t fit. Overplaying or underplaying. Drummers sometime have the propensity of trying to play too busy of a part.

• This post was modified 1 week ago by drumjack52.
  Reason: correct spelling errors

Without being able to listen to your mix, it’s hard to tell you what’s happening with it or how to fix it. However, it is not the fault of the SDX. The first thing that I will ask, is that because others are claiming that there is an issue with your drums, which I would imagine are probably legit, I would ask the following:

• Are you selecting the right kit pieces for the song?
• Are you applying any necessary processing to the drums to ensure that they sit in the mix?
• Are you playing any necessary processing to the rest of the song to ensure that your drums have the proper space to fit in?

Just having good quality samples is not enough. That is just a starting point. You also don’t need to go multi out unless you are actually doing something with the individual channels. What matters more is that everything fits within the song. Not how many channels you are using.

Seeing as you mentioned the ride cymbal in particular, that might be an extension of your previous thread, complaining that the ride was not loud enough and you are pumping it up 12 dB or so. Aside from the possibility of using a mismatched ride, you might be pushing it a little too loud. In this case, you need to think like an producer/engineer. Using the right ride, it doesn’t need to be that loud to cut through a mix. Different ride cymbals emit different frequencies that either work for or against a song. Once you have selected the right one, then you make it fit.

Your choices have to serve the song. Not the other way around.

jord

I agree with Jack. I would go as far as to say ditch all the processing on the drums. You will not lose the feel of The song. In fact, you might find more of it if you take care of everything else around it. Practice, cutting frequencies in your guitar and bass, and that will make your drums appear bigger without losing the other instruments.

And just for reference, I’ve have been listening to your song on a similar pair of studio headphones to the ones that I use inside my studio.

jord

Kim Mossige wrote:

But the drums do need some compression, losing all processing will just make it a raw drum recording? Don’t want to cut too much on the guitars, as I want then to bloom on top of everything when solo comes. I’ve already removed quite a lot of 500 mid on them.

Dead/muffled snare seemed to be the only thing fitting, I have an even bigger issue with wet snares on general 😬 trying to get that Steve Jordan Snare from Vultures

• This post was modified 1 week ago by Kim Mossige.

Compression is different than eq. First try things without any external processing and you may be surprised that the sound will be way better. Trust Jord and I on this as we’ve been doing this for decades. If you want the guitars to ‘bloom on top of everything’ when the solo comes – learn to do automation of levels of the guitars in the song. Or use ducking on the tracks other than guitar. That dead/muffled snare doesn’t fit with anything. If this is the type of thing you’re playing for your buddies no wonder they’re critical of the sound.

What would help you immensely is to watch some YouTube videos on mixing. As a quickie help on toms (rack and floor) I cut a bit of 400 HZ and around 200 Hz on a snare – trim to taste. And to tame obnoxious cymbals try a deesser – they’re not just for vocals. I rarely use eq to boost freqs. The only eq I use on drums is just what I mentioned. The only other processing is a compressor on the drum 2 bus and a limiter to catch overs but I DON”t drive into that limiter.

There’s nothing wrong with writing automation – it’s a basic part of any recordists repertoire. It will definitely help your mix to sit well. That muffled sound is what’s wrong with your mix. It’s not what the tune you’re working on needs. Sure you might like that sound but that doesn’t mean it’ll work with the project. Good drummers know how to play what the tune needs and not what they think is cool. Audio engineers also are that way (or they should be).

It’s good to have reference tracks – nothing wrong. But the genius is knowing when to change things. What’s cool in one genre might not be cool in another. Also don’t be a slave to a certain sound. Don’t be afraid to customize a sound for what the tune needs.

Something that just came to me – what’s your setup like? Do you have any acoustic treatment? What are you using for monitor speakers? You don’t need a pro-level studio setup but I’m wondering if you are really hearing things right.

Kim Mossige wrote:

In mixing mainly through Audeze MM-500, and for monitoring its a pair of iloud micro at ear height, treated room with fairly low echo when listening in the room. Using Apollo x6 and a pair of x414 for recording.

Several Studios i know here have real kits and dont have the luxury of changing up snare sounds other than adding sample layers to them, but most of the engineers I’ve spoken to like to deaden their snare in a mix. Note that’s not the reason I do it, I have a weakness for dead 70s sound. In my opinion it’s not a mix problem but artistic clash maybe. Agreed that the midnight kit was better.

 

 

What I was getting at in my previous post here is that that dead snare sound is NOT working for the music in question. If you want this track to work you need to change it. I have weaknesses for certain sounds but they don’t work for everything. Is this something you’re doing for yourself or a client?

Those MM500 cans are pretty darned good and way better than those little computer desktop speakers you’re using. A 3 inch woofer? If that’s all you have room for that’s one thing and at best I’d use them as check speakers.