Muddy Sounding Default Kits

[Kalbi]

I’ve been struggling with how muddy the default kits sounds when they are used in Logic and exported to mp4. Is there a simple trick to help with this or does it involve proper drum mixing skills?

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.3.3
Operating system: macOS Big Sur (11)

Topic

[ElMojo]

Like all acoustic recordings it is important to capture a neutral. Some would say boring take on the sound. That is a perfect take. The worst thing to get in a recording is the room, ambience and reverb. These are things that it takes years of experience to get rid of. So don’t get them in the recording to start with. You need to be more creative and add the dynamics to the sound in the studio. What you have is perfection now be a studio engineer and work your magic.

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.3.3
Operating system: Windows 11

[Kalbi]

That’s interesting that you mention reverb/ambience because I’ve always assumed that those things help with making a drum kit sound authentic. It did cross my mind that they could create an unwanted muddiness so I’m glad you brought that up.

[ElMojo]

The problem with room ambience is it is embedded in the recording. So if you want to add reverb on that track later the two might clash big time. This often leads to a compromise that is not ideal. However, if you listen to Bonham ‘When the Levee Breaks’ that is almost all room ambience, or should I say stair well ambience. Once it is in the recording you have to work with it and not against it. If you go into the mixer screen you can add studio stuff like compressor and reverb to bring the kit alive. There is no end to the sound you can create.

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.3.3
Operating system: Windows 11

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