What Are The Absolute Essentials?

[wagtunes]

Okay, I've run into a situation. This clearly illustrates why I'm asking if there are any plugins that I might be missing.

I have a drum track. The drums are virtual. I want to put a plugin on the snare track that will make it sound like overheads. I have searched all over the Internet looking for "techniques" on how to simulate overheads on snares and have come up totally empty.

So before I ask if there is a mic plugin that will do this, am I basically SOL because the only way to get an overhead mic sound is to actually get a hold of snare samples that were recorded with overhead mics?

I have EZDrummer but this doesn't seem to address my problem.

Now do you understand why I'm asking these questions?

I am now stuck and have no idea how to proceed.

[ghettosynth]

Okay, I've run into a situation. This clearly illustrates why I'm asking if there are any plugins that I might be missing.

I have a drum track. The drums are virtual. I want to put a plugin on the snare track that will make it sound like overheads. I have searched all over the Internet looking for "techniques" on how to simulate overheads on snares and have come up totally empty.

So before I ask if there is a mic plugin that will do this, am I basically SOL because the only way to get an overhead mic sound is to actually get a hold of snare samples that were recorded with overhead mics?

I have EZDrummer but this doesn't seem to address my problem.

Now do you understand why I'm asking these questions?

I am now stuck and have no idea how to proceed.

Overhead mics are just one or two mics in the space where the drums are recorded. You are going to get some sound of the space but it will be closer sounding than the room mics.

Since they're further away than the close mics, they will sound a little darker. So, some EQ, a very small room verb,I'd try different IR verbs for this, and you're probably close enough.

Open up a drum kit library or plugin that has all three mics, close/room/oh, and listen to the sound of each of them alone and then together. You should be able to discern enough about the character to come up with a good approximation with just EQ and reverb.

If you want to get fancy you could use a mic modeling plugin driving a 3d space positioning plugin, but I doubt the results would be worth the effort.

[skipscada]

I have EZDrummer but this doesn't seem to address my problem.

Mute all drums except the snare (in the midi pattern), then turn down all the channels in the EZDrummer mixer except the overheads. That gives you only snare through only overheads. Mix that in with the full drumkit to taste.

Edit: Don't know if you have EZDrummer 1 or 2. The above is possible in 2 at least, and I can't see why it shouldn't be possible in 1. For super flexible drum plugins, New Superior Drummer 3 or perhaps the latest BFD.

Similar results without any of these: dry snare through convolution reverb with appropirate IR?

[wagtunes]

I have EZDrummer but this doesn't seem to address my problem.

Mute all drums except the snare (in the midi pattern), then turn down all the channels in the EZDrummer mixer except the overheads. That gives you only snare through only overheads. Mix that in with the full drumkit to taste.

Edit: Don't know if you have EZDrummer 1 or 2. The above is possible in 2 at least, and I can't see why it shouldn't be possible in 1. For super flexible drum plugins, New Superior Drummer 3 or perhaps the latest BFD.

Similar results without any of these: dry snare through convolution reverb with appropirate IR?

I'll give this a shot.

[jancivil]

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[ghettosynth]

and in particular a clipper on the master out, idea being your mix is never loud enough until it's essentially boosted if not sent to a mastering engineer to make it louder and it needs to be all glued together by this guy or it isn't "radio-ready". Like no DAW can 'normalize'.

Normalization is not a substitute for what a clipper does. In fact, quite the contrary, if there are largely inaudible peaks then they will be factored into the normalization resulting in a lower average level than the clipped + additionally gained variant.

I'm not trying to make the case for the loudness wars here, but, clipping serves a different purpose than normalization.

Further, there are reasons to normalize, but it's generally accepted that during mastering isn't one of them. See Bob Katz' book on mastering for an expert's opinion (pages 73-74).



Some additional thoughts:

http://www.hometracked.com/2008/04/20/1 ... alization/

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/masteri ... ering.html

[imrae]

I have a drum track. The drums are virtual. I want to put a plugin on the snare track that will make it sound like overheads.

Reverb. Any decent reverb will do you a short, stereo reflection sound. You mostly want early reflections with a hint of diffuse tail. No point in simulating microphone differences, EQ to get the blend right.

Now do you understand why I'm asking these questions?

People have been suggesting to you throughout this thread that you should gain more familiarity with the tools you have. I'm sure you already have a suitable reverb and EQ for this problem, but you think you need a specific plugin for every problem.

I highly recommend Mike Senior's book "Mixing Secrets", it gives a great overview of how to think about mixing and what various tools can be used for. It is short, readable and affordable. The section on delay is particularly useful and discusses how simple delay can be used for tonal purposes as well as the more obvious spatial and rhythmic purposes.

[skipscada]

I highly recommend Mike Senior's book "Mixing Secrets", it gives a great overview of how to think about mixing and what various tools can be used for. It is short, readable and affordable. The section on delay is particularly useful and discusses how simple delay can be used for tonal purposes as well as the more obvious spatial and rhythmic purposes.

Yup, very hjelpful book. Just what you need. It's not heavily into specific tricks or arcane tools / specific plugins that produce a specific effect, but focuses on the fundamentals. It doesn't serve you a fish on a plate, it teaches you to fish.

[Michael L]

Yup, very helpful book. Just what you need. It's not heavily into specific tricks or arcane tools / specific plugins that produce a specific effect, but focuses on the fundamentals. It doesn't serve you a fish on a plate, it teaches you to fish.

I totally agree, but the OP does not. Back on Page 2 of this thread I recommended the same book.

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/mi ... all-studio

Got the book, ages ago.

So for everyone else, here's Mike Senior's YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj7ipd ... lctxnDy_bA

....and a long interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvjHj-Jz4O4

[skipscada]

Yup, very helpful book. Just what you need. It's not heavily into specific tricks or arcane tools / specific plugins that produce a specific effect, but focuses on the fundamentals. It doesn't serve you a fish on a plate, it teaches you to fish.

I totally agree, but the OP does not. Back on Page 2 of this thread I recommended the same book.

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/mi ... all-studio

Got the book, ages ago.

Then the obvious next step is to read the book.

[wagtunes]

The book. I got it. I read it. Nowhere in this thread did I say it wasn't helpful. Stop putting words in my mouth. The book has nothing to do with the question posed forth in this thread as it doesn't answer the question. If it did, I wouldn't be asking it.

KVR. Love this place.

[imrae]

Back on Page 2 of this thread I recommended the same book.

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/mi ... all-studio

Got the book, ages ago.

Then the obvious next step is to read the book.

[Michael L]

Then the obvious next step is to read the book.

Yes. In fact, on page 64 Mike Senior directly addressed the original question posed in this thread. He identifies " the ultimate bang-per-buck studio tool. It's the best way of closing the gap between amateur and professional sonics, yet it costs very little money."

[skipscada]

The book. I got it. I read it. Nowhere in this thread did I say it wasn't helpful. Stop putting words in my mouth. The book has nothing to do with the question posed forth in this thread as it doesn't answer the question. If it did, I wouldn't be asking it.

KVR. Love this place.

Cool down. Obviously, I and others think that the book, and the fundamentals of mixing, really do have something to do with your questions. You are convinced it doesn't, fine, but remember this is a public forum, and others may come along to look at the problems and solutions posted here. They may find these suggestions useful. Casual readers on the lookout for mixing tips should not be given the idea that every single mixing problem must be met with some sort of special effect or tool. That's not what it's about.

I gave you the solution to the snare in overhead question (you welcome). I could give you an exact solution not thanks to incredibly deep and detailed knowledge of all sorts of VSTs, but by applying the knowledge that you can isolate notes in a midi clip and that EZDrummer has an overhead mic channel. Very basic stuff. Others used their general knowledge to come up with other solutions that should work just as well. Again, no magic VSTs involved, just fundamental knowledge of basic tools + analysis of the problem.

I'm sorry if my remark about actually reading the book caused you offence, but to me it just seems unlikely that you would make these questions if you really had sat down with the book, gone through it thoroughly, tried to apply what you learnt and built some experience of actual mixing.

KVR. Love it or hate it - always a lot to learn.

[skipscada]

Then the obvious next step is to read the book.

Yes. In fact, on page 64 Mike Senior directly addressed the original question posed in this thread. He identifies " the ultimate bang-per-buck studio tool. It's the best way of closing the gap between amateur and professional sonics, yet it costs very little money."

And for that application, some will probably find this very helpful:

https://www.samplemagic.com/details/184/magic-ab