1:49 : Death from Above 1975's drum / bass sound 9:50 : Gating drums 16:38 : Thoughts on engineering / recording things you don't like 20:32 : Have you worked on anything not music related in your life? 23:00 : Queens of the Stone Age micing 33:33 : Loudness while mixing 35:49 : Dave Grohl's drums on QOTSA's Songs for the Deaf 44:19 : One mic drum recording 47:20 : When did you start to feel like your mixes and engineering made a turning point? 51:33 : Noise from Oktava MK-012 mic 52:06 : Using two different / mismatched mics for overheads 55:55 : Overgating and spectral editing on drums 1:01:24 : Thoughts on mono and whether he'd compromise a stereo mix to accommodate for mono 1:04:33 : Thoughts on getting a great drum ambience without good drum room mic tracks 1:09:46 : Eric's plugin alternative to getting a similar sound to the one he gets when he uses the Unfairchild on the stereo bus 1:11:06 : Acoustic treatment / products that are worth it
Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience with the world Eric. These new episodes are fantastic! Can't wait to dive into the control room minutia with you.
Rumor has it that the QOTSA age episode still exists on certain people's hard drives. Rumor has it that certain people have watched it many times since it was removed from this channel. Rumor has it that certain people may watch it tonight after being inspired by this video.
You rock Eric! Thank you so much! By the way... I just moved to a rural area in Nova Scotia and am also converting an old barn (1946) into a studio! My budget isn't as grand as yours, and I have had to do all the physical work myself so far, but it is a dream come true! Best of luck on your new studio project! I'll be watching along as you go. Cheers!
As for getting a good room sound when you're not sent a good room track, couldn't you "re-room" the drums? By that, I mean play the drum tracks with a monitor facing out into the room. And then you could record THAT with a room mic. One potential advantage of this is that you could control which drums you're sending out into the room. Depending on how the drums were mic'd in the first place, you could avoid cymbals all together. Pretty sure I've seen Kristian Kohle (a heavy metal mixing engineer) use this exact technique, in fact. Obviously, the big problem with this is you have to have a good room of your own. I'm far from a expert, but I've had decent success with using a room reverb and the right compression settings. It's amazing what compression does for a room sound.
Hi Eric, these behind the scenes episodes are mind blowing! Thanks for taking the time. I would really like to hear a break down of Nickel Creek. How did the drum part on Helena come about? How was the intro to When In Rome created? What other factors went into making this album so special? Thanks for all of the inspiration!
I've heard you talk about these acoustic panels vaguely in the past, and I've scoured the internet, but couldn't quite find anything. Can't wait to see what you did with them so I can apply it to my next (and hopefully last) room. You rule!
52:12 Regarding the noise issue with my mic: I'm pretty sure it was just moisture from a too damp environment. My friend Peter (from up in Topanga!) suggested that might be the problem. After a week or two of being stored in a hot, dry garage, the noise problem went away.
Hell YES to the one-mic question(and answer). I have watched and watched the Sugar Percussion one-mic video, and I can't tell exactly where you placed that M160 from the angles of the shots. That was such a killer drum sound and so were the song and guitar parts. Edit: Regarding the question about the room not sounding good and using plug-ins for ambiance... This is what I do (and I'm just a hobbyist who has no idea what I am doing, btw)... I record drums in my "untreated" basement (which does not sound terrible actually - concrete walls (on three sides) and floor, but I have shelves of junk and things like storage of paper towels and toilet paper, etc. lining the walls and a ping pong table that acts as junk storage, literally an embarrassing mess, but I think it really helps diffuse the sound). In the mix, I use a plug-in called SPL transient designer, and there is a preset called "Room killer." I use that to dial out the room sound to taste, then I use a room reverb plug-in to dial back the ambiance on an aux send (again to taste, a little goes a long way). I have the FAME studio and the Sunset Studio plug-in from IK. I tend to like the FAME rooms a little better for drums, a little more vibey. I'd love to try this with Eric's Barefoot impulse responses. Disclaimer: I am still in my learning/experimental process, so I have not had the opportunity to incorporate this process in a full mix just yet (soon though). Sounds good for my test drum tracks only so far. Your mileage may vary!!
Eric, thank you so so much for doing this-- it's impossible to overstate how valuable these videos are. 1.About how long does it generally take you to do a mix from start to finish? Your mixes are so intricate, and a lot of them involve what seems like incredibly time-consuming work, like automating the threshold of a gate for every drum transient (for example). And do you ever struggle with maintaining perspective on a mix when you've been working on it for a long time? 2. Do you have any advice for getting better at the all-important skill of being able to conceptualize the way you want something to sound in your head, and then effectively realize it in a finished product-- relevant to both producing and mixing. I feel like I'm at a point where I can mix pretty well, and my stuff sounds decently good, but I often find myself going down the path of least resistance, repeatedly doing the same things I know will work, and at times it can feel like I'm a one-trick pony. I want to get better at having a cohesive vision before I even open Pro Tools and then really working towards that vision the whole time. Thank you so much!
Thank you Eric for sharing your vast knowledge and experience!! I’ve enjoyed every episode and have rewatched many. Such valuable info., that you share humbly. You’re a great presenter and teacher. Wish you all the best with your new ventures!! ❤🙏
Another fantastic video from EV. The real snare on a speaker was a trick used back in the 80s by Pete Waterman to get some life into Linn snares. With some many sample libraries and plugins, it’s easy to lose the art of such creativity.
Just wanted to say thanks for sharing the wisdom you've learned along the way. Lots of "I didn't think of that" from my end. The construction and "life" episodes are super interesting too. Just thank you!
Hi Eric - confession, I found you by following wonderful Grace Potter (don't forget Valentines day) thank you for your channel and here is a question: Who sings on your series title track? My guess is it could be Grace my second guess would be Haley Reinhardt as it sounds like right in her ball park - if it is credited somewhere I have missed it
Hi Eric, It's great to see you back. I'm curious if you have any plans to expand your mixing to include the Dolby ATMOS mix format in your new studio. I've done some mixes for UMG release this past year and they are now requiring ATMOS mixes to be submitted in their standard audio delivery requirements. I would be very interested in your views on the new requirements beyond stereo mixes and how you might be adapting.
Good Question! Currently i have no plans for ATMOS in the control room. I've been through this before when everyone was swearing that everything MUST BE mixed in surround and that surround was going to be the new standard. Obviously, that didn't happen. I get that ATMOS has a better chance because it is self configuring but I'm gonna wait and see if it's worth the investment :)
Hi Eric! It's nice having you back and active. I wanted to ask if you're familiar with the "rear buss" technique made famous by Andrew Scheps where you send everything but the drums to a parallel compressor. Have you ever tried this approach? Do you think it might be incompatible with the way you set your music/vocals bus?
Oktava mic capsules don’t hold on so well to the rest of the body of the mic … if you’re having noise, try unscrewing and rescrewing back in the capsule. I use one as a hihat mic and I gotta do this about every month or so.
Lots of great info in here! Thanks for the time and effort. Is there any way of making this IRs available at all Eric? Always looking for cool drum ambience ideas!
Looking forward to seeing how you've built the metal plate absorbers! One quick question: I've heard that the metal plate must not touch anything, but the foam behind it. How does one fix on the wall then? Is the foam strong enough to hold it without any other fastening mechanisms? Thank you!
Señor Valentine, sweet tshirt. Is there a site where one can purchase one… or several? AND As always… thanks for taking the time to do these videos. They are not only entertaining, they are full of good info. Keep it rollin’, hermano.
Is that a Gates or RCA radio console behind you? Stepped pots? My first radio gig had something similar, 600 ohm and transformers and terminations and DAs and all even though it was in the 90s!
Hi Eric how do you gain stage levels ITB ? Do you have any preference? Also, what compressor plugin would you use on guitars (if there's no unfairchild around)
Hey Eric, please share the site for the barefoot room IR’s. Super stokes to purchase and use when available. Also, will you still plan to do audio classes/retreats when “the barn” is done?
I'll chase down the link for the Barefoot IRs. Yes the recording retreats are in the early planning stages now. I would say best case, the first one would be late summer 2023 :)
Hey Eric, not to hijack the upcoming acoustic treatment episodes, I know the theory is the larger the tube the lower the frequencies that can be absorbed, but have you found a drastic difference in the size of tube traps and their absorption capabilities? I've made a bunch of my own tube traps, all 13" total diameter, but I cant get any larger ones since I would have to sell my kidneys in order to pay for shipping on them. Would say 3-4 stacks of 13" tubes be as effective as say a single stack of 24" tube traps?
I'm deep in it right now but I would say that yes diameter does mater in the world of tube traps. I am planning on trying to measure that difference this week. I am still deep in experimentation mode with this new room. I'll follow up with specifics about my findings with tube trap tuning :)
Eric, do you include HiHats in the ‘No Cymbal’ drum takes and record them after with the cymbals, if so what is the drummer hitting to keep time ? Thanks 😊
I just tried that thing and I couldn’t get it to make an appreciable difference in my room. I was really surprised. I thought an active bass trap would have a more measurable affect on the room response than passive devices and it just didn’t. I already returned it and I should say that the one I purchased was “used”. As in, someone else had already bought and returned it. There is one on VK with the same status. It seems others are having the same experience I had.
@@mrwev I have three in my little room and they helped with the decay times on some super low frequencies. But like any active systems, they can be susceptible to failure for sure and environmental changes. It makes since that the passive way is likely the best way. Last question, when you say difference, are talking measurements or audible experience or both? Thanks and love these videos!
@@imdrecordings At this stage, I am measuring what influence an acoustic treatment device has in the room. I use either fuzz measure or REW to try and quantify what is happening. The interactions in a room are so complex that it is very easy to get fooled or go down the wrong rabbit hole. I need real numbers for me to move forward with something.
Those traps are called diaphragmatic walls. The size of the wall panel follows the 1/4 wavelength rule. They dissipate low frequency energy by moving like a diaphragm. It truly is black magic.
@@koenraadfoesters I have never heard of those and he doesn't mention them by name. I don't read German, but they do not appear to float, making them traditional high frequency absorption not a diaphragmatic panel.
1:49 : Death from Above 1975's drum / bass sound
9:50 : Gating drums
16:38 : Thoughts on engineering / recording things you don't like
20:32 : Have you worked on anything not music related in your life?
23:00 : Queens of the Stone Age micing
33:33 : Loudness while mixing
35:49 : Dave Grohl's drums on QOTSA's Songs for the Deaf
44:19 : One mic drum recording
47:20 : When did you start to feel like your mixes and engineering made a turning point?
51:33 : Noise from Oktava MK-012 mic
52:06 : Using two different / mismatched mics for overheads
55:55 : Overgating and spectral editing on drums
1:01:24 : Thoughts on mono and whether he'd compromise a stereo mix to accommodate for mono
1:04:33 : Thoughts on getting a great drum ambience without good drum room mic tracks
1:09:46 : Eric's plugin alternative to getting a similar sound to the one he gets when he uses the Unfairchild on the stereo bus
1:11:06 : Acoustic treatment / products that are worth it
Good work. Thank you! ✌🏻
Legend! Thanks. 😉
thank you!
Glad to see these FAQ's returning! A gold mine of useful information
Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience with the world Eric. These new episodes are fantastic! Can't wait to dive into the control room minutia with you.
Rumor has it that the QOTSA age episode still exists on certain people's hard drives. Rumor has it that certain people have watched it many times since it was removed from this channel. Rumor has it that certain people may watch it tonight after being inspired by this video.
Haha!
Please share!!
@@hermanaraujo8023 th-cam.com/video/RmIyIPItlG0/w-d-xo.html
I heard that rumor too…
Very happy to see you back on the TH-cam!
Thanks for taking the time to do all of this, Eric! Looking forward to the acoustic treatment detailed video! Peace ✌️
You rock Eric! Thank you so much!
By the way... I just moved to a rural area in Nova Scotia and am also converting an old barn (1946) into a studio! My budget isn't as grand as yours, and I have had to do all the physical work myself so far, but it is a dream come true!
Best of luck on your new studio project! I'll be watching along as you go.
Cheers!
Valentine with this Valentine’s Day QandA is a vibe.😏 Thank you sir!😂
I love that 2 SVTs was a bit meh, meanwhile a tiny Peavey amp with a 4038 was a ton of low end on the bass
As for getting a good room sound when you're not sent a good room track, couldn't you "re-room" the drums? By that, I mean play the drum tracks with a monitor facing out into the room. And then you could record THAT with a room mic. One potential advantage of this is that you could control which drums you're sending out into the room. Depending on how the drums were mic'd in the first place, you could avoid cymbals all together.
Pretty sure I've seen Kristian Kohle (a heavy metal mixing engineer) use this exact technique, in fact. Obviously, the big problem with this is you have to have a good room of your own.
I'm far from a expert, but I've had decent success with using a room reverb and the right compression settings. It's amazing what compression does for a room sound.
Hi Eric, these behind the scenes episodes are mind blowing! Thanks for taking the time. I would really like to hear a break down of Nickel Creek. How did the drum part on Helena come about? How was the intro to When In Rome created? What other factors went into making this album so special? Thanks for all of the inspiration!
Thanks Eric!
I've heard you talk about these acoustic panels vaguely in the past, and I've scoured the internet, but couldn't quite find anything. Can't wait to see what you did with them so I can apply it to my next (and hopefully last) room. You rule!
Here is a link to the specific product that I put on the ceiling in my new place www.renz-solutions.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Datenblatt_BKA_Typ1.pdf
52:12 Regarding the noise issue with my mic: I'm pretty sure it was just moisture from a too damp environment. My friend Peter (from up in Topanga!) suggested that might be the problem. After a week or two of being stored in a hot, dry garage, the noise problem went away.
So many killer bits of info in here. Thanks, Eric!
Hell YES to the one-mic question(and answer). I have watched and watched the Sugar Percussion one-mic video, and I can't tell exactly where you placed that M160 from the angles of the shots. That was such a killer drum sound and so were the song and guitar parts.
Edit: Regarding the question about the room not sounding good and using plug-ins for ambiance... This is what I do (and I'm just a hobbyist who has no idea what I am doing, btw)... I record drums in my "untreated" basement (which does not sound terrible actually - concrete walls (on three sides) and floor, but I have shelves of junk and things like storage of paper towels and toilet paper, etc. lining the walls and a ping pong table that acts as junk storage, literally an embarrassing mess, but I think it really helps diffuse the sound). In the mix, I use a plug-in called SPL transient designer, and there is a preset called "Room killer." I use that to dial out the room sound to taste, then I use a room reverb plug-in to dial back the ambiance on an aux send (again to taste, a little goes a long way). I have the FAME studio and the Sunset Studio plug-in from IK. I tend to like the FAME rooms a little better for drums, a little more vibey. I'd love to try this with Eric's Barefoot impulse responses. Disclaimer: I am still in my learning/experimental process, so I have not had the opportunity to incorporate this process in a full mix just yet (soon though). Sounds good for my test drum tracks only so far. Your mileage may vary!!
Eric, thank you so so much for doing this-- it's impossible to overstate how valuable these videos are.
1.About how long does it generally take you to do a mix from start to finish? Your mixes are so intricate, and a lot of them involve what seems like incredibly time-consuming work, like automating the threshold of a gate for every drum transient (for example). And do you ever struggle with maintaining perspective on a mix when you've been working on it for a long time?
2. Do you have any advice for getting better at the all-important skill of being able to conceptualize the way you want something to sound in your head, and then effectively realize it in a finished product-- relevant to both producing and mixing. I feel like I'm at a point where I can mix pretty well, and my stuff sounds decently good, but I often find myself going down the path of least resistance, repeatedly doing the same things I know will work, and at times it can feel like I'm a one-trick pony. I want to get better at having a cohesive vision before I even open Pro Tools and then really working towards that vision the whole time. Thank you so much!
Congrats on the control room test! I know that was a huge moment you have been waiting for 🤘
Thank you Eric for sharing your vast knowledge and experience!! I’ve enjoyed every episode and have rewatched many. Such valuable info., that you share humbly. You’re a great presenter and teacher. Wish you all the best with your new ventures!! ❤🙏
Another fantastic video from EV.
The real snare on a speaker was a trick used back in the 80s by Pete Waterman to get some life into Linn snares.
With some many sample libraries and plugins, it’s easy to lose the art of such creativity.
Thanks for sharing your years of wisdom!
Awesome episode. Thanks for sharing! Love the QotSA stuff especially.. Never gets old. 🤙
OMG i'm so excited for seeing your room in the next future!
Just wanted to say thanks for sharing the wisdom you've learned along the way. Lots of "I didn't think of that" from my end. The construction and "life" episodes are super interesting too. Just thank you!
Some interesting questions and answers! Thanks Eric! Always a pleasure to watch your videos
Hi Eric - confession, I found you by following wonderful Grace Potter (don't forget Valentines day) thank you for your channel and here is a question:
Who sings on your series title track?
My guess is it could be Grace my second guess would be Haley Reinhardt as it sounds like right in her ball park - if it is credited somewhere I have missed it
That is Grace!
Thanks for this! I'm really looking forward to hearing about the steel used in the new traps.
Hi Eric, It's great to see you back. I'm curious if you have any plans to expand your mixing to include the Dolby ATMOS mix format in your new studio. I've done some mixes for UMG release this past year and they are now requiring ATMOS mixes to be submitted in their standard audio delivery requirements. I would be very interested in your views on the new requirements beyond stereo mixes and how you might be adapting.
Good Question! Currently i have no plans for ATMOS in the control room. I've been through this before when everyone was swearing that everything MUST BE mixed in surround and that surround was going to be the new standard. Obviously, that didn't happen. I get that ATMOS has a better chance because it is self configuring but I'm gonna wait and see if it's worth the investment :)
great stuff! Always learning new things here and getting new ideas! thanks a million
Yesss He's back!
Anybody catch the name of the German company that makes the steel covered acoustic panels? Sounded like “Rens”?
been scowinging the internet and i cant seem to find them either, had any luck your end ?
Thank You so much for all the incredibly useful information!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Eric! It's nice having you back and active. I wanted to ask if you're familiar with the "rear buss" technique made famous by Andrew Scheps where you send everything but the drums to a parallel compressor. Have you ever tried this approach? Do you think it might be incompatible with the way you set your music/vocals bus?
PLEASE DO THE STORY SO FAR ❤THANK YOU
Oktava mic capsules don’t hold on so well to the rest of the body of the mic … if you’re having noise, try unscrewing and rescrewing back in the capsule. I use one as a hihat mic and I gotta do this about every month or so.
THANKS ERIC HAPPY VALENTINES DAY
Lots of great info in here! Thanks for the time and effort.
Is there any way of making this IRs available at all Eric? Always looking for cool drum ambience ideas!
Tube Traps are pretty rad. I made a few as well. Helped greatly.
Looking forward to seeing how you've built the metal plate absorbers! One quick question: I've heard that the metal plate must not touch anything, but the foam behind it. How does one fix on the wall then? Is the foam strong enough to hold it without any other fastening mechanisms? Thank you!
Señor Valentine, sweet tshirt. Is there a site where one can purchase one… or several?
AND
As always… thanks for taking the time to do these videos. They are not only entertaining, they are full of good info. Keep it rollin’, hermano.
Awe man! If I knew you were gonna do questions! Just kidding, great information and thank you for sharing sir.
Is that a Gates or RCA radio console behind you? Stepped pots? My first radio gig had something similar, 600 ohm and transformers and terminations and DAs and all even though it was in the 90s!
Hi Eric how do you gain stage levels ITB ? Do you have any preference? Also, what compressor plugin would you use on guitars (if there's no unfairchild around)
What shampoo do you use?
Hey Eric, please share the site for the barefoot room IR’s. Super stokes to purchase and use when available. Also, will you still plan to do audio classes/retreats when “the barn” is done?
I'll chase down the link for the Barefoot IRs. Yes the recording retreats are in the early planning stages now. I would say best case, the first one would be late summer 2023 :)
Drumming question for anyone to answer: To achieve the best kick drum sound, how much does it matter if a drummer plays heel up or heel down?
Great! What about those impulses 🎉🎉😂
This is so good :>)
Does anyone has more infos on those steel plate acoustic panel? Can't find anything about them... Thanks Eric, those videos are priceless!
Here is a link to the specific product that I put on the ceiling in my new place www.renz-solutions.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Datenblatt_BKA_Typ1.pdf
@@mrwev thanks a lot!
Hey Eric, not to hijack the upcoming acoustic treatment episodes, I know the theory is the larger the tube the lower the frequencies that can be absorbed, but have you found a drastic difference in the size of tube traps and their absorption capabilities? I've made a bunch of my own tube traps, all 13" total diameter, but I cant get any larger ones since I would have to sell my kidneys in order to pay for shipping on them. Would say 3-4 stacks of 13" tubes be as effective as say a single stack of 24" tube traps?
I'm deep in it right now but I would say that yes diameter does mater in the world of tube traps. I am planning on trying to measure that difference this week. I am still deep in experimentation mode with this new room. I'll follow up with specifics about my findings with tube trap tuning :)
Besides Songs for the Dead what were the other 2 original songs Dave was going to do?
Eric, do you include HiHats in the ‘No Cymbal’ drum takes and record them after with the cymbals, if so what is the drummer hitting to keep time ? Thanks 😊
I think he removed the hats as well. He used electronic cymbals during the shell recording. That way you can still hear cymbals in the monitor.
Thanks so much Eric!!! Can anyone (or Eric) share the name of the steel panel absorber company? Very interested in exploring those.
Here is a link to the specific product that I put on the ceiling in my new place www.renz-solutions.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Datenblatt_BKA_Typ1.pdf
I want to know how Dave Grohl felt about recording cymbals separate LOL
th-cam.com/video/rEqbLPXuKvA/w-d-xo.html#t=40m09s
I would guess he didn't hate it. "Dave Grohl + Taylor Hawkins" is the best drummer for this
would you share the company name again that mde those metal sheet panels. i rewinded when you said it a few times but couldn't make out the name.
Here is a link to the specific product that I put on the ceiling in my new place www.renz-solutions.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Datenblatt_BKA_Typ1.pdf
@@mrwev THANK YOU SO MUCH MR VALNTINE!
Have you tried any of the active absorbers like the PSI AVAA C20s?
I just tried that thing and I couldn’t get it to make an appreciable difference in my room. I was really surprised. I thought an active bass trap would have a more measurable affect on the room response than passive devices and it just didn’t. I already returned it and I should say that the one I purchased was “used”. As in, someone else had already bought and returned it. There is one on VK with the same status. It seems others are having the same experience I had.
@@mrwev I have three in my little room and they helped with the decay times on some super low frequencies. But like any active systems, they can be susceptible to failure for sure and environmental changes. It makes since that the passive way is likely the best way. Last question, when you say difference, are talking measurements or audible experience or both? Thanks and love these videos!
@@imdrecordings At this stage, I am measuring what influence an acoustic treatment device has in the room. I use either fuzz measure or REW to try and quantify what is happening. The interactions in a room are so complex that it is very easy to get fooled or go down the wrong rabbit hole. I need real numbers for me to move forward with something.
Happy Valentine's day!
whats the name of the company that makes the pannels with the resonating plate ?
They are called Renz Solutions. here is the website. www.renz-solutions.de/projektentwicklung.html
@@mrwev ah cheers eric Legend !
Those traps are called diaphragmatic walls. The size of the wall panel follows the 1/4 wavelength rule. They dissipate low frequency energy by moving like a diaphragm. It truly is black magic.
Is this different to VPR panels? I thought that’s what he was talking about
He is talking about the Renz Solutions Breitband Kompakt Absorber BKA-I panels.
These things sound like they would be incredible. I guess they would be difficult to build.
@@viralempire1986 I believe so. What I am talking about floats a few inches from the wall and can freely move.
@@koenraadfoesters I have never heard of those and he doesn't mention them by name. I don't read German, but they do not appear to float, making them traditional high frequency absorption not a diaphragmatic panel.
are you hiring people for the new studio?
Yeah , I gave the first like on this video
Hell yes!!!
QOTSA episode: th-cam.com/video/RmIyIPItlG0/w-d-xo.html