The Ever-Changing Kick Drum
I love a good kick drum just as much as the next person. In fact, once I went to a rehearsal of The Herkemer just so I could lay down in front of Hans Wagner's kick drum and listen to the beater pound three feet from my head. As an aside, I had my hearing checked in mid-2009, and my hearing is perfect in all frequencies (even I was shocked). Anyway, yeah, I know the engineering tricks. I've learned, I've asked questions, I've made it happen. Head on, head off. u87, u47, u47 fet, d12, d112, re20, boundary mic, two mics, three mics, eq in some 6k8 or 1k and or 100hz or 56hz or mix and match. Overcompress, undercompress, run a mult out with the bass through a Sta Level. Yeah, snap snap snap. You want that beater? You want the Kinks? You want Motown? Ibiza - "toonce . . . toonce . . . toonce . . . toonce . . . ?" I'm listening, and yeah, I'm fairly kick drum savvy.
But here's what I am really getting annoyed with: spending loads of time getting an accurate and exciting snapshot of the kick drum in the mix - one that the band, the drummer, and label all like! - finishing basics, and then - a month later when mixing - having the drummer want to fundamentally change the sound of the kick. I mean, really? I can understand this happening once in a great moon or for musical reasons, but it has become so commonplace with Drumagog and SoundReplacer, which I have but shy away from. And I know technology permits this, but c'mon drummers, let's start with the basics. If you want a better kick drum, bring a better kick drum to the studio! At least START there!