ABSTRACT
Some people say that when the vocals and drums sound good, it is impossible for the mix to fail. While that may be a little overstated, it is safe to say that drums are vital to the mix. In practice, chances for the drums to sound good are limited by the recording. There are many variables that can make or break the sound: the quality of the kit, tuning of the heads, the choice of microphones, their placement and the acoustics. Even with well-recorded drums, all tricks and techniques are needed for crafting a good drum sound. This chapter explains that process step by step using the stock plugins of digital audio workstation. The more microphones used, the more phase issues to deal with during the mix. Even the best drum recording can be enhanced by processing individual tracks. The acoustics of the room or the nonlinear response of mics may cause resonances in the drum mics.
