ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on selecting and optimizing the instruments and equipment, so each sound source appropriately contributes to the production’s heaviness and sonic weight while retaining clarity. Consequently, some modern metal productions have such unnatural drum sounds they could easily be mistaken for having been programmed, with the resulting “imitation” drum performance contributing to a “fake” sounding production. Maple shells typically produce a warm, dark tone, with an emphasis of low and low-mid frequencies, and a long vibration/sustain that gives a relatively “boomy/looser” sound. There are a wide variety of snare sounds with vastly different timbres that can be effective for sounding production style, so it would be wrong to suggest a preferable construction material. The heavy-hitting nature of most metal drummers can have a negative impact on shell symmetry and flatness of the bearing edge, both of which are essential to high-quality drum sounds. The importance of a drum kit’s resonant heads is frequently underestimated and misunderstood.
