Rock and Roll can be characterized by emotions stemmed from current affairs shaped by political and social economic issues. It is a style born from angst and is known for its loud and rebellious nature. Rock music has been around for many decades, and as trends come and go, so do the sounds and styles.
The equipment used and the way in which rock drums are being recorded will depend largely on what era the band or producer is most influenced by or is trying to emulate. Is the sound desired contemporary, or perhaps something from an earlier decade like the 50s, 60s or 70s? It is important to be able to define the sound you are trying to create. This can be achieved by modeling music after specific bands or songs. When it comes to writing, recording and producing music, we can use reference tracks from these sources to help us get the overall desired sound.
When it comes to recording drums for rock music, Drummers have many choices at their disposal to help create the right sounds for the session. Recording a specific genre like Rock, has less to do with microphone choices, or outboard processing and more to do with drum selection, drum heads, and cymbal choices. The drum equipment used to record rock drums will vary according to the style and sound of the music. Are you looking for wide open drums that ring out, or punchy drums with less sustain?
Drums
The larger the drum diameter, the deeper the tone and vice versa, the smaller the drum diameter, the higher the tone. The depth of the drum is another aspect to consider. Deeper drums move more air so they have a “boomier” sound and project farther. Shallow drums have more attack, speak quicker, and tend to have slightly less projection or volume. This has more of an effect on live performances since recording engineers today are close mic-ing all the drums and blending them with overheads or room microphones.
Drum heads
When shell size is combined with head type you can maximize the features of the drum or control them. For example, using clear heads for more punch and sustain with large drums or coated heads for more control with smaller drums. Clear heads have more attack and sustain, while coated heads have less attack but control the ring more naturally.
Cymbals
Thin, large diameter cymbals are lower in pitch, have a short decay and are darker in tone.
Thicker, small diameter cymbals have a higher pitch, long decay and are brighter in tone. The preference depends on the drummer and the sound they would like to achieve. Often, the cymbals chosen are based on a drummer’s influences. After playing for long enough, drummers should develop their own preferences. This may change over time as musical influences and taste changes.
Attitude!
Let’s not forget that there is more than equipment choices when it comes to recording rock drums. The way we play the drums will affect the time and feel. Is the song pushing forward with energy, is the beat right down the middle, or is it sluggish and sloppy pulling us back? Time will determine the feel and help create the type of energy. This can make or break a tune.
When we listen to the way rock music changes through all the different decades, we can hear the sounds of the drums changing as well. Some of the contributing factors for this are improvements in technology, recording equipment, and acoustic spaces. Other factors include trends from companies introducing cutting edge musical equipment to new and established artists. If you are in need of fully customized rock drums for your next project, I have the ability to record dry or processed drum tracks, emulating the sounds of rock music spanning from the 50s to today. Please feel free to contact me for a free consultation.