Recording Drums

Jun

2016

Behind the Scenes with Chad Smith

Yesterday we posted video of Chad & Kevin tracking “Eagle Eye”. Today we bring behind the scenes footage from the session.

As far as sessions go it went pretty smooth. Working with professional musicians like Chad & Kevin make my job as an engineer pretty easy. Kevin and I had talked quite a bit in the weeks leading up to the session so I had a pretty good idea on what type of tones they wanted.

We decided to use a vintage Rogers Holiday kit restored by a good friend of mine Kurt Berger and drum whisperer Chris Heuer. It is a truly amazing drum set. I love all of my kits but that kit just has the “it” factor. It really is amazing.

Kevin brought his Mark Bass rig which is a piece of cake to record. Although Kevin could make any bass rig sound good the Mark Bass is bad ass.

All in all this was a really fun day in the studio. Tarja joined us via Skype from Buenos Aires and stayed on for the entire session. Once we’d get a track we would also send them an MP3 to listen to. This is one of the great ways that technology has made our lives better. It was an international session!

Tarja is a wonderful person and an amazing artist. Check the new album out at www.tarja-theshadowself.com. Links to purchase the album are below.

Anyway let’s get to the video! I’ll post a full list of the mics used and a few photos below too.

Enjoy!
Charlie

The Brightest Void
Tarja CD Digipak – Tarja 1LP+Download – Tarja iTunes

Microphone List

Kick In: MXL A55 kicker

Kick Out: Studio Projects CS5

Snare Top: SM57

Snare Bottom: SM57

Snare Side: Cascade Fathead II

Hats: Audio-Technica ATM450

Rack Toms: Heil PR30

Floor Toms: Audio-Technica AT4047

Ride: Audio-Technica ATM450

Overheads: Audio-Technica AT4060 Tube Mics

Mono Room: Cascade Knucklehead Ribbon Mic

Stereo Rooms: Audio-Technica AT4080 Ribbon Mics

Stereo Wide Rooms: Audio-Technica AE3000

: Chad Smith & Kevin Chown layin’ down tracks

: Drum layout on the Trident 88

: The Trident 88 is full!

: Chad Smith & Kevin Chown listening to takes

: Kevin’s Mark Bass rig

: Kick mic setup with a 5 foot tunnel!

: Rogers Holiday kit used for the sesson

: Rogers Holiday

: AE3000 room mics

: Kit with kit tunnel

: SM57 on top of the snare

: Gretsch bell brass snare

Jun

2016

In Session w/Chad Smith!

Some sessions are fun…and then some sessions are FUN!

Few drummers can lay down a groove like Chad Smith. Few bass players can lay down a groove like Kevin Chown. Together, they form an unstoppable rhythm section. For most musicians watching them work together would be the ultimate educational experience.

They are not only masters at their crafts but they understand that music is made by collaboration. By working together, they create parts they lay the foundation for great music.

Now mix that formidable rhythm section with rock superstar, Tarja Turunen, and you’ve got yourself one hell of an album!

“Eagle Eye“, from Tarja’s new album “The Brightest Void“, is a track that features Chad Smith on drums. We filmed the entire session (almost 10 hours!) and have put together an awesome, in-studio, music video feature Chad & Kevin with the final audio from the album!

Tomorrow we’ll roll out some behind the scenes footage from the session so stay tuned!

The Brightest Void
Tarja CD Digipak – Tarja 1LP+Download – Tarja iTunes

Tarja Turunen
“Eagle Eye”

Jun

2016

Why It’s Important To Know Your Mics!

When I start preparing for a session the first thing I do is talk with the artist and find out what they are looking for sonically. We’ll talk about their music, their influences, what albums they like and I’ll ask them for references of other artists that fit their music. I’ll also talk with them about what type of recording they want and whether it’s a modern sound vs old school sound, dark or bright, etc..

Based on their answers I start putting my tracking sheet together and make my initial decision on what my signal chain will be. My first decision is usually what microphones I’ll use to fulfill the artist’s sonic vision.

Before the artist even arrives at the studio I’m able to make quite a few microphone decisions simply because I know my mics….really well.

My goal is not just to record a good sound. My BIG goal is to record the “RIGHT” sound for the music. I’m able to do this because I’ve done my homework and spent time getting to know how my mics react in any situation on any source.

So, are you getting the right sound for the music you’re recording? Check out this video to find out why it’s important to know your mics and know them well.

Happy recording,

Charlie

p.s. do me a favor and leave a comment with your experiences with you microphones. What you use, your method for learning how they sound, etc. I would love to hear from you!

Apr

2016

Building A Drum Sound pt1

“I put a mic on every drum. Why doesn’t it sound good?”

I’m sure at some point we’ve all asked ourselves that question. I know I have! Either it just didn’t sound good or it was completely the wrong sound for the music. Building the “right” drum sound is about more than just setting up mics on all of the drums.

The drum set isn’t a collection of different instruments. It’s one instrument made up of different pieces.

This is a very important, and often overlooked, aspect of recording a drum sound that has body, depth, and punch. For this very reason I always get the majority of my drum sound from as few mics as possible.

Even if I’m setting up 20 mics on a drum set the majority of my tone will come from 3-5 microphones. This is how I make sure that I’m capturing the drums as one instrument as well as getting a nice, full tone. From this point on I let the music tell me what mics I need to add to achieve a sound that works for the song.

In part 1 of “Building A Drum Sound” I’m going to show you how to capture the drums with only 2 microphones. I’ll explain what mics I use, where I positioned them and why I chose them. Then you’ll hear those mics with our song to see how they fit.

My challenge to you this week is to pick 2 microphones out of your mic locker and get the best drum sound possible. This is also a great way to experiment and learn how your mics sound!

I’ll see you next Tuesday with part 2. Happy recording!

Charlie

Sep

2015

Drum Cover Killer Video Package

Book Your Drum Cover Session Today!

There is no doubt that having killer looking and sounding video is an absolute must in today’s music business. We’re not talking iPhone video. We’re talking fantastic looking video that grabs peoples attention and gets you the recognition that you deserve.

How many videos have you seen that are literally inaudible? LOTS! We’re here to end that. At Ultimate Studios, Inc we take great pride in recording the best sounding drums in LA and that’s just what we’ll do for you. Producer/Engineer Charlie Waymire is one of the best in LA when it comes to drum sounds and, being a drummer himself, takes great pride in helping drummers achieve the sounds they have always dreamed of.

To help you promote yourself we have put together a killer 4 hour studio package that will give you exactly what you need to build your drumming portfolio and show prospective employers your skills. If this sounds like what you need then it’s time you contacted us!

Call us at: (818) 308-4553 or
[show_tagwebs_beauty_contact_popup_form id=”1″]
for details and to set up your Drum Cover Killer Video Package session today!

Aug

2015

Behind The Scenes – Drum Recording Ninja Workshop

Go behind the scenes of the Drum Recording Ninja Workshops. This video is from a live Periscope broadcast and was shot just prior to our latest Drum Recording Ninja Workshop. For this workshop Charlie was joined by his FullOnDrums.com cohort Scott Francisco and drummer extraordinaire Jeff Bowders.

The Drum Recording Ninja Workshops are for ANYONE that is interested in recording drums. Topics that are covered include tuning tips, mic types and choosing the right mics, overhead techniques, room micing techniques, minimal micing techniques, and much, much more. Our goal is to show you techniques that you can use on your very next session!

For those of you who haven’t attended a workshop yet we would like to give you a little behind the scenes look at the setup. We have fun at these workshops and so does everyone that attends. Below are a few photos plus the input list for the workshop.

Enjoy and we hope to see you at the next workshop!

Mar

2015

Recording with Chad Smith (w/Video)

Ultimate Studios, Inc. was recently invaded by Chad Smith and Kevin Chown who were recording for international superstar Tarja Turunen.

Tarja’s music is extremely dynamic with very orchestral arrangements. To match the demands of the music we set Chad up with a late 60’s Rogers Holiday kit with 10″, 12″, 13″ rack toms, 14″ & 16″ floor toms and a 24″ kick. This kit was massive and sounded even more massive!

Working together in Chad Smith’s Bombastic Meatbats, Chad and Kevin have formed one of the most formidable rhythm sections in music. To make this session even better we tracked them together! The way a great rhythm section should be tracked!

“When you have a rhythm section as good as Chad and Kevin they absolutely have to play together. There is simply no other way to do it. Watching them interact with each other in the room and hearing the energy and groove they were creating was simply fantastic. This is exactly why I built Ultimate Studios, Inc!” says engineer Charlie Waymire.

Check out Tarja at: www.tarjaturunen.com and the Bombastic Meatbats at: www.facebook.com/bombasticmeatbats

Check out a short video clip from the session.

Awesome day tracking drums and bass with Chad Smith and Kevin Chown yesterday. Awesome rhythm section!

A video posted by @ultimatestudiosinc on Mar 5, 2015 at 9:21am PST

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Jan

2015

Good Vibrations Debuts On DrumMagazine.com! (w/video)

I am stoked to announce that “Good Vibrations”, a new column on DrumMagazine.com, has officially launched! In each installment I’ll discuss how I work with drummers to get a great sound in the studio. “Good Vibrations” is designed to give you a quick look at how I go for a particular sound to fit a session or song. I’ll be working with different artists in each installment, including some familiar names in the industry.

There are plenty of articles all over the internet that talk just about the gear. I want to focus on “why” I choose to use something and how it relates to the other pieces in the setup and, more importantly, the song. Don’t get me wrong, gear is great and I a super gear nerd but at the end of the day the song is most important and that’s how I’m approaching this column. From the perspective of the song, not the recording gear.

The first episode of “Good Vibrations” features a great friend of mine and an awesome Drummer/Producer Mike Avenaim. We filmed this while working together on a new artist that he’s producing named T’Lark. I hope you enjoy!

Charlie

Go to DrumMagazine.com to watch the episode and see complete session notes.

Watch “Good Vibrations” EP1 below!

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10

Dec

2014

Tita Hutchison Releases “Hello Love”
I was fortunate to work with one of my dearest friends, Tita Hutchison, on her debut EP “Hello Love”. Throughout the years we’ve worked on many different projects and shared the stage many, many times but this project is the most special to me and I was extremely honored when she asked me to mix “Hello Love”. What I didn’t know then was that it would be so much more than just mixing….

“Hello Love” Available On iTunes

I got to spend about a week and a half mixing, arranging, recording, and re-recording with another one of my best friends Tim Pedersen. We had a blast and did a LOT of experimenting. On two songs we tracked drums using a gorgeous ’67 Rogers drum kit with a 20″ kick, 12″ rack tom, 14″ floor tom, and a 14″ Yamaha Anton Fig snare. Tim let me experiment with some very unconventional micing techniques too. The goal was to capture a sound that fit the emotion of the song with tons of vibe.

Here’s one of the unique setups:

On the kick we used an SM57. There was no hole in the kick and the 57 gave us a nice punch. We used a pillow against the outside head to make the note nice and short. An Audio-Technica AT4080 ribbon mic as a mono overhead placed above the floor tom, a Shure S55 placed between the rack tom and hi-hat, facing the snare and angled slightly down, and an MXL Cube for a mono room mic. All I can say is WOW! What a cool sound. Tim didn’t use any crashes. He used two rides instead; a Paiste Formula 602 and a Paiste Dark Energy Mark I along with 15″ Paiste Formula 602 hi-hats.

We re-tracked Tita’s vocals on one song too. She is such a fantastic singer and super easy to work with in the studio. We used an Audio-Technica 4060 tube mic going into an Overstayer VCA compressor and GAP Pre73 DLX mic pre. It sounded simply amazing. Of course when you have a great singer recording is easy! 🙂

Tim and I took quite a few chances during the mixing process too. I prefer mixing mostly analog so we had a pretty old school process. We used our hands for automation, we panned things in ways that modern music wouldn’t allow, and we treated mixes likes takes. Doing multiple passes until we got a good one. The entire process was very musically satisfying. I’m very proud of our work and I hope you all enjoy it too.

Tita put a fantastic cast of characters together for “Hello Love”. Michael Thompson on Guitar, Leland Sklar on Bass, Tim Pedersen on Drums (and producing!), Christian Klokovits on Piano, Lao Tizer on Piano, Justin Apergis on Bass, Travis Newlon on Guitar, Tim Mcintyre on Drums, Sahara Thompson on additional backing vocals, Zach Thompson on percussion

I would like to say thank you to Tita and Tim for the opportunity to work with them on “Hello Love“. I’m really proud of this EP!

Charlie

More info about Tita and links to purchase “Hello Love”.

www.TitaHutchison.com
Tita’s Facebook page
“Hello Love” on CD Baby
“Hello Love” on iTunes

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Charlie, Tita, & Tim

Posted by Charlie in Charlie's Big Mouth Blog Entries!, Mixing, News, Releases, 0 comments

18

Sep

2014

Charlie Talks Drum Miking & FREE eBook!
I absolutely love recording drums! There are so many possibilities to create interesting and unique sounding drums to fit a song’s personality. Finding that sound can take some experimenting but when you find it, it’s plain magical. Experimenting is a BIG part of learning how to find that sound. The more time you put into experimenting the better understanding you’ll have about how drums sound, about what your microphones hear, about mic placement. All of this will ultimately lead you to better sounding drums!

That’s one of the BIG goals of “4 Twists On Minimal Drum Miking“; to help you understand the drums better and get great sounds without needing lots of gear. By using less gear it really makes you think about what sounds you’re going after and where you’re placing your microphones. These are just a few techniques that I hope will help you not only get better drum sounds but spark your imagination to come up with sounds that are unique to you and your music.

Remember, it’s not just about recording a great drum sound. It’s about recording the “right” drum sounds for your songs, or for your client’s songs. As you experiment with these techniques give them some sort of context so you can learn how they really sound, how the drums fit into the music and how the music fits around the drums.

The recording process can, and should be, an amazing journey. Be creative and experiment as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to try something different and don’t get stuck just recording one way. Whether it’s drums, guitars, vocals, bass, banjo, or any combination of instruments, remember that it’s art. It’s YOUR art.

Have fun and enjoy “4 Twists On Minimal Drum Miking“!

– Charlie

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