Recording Drums

15
Sep
2014
Mike Avenaim & Sun Rai Live @ Ultimate Studios, Inc!

Mike Avenaim & Sun Rai Live @ Ultimate Studios, Inc!

Real Drum Tracks Now recently had it’s launch party at Ultimate Studios, Inc. It was a fantastic night that featured some amazing musicians playing music.

“We had an absolute blast at the launch party. I’m honored to be working with so many great drummers. A few of the guys put bands together and performed for a fun and energetic crowd at the studio. Let me just say that these guys are all awesome!!!” says engineer and Real Drum Tracks Now CEO Charlie Waymire.

We’re still working through some of the video from the evening but we are happy to put out to the world a fantastic performance by Sun Rai and Mike Avenaim. Sun Rai is an amazing keyboard player and songwriter and Mike is one bad ass drummer. If you’ve never seen either perform then you’re going to LOVE this video. Sun Rai is playing moog bass, keys, and singing at the same time!!

Mike’s groove is simply amazing! He’s rock solid and knows how to get a killer sound out of the kit. Because of that skill Charlie was able to capture Mike live with only 5 microphones! Great drummers make recording easy and fun!

Real Drum Tracks Now is the premier service for getting amazing drum tracks. We have 8 amazing drummers on the roster, an amazing engineer (Charlie Waymire) that knows how to record drums, and a studio built for awesome drum tones, Ultimate Studios, Inc! Meet the entire Real Drum Tracks Now Drummer Roster!

For more information on Real Drum Tracks Now visit www.RealDrumTracksNow.com. To hire Mike Avenaim for your next recording visit Mike’s Real Drum Tracks Now profile page and click the HIRE button!

Enjoy the music video!

 

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Posted by Charlie in News, Tracking, Video Posts, 0 comments
02
Sep
2014
Raz Azraai Releases New Single! (w/video)

Raz Azraai Releases New Single! (w/video)

Guitarist Raz Azraai has just released his new single “I Feel Alive”. The drums for “I Feel Alive” were recorded at Ultimate Studios, Inc by Stanley Love. Along with Raz Azraai on guitar and Stanley Love on drums the vocal duties were handled by Evan Rodaniche of Cage 9.

Fans of rock and real guitar playing are going to love this track. It’s energy will flat out floor you!

 

 

“We had a fantastic time recording drums on this track. Despite the song’s high intensity the vibe in the studio was super laid back and fun. Raz gave Stanley and I plenty of time to find the right drums for the track and ultimately the right tones. Stanley did a fantastic job on the track. I’m looking forward to working with them again!” says engineer Charlie Waymire

“Charlie is very enthusiastic about his work, he knows what to do right away, and make the drums sounds world class. Satisfying experience working with him and Ultimate Studios, the place to record in LA.” says guitarist Raz Azraai

 

Give yourself a treat and check out the video! For more information on Raz Azraii visit his website at www.razazraaimusic.com.

Here are a few photos from the session!

Posted by Charlie in News, Releases, Tracking, Video Posts, 0 comments
11
Aug
2014
Potluck Audio Conference & FREE eBook!

Potluck Audio Conference & FREE eBook!

The Potluck Audio Conference is an annual trade show for audio engineers; studio, live, and broadcast. It’s held at the luxurious Hilton El Conquistador Resort in Tucson, AZ. PotluckCon is small and, unlike NAMM, very laid back. But what it lacks in size it makes up for in quality. Among the attendees were Audio-Technica, PMI Audio, Universal Audio, Sweetwater, Neve, API, Royer, Mojave Audio, Empirical Labs, to name a few.

The weekend also featured many great seminars on recording, mixing, acoustics, broadcast audio, DIY room treatment, hybrid studio setups, and all kinds of other audio and studio related subjects. It was a fantastic weekend of learning from some of the best in the business in an environment that made it easy to learn. It was awesome!

Perhaps the best part of the weekend was the “Casita Gear Crawl”. There is a long row of outdoor suites that are turned into mini studios and feature hands on demonstrations, recording seminars, and more.

Charlie's Recording Setup for the Potluck Audio Conference 2014

Charlie's Recording Setup for the Potluck Audio Conference 2014

I was privileged to be asked by Audio-Technica to put on a seminar about minimal drum miking. The setup in the suite reminded me of being a kid and recording on 4-track cassette recording in my parent’s basement and friend’s houses. It was a lot different (and more challenging!) than working at the studio but I had a blast. We were able to make the room sound pretty nice by using about 16 Cylinder Traps from Aural Endeavors. Everyone at the conference was an amazing help in getting all the gear together and having extra help on hand. Luckily I had my gorgeous girlfriend on hand to help me setup too. It’s a little unnerving to put on a seminar using a rig you’ve never used!

I did a lot of experimenting before the seminar to figure out what I would do. Minimal miking isn’t a new concept but Craig Schumacher, PotluckCon’s driving force, asked me to approach it from a modern recording perspective and not from a classic point of view. That proved quite challenging but I think I came up with a few twists on the classic minimal miking techniques and put my ideas down in a handout, “The Art of Recording Drums – 4 Twists On Minimal Drum Miking”, for all the attendees. Since I think there are some pretty good ideas I thought I would share them with anyone interested in recording drums. These techniques don’t require lots of microphones or lots of gear. They will provide some pretty amazing drum tones and are great for home recording enthusiasts as well as the seasoned pros.

I’ve recorded some amazing sounding drums with these techniques and I hope they can help you do the same!

Enjoy!
Charlie Waymire

Get Your Copy of “The Art of Recording Drums – 4 Techniques On Minimal Drum Miking” FREE eBook Here!

4 Twists On Minimal Drum Miking

 

Photos from PotluckCon 2014

Posted by Charlie in Charlie's Big Mouth Blog Entries!, News, Recording Tips, 0 comments
09
Aug
2014
Real Drum Tracks Now Q & A w/ Jeff Bowders

Real Drum Tracks Now Q & A w/ Jeff Bowders

Jeff Bowders in the quintessential rock drummer. His groove is powerful, his sound is big, and his chops are tight. He has recorded and toured with some of the biggest names in rock including; Paul Gilbert, Puddle of Mudd, Joe Satriani, Andy Timmons, and Mike Keneally to name a few. He has also released a solo record titled “The Pilgrimage of Thingamuhjig” that showcases Jeff’s technical prowess and monster groove!

Jeff is also a published author with 3 titles penned for Hal Leonard; “Essential Rock Drumming Concepts”, “Essential Drumset Fills”, and “Double Bass Drumming Workshop”.

Real Drum Tracks Now is proud to have one of the best rock drummers in the business on the roster.

1) What’s your experience working with different types of artists?

It varies all over the map. Some artists are very specific in what they want others just want me to play the way I would instinctively approach the song. Some artists can convey and articulate what they’re going for where others require a bit of experimentation to discover what it is they want.

2) How do you approach a song when it’s presented to you?

If the artist has given me no direction, I listen to what the groove is to determine what my foundation will be. Then it’s identifying the dynamic changes within the song so I can support the tension and release. If there are any specific rhythmic passages within the song I make note of it and experiment different ways to interpret it.

3) What if an artist has a specific drum idea for their songs?

Great! I’ll also try to offer some suggestions that may go along with their original idea just to see if they may like that better.

4) Does it help for the artist to give you references of other artists to help convey their ideas?

References are always welcome. The key to getting to best possible result in the studio is communication. Using reference songs, drummers, Dali paintings, whatever, it’s usually all helpful.

5) What’s the most important part of your job as a drummer?

To play as many notes as possible!!!! Haha!! My goal is to make everyone and the song sound better and to drumistically contribute without being a distraction.

Hire Recording Session Drummer Jeff Bowders

Watch Jeff’s Videos:

Posted by Charlie in News, Video Posts, 0 comments
30
Jun
2014
“Real Drum Tracks Now” Officially Launches

“Real Drum Tracks Now” Officially Launches

We are very proud to announce the launch of a Real Drums On Demand! We bring you, the artist, musician, producer, band, composer, the absolute BEST drum tracks!

We’ve made it easy to actualy get an awesome studio in Los Angeles, CA, and accomplished engineer that KNOWS Drum Recording, and the absolute BEST drummers on the planet on your songs. With 1 email you have our very own Drum Recording powerhouse team!

 

www.RealDrumTracksNow.com

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with some very talented artists from all around the world. Matter of fact the very drummers on the Real Drum Tracks Now roster and I have been doing this for quite some time now and I’ve always wanted to make this kind of talent easily accessible to artist all over the world. Our business is getting you the Drum Tracks that you simply can’t get anywhere else.” says Producer/Engineer Charlie Waymire.

 

Take a few moments to get to know our talented roster of session drummers. We’re sure you’ll connect with a groove instantly!

Mike Avenaim
Nick Adams
Greg Garman
Jeff Bowders
Henry McDaniel
David Myers
Gianluca Palmieri
Tyler Walton

Join us on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter too!

Let’s make some music together!

 

Watch The Real Drum Tracks Now Trailer!

Posted by Charlie in News, Tracking, Video Posts, 0 comments
15
May
2014
Tracking w/Producer Dean Dichoso

Tracking w/Producer Dean Dichoso

Producer and Multi-Instrumentalist has been at URS recording drums and acoustic guitars for the new Sarah DeFors album. Dean is an uber talented musician and a highly sought after producer with a looong list of credits. For Sarah’s debut album Dean is truly showing that he is a jack of all trades by writing, producing, peforming, and mixing! Check out www.DeanDichoso.com to learn more about this crazy talented dude!

Here’s a little iphone video and some photos from a couple of the sessions. Enjoy!

Posted by Charlie in News, Tracking, Video Posts, 0 comments
02
May
2014
FullOnDrums Episode 34 – Aphex!

FullOnDrums Episode 34 – Aphex!

Episode 34 of FullOnDrums.com features a plethora of gear from a company that has been making great products for many years but isn’t quite a household name yet. That company is Aphex!

Largely known for the Aural Exciter, Big Bottom, and Compellor, Aphex also makes a host of fantastic sounding mic pres and channel strips.

 

Charlie is joined by the great Nick Adams (David Cook) on drums.

For more details about the episode visit the Aphex blog post.

Also be sure to check out and subscribe to the FullOnDrums YouTube Channel!

 

Posted by Charlie in Full On Drums, News, Video Posts, 0 comments
10
Feb
2014
Charlie Plays on New Ryan Higa Parody

Charlie Plays on New Ryan Higa Parody

YouTube sensation Ryan Higa has released another comedy hit titled “GTFO My Room” and commissioned Charlie to play on the track. The song is a parody of all things EMO, was co-written and produced by Andy Lange, and shot straight to the top of the iTunes Comedy chart.

During tracking the gang took some time to film an episode of FullOnDrums to document the drum recording process. Andy Lange (more video from Andy soon!) joins Charlie at Ultimate Rhythm Studios for filming of the episode and gives some details about the song. Enjoy!

Buy GTFO My Room on iTunes

Posted by Charlie in News, Releases, Tracking, 0 comments
23
Jan
2014
Tracking w/The Toft ATB Console (w/video)

Tracking w/The Toft ATB Console (w/video)

Engineer Charlie Waymire talks about the fantastic sounding Toft ATB console and why it’s at the heart of Ultimate Rhythm Studios. That’s great but we all know that talk is cheap so Charlie brought in an awesome group of musicians to put the Toft ATB through it’s paces.

 

The band features Mike Avenaim (Emblem3) on Drums, Mike Torres (Selena Gomez, Macy Gray) on Bass, and James Kloeppel (Deuce) on Guitar. Charlie Waymire was the engineer, Scott Francisco was the videographer, and Lizzy Ostro was the 2nd Engineer. Everything was captured live in the same room including drums, bass, and guitar. The song was also mixed through the Toft ATB.

Charlie installed a Toft ATB 24 channel console to be the heart and soul of Ultimate Rhythm Studios. “I needed a console that not only sounded great but would be flexible enough to be the hub of my studio. The Toft ATB has exceeded my expectations.” says engineer Charlie Waymire.

When you hire great musicians you also get great gear! And this session was no exception. Here’s the breakdown.

Mike Avenaim's 1965 Ludwig Kit

Mike Avenaim's 1965 Ludwig Kit

Mike brought a beautiful set of 1965 Ludwig Super Classics featuring a 14″x22″ kick, 9″x13″ rack tom, & 16″x16″ floor tom. The snare is a 5″x14″ 1959 Ludwig Pioneer Duco Transition Badge.

All the cymbals are Paiste Cymbals including a 14″ Dark Energy Light Hats, 20″ Twenty Masters Dark Crash/Ride, a 22″ Traditional Light Ride, and a 20″ 602 Modern Essentials Crash.

Drum Microphone setup:

Kick In: Heil PR40
Kick Out: Audio Technica AT 4047
Kick 3: Cascade Fathead II (about 3 feet away from the kick)
Snare Top: Audio Technica Pro63
Snare Bottom: Audio Technica AE3000
Hats: Audio Technica ATM450
Toms: Heil PR30’s
Overheads: Audio Technica AT4047’s
Room Mic: Cascade X15 Stereo Ribbon Mic

 

James Kloeppel's Mesa Boogie Guitar Rig

James Kloeppel's Mesa Boogie Guitar Rig

James’ guitar rig consisted of a 1995 Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier 2 channel with a Mesa Boogie Recto Cab. His axe of choice for the day was a 1980 Gibson Les Paul Standard. Man this thing sounded awesome!

Guitar Mic setup:

1: Audio Technica AE3000 towards the edge of the cone
2: MXL R144 Ribbon mic slightly off the center of the cone

 

 

 

 

Mike Torres' Ampeg Bass Rig

Mike Torres' Ampeg Bass Rig

Mike Torre’s was rocking a classic Ampeg SVR VR and a 2×12 cabinet topped off with a fantastic sounding Lakland bass. This rig had some serious mojo!

Bass Mic setup:

Audio Technica AE2500 Dual Element microphone (one condenser element and one dynamic element).

 

 

Enjoy the full band performance video.

 

Have a look at some photos from the session. Enjoy!

Posted by Charlie in Mixing, News, Tracking, Video Posts, 0 comments
20
Dec
2013
New Drum Micing Series From Audio-Technica (w/video)

New Drum Micing Series From Audio-Technica (w/video)

The FullOnDrums crew has produced a new series of basic drum micing videos for Audio-Technica. The first series features 7 basic tips for micing drums. Once you watch this series you’ll be armed with all the information and techniques you need to start micing drums and getting killer sounds!

Learn how to mic your kick drum, snare drum, toms, hi-hats, overheads, rooms and more. Each video walks you through the separate steps needed to get a great drum sound.

All the videos were produced by Scott Francisco and Charlie Waymire for FullOnDrums and shot at Ultimate Rhythm Studios.

 

Learn more on the Audio-Technica Blog
7 Basic Tips for Drum Mic Setup & Recording
Two Quick Tips on Recording a Jazz Drum Kit
Audio-Technica Official YouTube Channel

 

Posted by Charlie in Full On Drums, News, Video Posts, 0 comments