"Reference tracks for better drum mixes" included a few drum-only passages captured from commercial recordings.
The ideal drum reference tracks feature few other instruments, as musical instruments tend to mask frequencies in the snare and kick drums. But since drums aren't often featured solo in pop and rock recordings, it can be tricky to find usable passages.
So these raw tracks of Dave Grohl playing on QotSA's Songs for the Deaf should save some time! In fact, they might be the best commercial modern rock drum reference I've heard, as they sound like final mix stems, essentially the same drum mix used in the released track.
And for a classic sound, check out raw John Bonham drum tracks, outtakes from Zepplin's In Through The Out Door sessions. Unlike Grohl's samples above, these are compressed more than in the final album mixes, but they still make a great reference for tones and overall kit balance.
Tags: drums, kickdrum, reference cd
8 comments
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September 20th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Keith Handy
I've only listened to one of the Bonham mp3s so far, but it sounds like that long, undamped ring from the bass drum wouldn't play nice with a bass guitar.
These are interesting, though, thanks!
September 20th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Brad
Those Dave Grohl drums are gorgeous.
September 20th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
Puce
Amazing find. I'm especially impressed by the Grohl take of Little Sister; I wish they had kept that in the final version. I will be listening to these often.
September 21st, 2007 at 12:27 pm
Dan Masq
Man you have no clue how much I am in your debt for finding the Bonham raw drum tracks. I'm about to go in and track a few drum kits in the studio and these will be great!!! Thanks a million!
September 26th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Boltoph
Fantastic. I love hearing the bit of headphone bleed, like on Do it Again. I just went in A/B'd that song with the recording, and I think there's definitely more going on with the drums in the final mix, something widening the stereo field of that snare and just giving it the crunch. Would be interesting to hear about the changes that went on in the mix for one of those songs for which we have the drums, alone, then later in a final mix. How much the "mastering" process affected it, laid out through each stage of the mixing process.
I wonder if they'd mind me using the drums-only tracks to write a different song around them. Maybe it says it on the site I didn't read yet…straight to the audio clips…
October 10th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
des
> I wonder if they’d mind me using the drums-only tracks to write a different song around them.
Heh, given that they're on a major label …
November 3rd, 2007 at 9:51 am
jk
ugh, the links for the mp3s are broken. does any one have these any more?
May 12th, 2008 at 8:18 am
fab
the complete zip-file for dave grohl's raw mixes is still available (link at the bottom)