Kick DrumReference 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.

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