M
Matt Bo Eder
Guest
As some of you know, I'm recording myself with some new gear. But, in visiting some other home recording-type forums, it made me happy to be on this forum. I was searching for different ways of miking up a bass drum with no port, and on most of these other 'recording' forums, a lot of the discussion got instantly snarky when these people were confronted with drummers who didn't have a port on their front head, or who refused to take the front head off at all.
I seriously wanted to register just so I could return the snarkiness!
So, if you want to record your bass drum with no port, or don't want to remove your front head, you instantly "want to ruin your own recording", or you're "too stupid for your own good", or "you just want to ruin the process for the entire band". Literally, these are some of the things I've read.
I realize, they're just forums, and there aren't any real professionals on these things (I guess), but it blows my mind to think that there can be a whole generation of people into recording who never listened to or studied the work of Led Zeppelin? Or what of the great big band drummers from the 50s and 60s? They certainly didn't close mic the drums back then!
Or am I being too romantic about those old techniques? I did find a couple of articles on real pros who talked about miking bass drums from the outside. They were not phased by the fact that the bass drum would have no hole or full front head, they just explained what they did to capture that sound. Of course, I'm all about working with engineers to get a good recorded sound, but when did "working with the engineer" mean that you're just there to dismantle your bass drum so they can do what they do?
Needless to say, I was stunned at the downright anger and arrogance of those recording forum members. The fact that recording a bass drum with the front head on meant you were doomed to failure is puzzling. I thought if you were a true artist, you'd at least check it out and see what you can do.
Yes, I realize that 95% of the time you're hearing bass drums on recordings and in live situations with mics stuck inside of them. However, that means 95% of the recordings out there sound exactly the SAME. Way to go internet - spawning sameness the world over. And then, as if society fights back about this, the people we notice and give accolades to are the ones who do everything wrong and create something totally unique! What is it with these humans anyway? Not breaking the rules, yet getting recognized when they totally break the rules? Just an observation.
Just venting. Sorry.
I seriously wanted to register just so I could return the snarkiness!
So, if you want to record your bass drum with no port, or don't want to remove your front head, you instantly "want to ruin your own recording", or you're "too stupid for your own good", or "you just want to ruin the process for the entire band". Literally, these are some of the things I've read.
I realize, they're just forums, and there aren't any real professionals on these things (I guess), but it blows my mind to think that there can be a whole generation of people into recording who never listened to or studied the work of Led Zeppelin? Or what of the great big band drummers from the 50s and 60s? They certainly didn't close mic the drums back then!
Or am I being too romantic about those old techniques? I did find a couple of articles on real pros who talked about miking bass drums from the outside. They were not phased by the fact that the bass drum would have no hole or full front head, they just explained what they did to capture that sound. Of course, I'm all about working with engineers to get a good recorded sound, but when did "working with the engineer" mean that you're just there to dismantle your bass drum so they can do what they do?
Needless to say, I was stunned at the downright anger and arrogance of those recording forum members. The fact that recording a bass drum with the front head on meant you were doomed to failure is puzzling. I thought if you were a true artist, you'd at least check it out and see what you can do.
Yes, I realize that 95% of the time you're hearing bass drums on recordings and in live situations with mics stuck inside of them. However, that means 95% of the recordings out there sound exactly the SAME. Way to go internet - spawning sameness the world over. And then, as if society fights back about this, the people we notice and give accolades to are the ones who do everything wrong and create something totally unique! What is it with these humans anyway? Not breaking the rules, yet getting recognized when they totally break the rules? Just an observation.
Just venting. Sorry.