June 7, 2024
Charli XCX has opened up about her early struggles in the British music scene, revealing that she often felt like an outsider whose innovative ideas were dismissed as "silly or childish."
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Ticketmaster, a leading ticket sales and distribution company, is currently under legal scrutiny due to a reported data breach, which has led to a class action complaint...
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Sean 'Diddy' Combs, a prominent figure in the music industry and beyond, is potentially facing a significant legal challenge as reports indicate that the Department of Justice...
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The Pop Conference 2024 recently convened under the theme "Legacy, Music Collections, and Archives," offering attendees an in-depth exploration of the preservation and impact of musical legacies...
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House music, with its infectious beats and feel-good vibes, is more popular than ever, especially among young people. But what makes house music so damn good?...
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Halsey has courageously shared her private battle with illness, revealing her journey through a series of Instagram videos that document her receiving medical infusions...
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The hip-hop community is abuzz with renewed allegations that Drake uses ghostwriters, spurred by the recent leak of a reference track for his song "Mob Ties."
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Coca-Cola has a knack for mixing music with its brand, creating memorable moments that resonate globally. Remember the 1971 commercial where a group of young people sang...
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German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut, at 33, has no qualms about discussing her battles with depression and self-doubt in the public eye...
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The beats of reggaeton, known for their infectious rhythms and global appeal, are now at the center of a massive legal battle that could reshape the genre...
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Twenty One Pilots, the alternative pop-rock duo known for their introspective and often introspective themes, have released their concept album "Clancy...
Read moreJune 2, 2024
Apple Music has recently unveiled its highly anticipated list of the 10 greatest albums of all time, placing Lauryn Hill's seminal 1998 album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill...
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Reverb can be a powerful tool in drum recordings, adding depth, space, and character to your drum mix. However, using it correctly is essential to ensure your drums don’t sound too muddy or distant. In this article, we'll explore how to apply artificial reverb to drum recordings effectively and look at how famous music creators, like Phil Collins, have mastered this technique to create iconic drum sounds.
Reverb creates a sense of space in your mix by simulating how sound behaves in different environments. For drum recordings, reverb can help place the drums in a specific acoustic context, whether it’s a small room, a large hall, or even an open arena. However, applying reverb to drums can be tricky because of the different elements involved – each with unique frequencies and dynamics.
In your current setup, you have five mics: two in front of the drum set to capture the low end, two overheads directly above the kit to capture the highs, and a snare mic. The challenge you’re facing is deciding whether to apply reverb to only the close mics (like the snare mic) or to the room mics (the overheads and front mics).
Here are some tips to help you decide how to apply reverb to your drum tracks:
A great example of a music creator who mastered the use of reverb on drums is Phil Collins. In the iconic song "In the Air Tonight," Collins used a technique known as "gated reverb" to create a powerful, punchy drum sound that became a hallmark of the 1980s. This technique involves applying a heavy reverb to the drums, particularly the snare, and then using a noise gate to cut off the reverb tail abruptly. The result is a reverb that sounds big but controlled, giving the drums a dramatic and distinctive sound.
Phil Collins' use of gated reverb shows how creative reverb application can make drums sound larger than life while maintaining clarity and impact. You can experiment with a similar approach by using gated reverb on your snare mic or applying it to the whole drum bus to achieve a cohesive, punchy sound.
The best approach to applying reverb depends on the sound you're aiming for and the unique characteristics of your drum kit and recording environment. Experiment with different reverb types, levels, and mic placements to find the sound that works best for your project. Remember, reverb is as much an art as it is a science – so don’t be afraid to trust your ears and get creative!