Do You Want a Great Kick Drum Sound Using Your BR RECORDER & AUDACITY?

[KILLBEAR]

For the longest time, I have been frustrated with the drum sounds available on the BR recorders. For Heavy Rock and Metal style music, I have found the Room Kit or Hard Kit on the BR600 to be best...but ultimately disappointing. The Kick drum has been the biggest problem because even though its okay, it ends up getting lost in the mix.

For Rock and Metal you need a good clipped thump with a high end click... especially if you're employing any double bass drum grooves. Using the ROOM KIT I ended up with a muddy mix that lacked any sort of clarity for the drums.

I thought about using a mic on a live kit, but then wondered if I could simply sample the kick on the BR600 and then tweak it in Audacity.

I used the Room Kit Kick drum sound... recording it by using the Real Time recording feature instead of the Step Recording feature in the Rhythm Section. Just start a track recording in Real Time and hit the Kick pad once. It will begin to repeat on the Kick, but just stop it and export it into Audacity. Cut off the excess kick drum hits so that you are only working with one. This is what you will save as a Wav.File to import back into the BR Recorder. I recommend utilizing the Br900 Rhythm Editor to import it back since it is so easy to work with

Once you have the Kick Drum hit in Audacity it's simply a matter of adding EQ to get the desired effect... I used the EQ to heighten the treble sound and lower the bass sound on the Room Kit Kick and got a great new Kick Drum I could import into a custom kit using the Rhythm Editor. It worked out perfectly. This could be done for pretty much any of the drum sounds to add some variety and the BR Kits are already CD quality sounds that can be worked with if you don't have access to real drums.

I've attached my results, in case anyone is interested in using it 

Let me know what you think, or if you've done something similar or better!

KILLBEAR

[Burtog]

I have used the cross stick option before and matched it with the bass drum to give it a different sound, much easier option but it worked reasonably well. BR Rhythm editor is not well designed, takes an age to get things how you want.

[Rata-tat-tat]

Thanks Killbear... I've definately been searching for a method for getting a good kick sound. Especially micing my drums. Am curious if this will also work for my kick drum. I won't be able to test it out till I get moved... but I will definately give you a shout when I'm settled and have my gear set back up.

[KILLBEAR]

Rat-a-tat

I imagine you could do it with anything... from the BR or a live Kick drum. I opted for the BR because, i could just see myself flat on my face with my arm stuck inside a kick drum bellowing, "hit it again!"

I lamented that you can't do EQ on the Rhythm track on BR's for a while but never considered throwing a Wav.file over to Audacity until the other day. It just happened to be exactly what I was looking for

-KILLBEAR

[henwrench]

... I've definately been searching for a method for getting a good kick sound. Especially micing my drums.

              Gaffa tape a large coin to the kick drum skin where the beater strikes. Even better if you are using a wooden beater. Plenty of damping inside the drum and think about removing the front head if still too 'boomy'. Place mic inside kick drum, 6-8" from where the beater hits skin, slightly angled away from the strike point. Some people line the inside of the drum with silver foil for even more reflection, though I never really bothered with this. Instant Rick Rubin kick drum sound....

                                                                           henwrench

[Rata-tat-tat]

... I've definately been searching for a method for getting a good kick sound. Especially micing my drums.

              Gaffa tape a large coin to the kick drum skin where the beater strikes. Even better if you are using a wooden beater. Plenty of damping inside the drum and think about removing the front head if still too 'boomy'. Place mic inside kick drum, 6-8" from where the beater hits skin, slightly angled away from the strike point. Some people line the inside of the drum with silver foil for even more reflection, though I never really bothered with this. Instant Rick Rubin kick drum sound....

                                                                           henwrench

Good stuff Henny... Although the percussive purest in me refuses to modify the drum... I took instruction from a well known instructor in the bizz when I lived in San Antonio Tx...  He was a drum tech for Neil Peart back in the day. He told me that Neil would have a conniption if there were any mods done to the heads... such as removing the back head or putting tape on the batter heads. His response was always "Learn to tune the damn thing". I have to respect Mr. Peart, but I also think his kits were quite a bit more expensive than my Pearl Custom MMX.  I would probably lose my marbles if I were ever to play on one his kits... the sounds would probably spoil me to the point of never wanting to play a mediocre  kit ever again. I digress... I'll probably give it a try someday when I get back to my kit. Great thread....

[64Guitars]

His response was always "Learn to tune the damn thing".

The subject of drum tuning puzzles me. See the following topic:

https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=18752.0

[fenderbender]

Not being a drummer I should'nt really add my penny's worth
but in most of the bands I played in -the drummers always seemed to be dampening the bass drum -by shoving pillows or even one or two jackets in it-
kinda messy if you are on a break and want to get you cigs pack 
I seem to remember a couple of years ago Mark Knoppler became obsessed with drum sounds he wanted on his recordings
I wonder did he give up in the end?? 

[KILLBEAR]

Not being a drummer I should'nt really add my penny's worth
but in most of the bands I played in -the drummers always seemed to be dampening the bass drum -by shoving pillows or even one or two jackets in it-
kinda messy if you are on a break and want to get you cigs pack 
I seem to remember a couple of years ago Mark Knoppler became obsessed with drum sounds he wanted on his recordings
I wonder did he give up in the end?? 

I've definitely stuffed a few drums with pillows and blankets in my day... spent some time drumming in a band. I've also seen some egg crate looking things that were sold for big bucks...did the same thing as a comforter