Steve Albini on Recording Drums

Рет қаралды 200,298

Күн бұрын

Philly Jazz takes a detour from our regularly scheduled programming to learn drum mic'ing techniques from a master engineer, Steve Albini. From Tape Op Con circa 2005.

Пікірлер: 230

@ShackledMule 9 жыл бұрын

I watched this with great interest because I think Steve Albini records better sounding drums than pretty much anybody. Imagine my surprise when I read the comments and found out that everybody else knows how to do it better.

@SaintKines 6 жыл бұрын

Simon Lister Right? It's pretty simple to figure out though. If someone thinks they can do it better they better be able to prove it. If you record drums better than Steve then let's hear it.

@rockboy360 6 жыл бұрын

Brendan O' Brien, Jay Baumgardner and Nick Didia get the best drum sounds known to man, Steve Albini is one of a kind but definitely one of the best, he's up there with Brendan.

@danieltravis5082 4 жыл бұрын

Brenden o briens lame sample crap from pop bands lolol

@stevebanning902 2 жыл бұрын

Nah you don't really get any control over the sound of the drums at all with albini's method. He likes to record the kit as one single instrument, whereas recording each drum independently allows you to not only get the entire instrument / kit - but adjust each part of that kit to fit your needs. Albini is old school, times have changed.

@Brokenface 2 жыл бұрын

@@stevebanning902 i prefer his way of recording drums like Surfer Rosa

@chrissiemilnarskii 2 ай бұрын

R.I.P. Steve. Thank you for everything you’ve done for audio engineering ❤

@rainsinvelvet1234 10 жыл бұрын

I was at this TapeOpCon. Sadly I got so drunk the night before that I slept through my alarm and missed this lecture. Oh well- glad I worked with him a year later on a record! Nice guy.

@stephenkane2464 4 жыл бұрын

how many things have we all missed by a previous night of drinking -- worth it? what a question haha

@yallevereatenbeans2723 7 жыл бұрын

2 minutes in and he's already made me reassess the way I record not just drums but pretty much any instrument. Christ

@bulletproofzest Жыл бұрын

I appreciate that Albini, and the whole EA crew, really get into the “why” of mic placement. For me, the technical is absolutely my path into the creative. We did a session at EA last month so I didn’t have the chore of recording my own band, and I was floored at how perfect everything sounded without using any of the outboard gear in their racks. It’s something I’ve just started to have happen in my sessions after many years of experimentation and toil. Their mic locker, and their acoustic spaces most of us can only dream of.

@greagandev 11 жыл бұрын

For someone who is truly interested in recording drums, this is really good. He just fixed about 90% of the issues I was having. Best advice he gave for snare clarity, use an expander on the bottom Mic and position it parallel to the drum head.

@DynamicRockers 2 ай бұрын

Steve Albini is a Legend. RIP!

@SomebodyPickaName 11 жыл бұрын

Dude, you are awesome, thank you so much for taking the time to answer that question for him.......as you taught me something very helpful in the process. Thank you!!!!!

@BretReinald 12 жыл бұрын

great video. Thanks for uploading such valuable info. Albini's work is totally amazing

@SomebodyPickaName 11 жыл бұрын

Thank you good sir for mentioning Glyn Johns' setup. It's what I go to 90% of the time, and I'm happy to hear that there are people like yourself out there who are willing to take the time out there and give these prized, valuable tidbits. You just taught me something about mid to high. Thank you!!

@jesusshootingheroin 12 жыл бұрын

Albini is the best. Most natural sounding producer/engineer out there.

@JeserNoob 3 жыл бұрын

“ I like to have the drums reflect what the drummers hearing. Hats on the left, floor tom on the right..” PREACH

@ROCKSTARCRANE 9 жыл бұрын

90% of the 'sound engineers' out there need to watch and listen very carefully. The first 3 minutes of this video pretty much say it all.

@RedMastering 12 жыл бұрын

everyone should watch it, what S. Albini shares, those little tricks - simply amazing!

@PhillyJazz2K 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks Dave, a pal recorded it at Tape-Op con a few years back for me. I wish I could have been there and the video is far from perfect but it's still great info.

@ivjdivfjalekvvjp 12 жыл бұрын

Albini's drum recordings are my absolute favorite.

@nciviero 10 жыл бұрын

Don't suppose you have a copy of the hand-out? That would be really nice to have.

@GFEBMX 9 жыл бұрын

an excellent upload my friend

@PhillyJazz2K 12 жыл бұрын

Someone else's back indeed, God bless America!

@pitol678 11 жыл бұрын

thanks for sharing this!!

@arib8367 8 жыл бұрын

Hey is that J Mascis's head?

@paolacelletti2056 2 ай бұрын

RIP sweet Steve 🌹

@SomebodyPickaName 11 жыл бұрын

Haha, awesome man, thanks for the clarification! And thank you for taking the time to reply. Have a good weekend.

@jfreem10 8 жыл бұрын

This is a great lecture. Is there any chance you have the handout he mentions scanned? I would love to see/use it.

@wado1942 12 жыл бұрын

You use the top snare mic in the side chain of a compressor on the the bass drum mic. That way, when you hit the snare, it pulls down the bass drum mic and you don't hear as much bleed in it.

@warlordzephyr 12 жыл бұрын

If you haven't got many mics, take a look at the Glynn Johns method if you haven't already. The key is to tune the drums mid to high so they project.

@timmyg4295 10 жыл бұрын

Sweet video, I just subscribed!

@RandoPandaSmiles 10 жыл бұрын

@ 3:15 For Recordists and audio engineers. Fantastic explanation of WHY he places his mics the way he does.

@stephenkane2464 4 жыл бұрын

this is great! thank you. where was the convention held?

@TheEGonzo 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks for uploading! The biker obviously had the best seat in the house, but then again, he paid for that.

@TheGreatIndoors1979 12 жыл бұрын

16:30 Wait a minute, so Roland was the smart one in Big Black?

@HermanBrief 3 жыл бұрын

I'm interested in seeing this handout he's referring to, if anyone's got a copy?

@headHunter241 12 жыл бұрын

Mmmm, delicious analogue video.

@THeDUDe21892 12 жыл бұрын

Steve Albini is great

@ians6027 9 жыл бұрын

When he says to reverse the polarity of the bottom head mic, does that mean to physically turn the mic, or is this a function in the box?

@vintagemahogany 9 жыл бұрын

Ian S Generally on the console or in whatever DAW you are recording into. Keep the mic in the same place.

@AmongRascals 12 жыл бұрын

He is pretty awesome.

@rodneyfoley2608 11 жыл бұрын

Exactly how I feel

@capncharlie7894 8 жыл бұрын

"Look at example three in your handout." Straight outta Frank TJ Mackey.

@ikeass 12 жыл бұрын

17:30 - is that just a compressor on the batter head, side chained from the snare bottom?

@handssmelloh9173 7 жыл бұрын

Does anyone have the notes he's speaking from?

@Duncanl1999999 6 жыл бұрын

anyone know what microphones he used on the overheads?

@majoriteten 5 жыл бұрын

Josephson e22S

@lucianoluggren 7 жыл бұрын

The hi hat Key trick worth the watching. Pardon My english. Greetings from Argentina.

@JimJWalker 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the response. Your right - the Beatles recorded drums as an effect, often panning drums hard left or right. That is ok by me for what it is worth. What bugs me is if I am sitting in front of my stereo listening to a rock CD and the envisioning the band playing, but the hi-hat is where the floor tom should be in the stereo spectrum. There is no right or wrong, but for me I like to hear it as I see it.

@nessy9022 Жыл бұрын

Rather than being bugged by it, why not just visualise the drummer as left handed playing an oppositely set up kit?

@warlordzephyr 11 жыл бұрын

^^ no worries, I know I'm always wanting more useful info on recording.

@wado1942 12 жыл бұрын

Funny, I've discovered a lot of these tricks on my own!

@seaofweeds 12 жыл бұрын

Thanks I will do that. :D

@stevespatucci6502 11 жыл бұрын

Steve Albini says "circular" and "tom tom".

@JimJWalker 11 жыл бұрын

Your right. You could mix the whole album to just left speaker if you wanted too. Its all taste.

@millennialanimal 2 жыл бұрын

Every time I watch this I always laugh at this 15:44 “that’s a plan view..right? Anybody know”...“Birds eye!”.......”Okay...so that’s a plan view of the drum kit”.

@bituner 12 жыл бұрын

thanx ....

@utube9000 11 жыл бұрын

Good point. It's not like we got to a club and listen to the band from behind.

@johnyboy6405 12 жыл бұрын

You are welcome! ;)

@jdrobinson3468 3 жыл бұрын

What year was this?

@JJMac-tl3xg 11 жыл бұрын

phillyphife Sir did you record this? If not you still are a legend for uploading & sharing it. Thank you so much. Peace & God bless. P.S. My channel is still in the process of being set up check it out soon you might like it.

@elysianfury 9 жыл бұрын

If you're short on time don't miss 8:00-845 where he talks about "the bully's piano"

@grandmasterdeafchild 12 жыл бұрын

I learned a great deal from this. But, mostly that I don't have a buttload of mics at my disposal.

@dirtyolcanyanero 11 жыл бұрын

I think I was yelling fucking right and YES throughout the entire video

@ochayedonald 11 жыл бұрын

Albini gives a good reason for panning the kit that way, because it "makes sense" to him. Jim you're reasoning is just as reasonable as Steve's. Two types of music lovers - listeners and performers. I wonder what you make of my preference though, just out of interest. As I find HH and SN hits occur so constantly I pan one left and one right, so they balance, whereas when panned both left or both right I find there is too much constant hitting in one ear and not the other.

@JomesandFriendsShow 10 жыл бұрын

What else did that lady say at 2:23? "You don't belong" something something

@SomebodyPickaName 11 жыл бұрын

I loved your comment and gave you a thumbs up. My question to you is: Are you being sarcastic about wanting to hang with Albini, finding him to be pretentious, or were you saying 1001 useless tricks as in a good thing?

@stephenkane2464 4 жыл бұрын

the drummer jokes really have to end LOL !

@rhorschack 12 жыл бұрын

Funny and useful.

@TheSpoonwood 11 жыл бұрын

so with drums, "Occam's razor" approach is very helpful. yes?

@stevespatucci6502 11 жыл бұрын

Interesting presentation by a smart, knowledgeable and obviously well-seasoned guy. He's experimental in thought about some subjects (like trying to avoid isolation), yet has absolute views on things like the number of toms a drummer can use (no more than two) and panning. I like his work and it's hard to argue with his results, but I have a hard time when I see a creative person so locked into his own rules that he locks out other views.

@SleepCyclesMusic 12 жыл бұрын

I would love to spend a few months shadowing Steve. Hell, you would probably learn one thousand and one useless tricks within a day of watching him work. Many EDM producers could really benefits from learning where to place their percussion. Having the kick, snare and everything bar the hats dead center and then the hats panned hard left and right in the wrong order... it just doesn't sound right. Even if you don't want to sound "traditional", placement in the stereo spectrum is important.

@SonikTruth 12 жыл бұрын

Albini's Surfa Rosa drums were pretty astounding.

@stephenkane2464 4 жыл бұрын

hell yea!

@SleepCyclesMusic 11 жыл бұрын

I think my fingers are out to make me look bad! I definitely meant "useful", haha. 1001 useful tricks sounds much more like how I feel about Steve.

@johnyboy6405 12 жыл бұрын

I'm not talking about steve or he's job. I'm talking about the ads

@gangurobitch 12 жыл бұрын

I wish he'd tell us about how it felt to defeat the Dark Lord.

@Electrk 7 жыл бұрын

16:30

@stephenkane2464 4 жыл бұрын

so great

@JeserNoob 3 жыл бұрын

I love this man that much more

@PhillyJazz2K 11 жыл бұрын

About enough to cover what I pay for subscription content on the web ;)

@petradichavich 8 жыл бұрын

Ask steve how much he learned about recording drums from rey washam.

@stillphil 9 жыл бұрын

25:52

@lineitemdeduction 11 жыл бұрын

LOL @ 25:44 !!!!!!!!

@Inigobalboa 12 жыл бұрын

Get an adblocker. I haven't seen a youtube ad in two years.

@jorgepeterbarton 8 жыл бұрын

I think people overestimate how much people care about which side is which when panning. Does anyone care about that? I've heard piano recorded backwards, as a pianist, and just didn't care, because i wasn't sat at the piano...Unless i'm mixing I'll put my headphones on around any direction! Its only when there is sync to a video in a feature film that this matters. I'm guessing that the drummers out there are the only ones who notice its backwards, but don't expect them to realise they aren't sitting at their drum kit playing -so it doesn't matter, I guess?!

@ChurKirby 8 жыл бұрын

+jorgepeterbarton I guess it just depends on the person, matter of taste and all. Some people pan drums from the drummer or would-be drummer's perspective, others do it from the audience perspective. I tend to pan hi hats to the left and the snare very slightly right, for balance, and work it other hits around that. But I also rarely record live drums, and I don't tend to aim for a realistic acoustic - I happen to like artificial or unrealistic textures and sounds in a lot of music, so I just do what sounds cool to me.

@animaction65 11 жыл бұрын

Steve albinoni

@PhillyJazz2K 12 жыл бұрын

@johnyboy6405 - I'm not greedy, just a creative soul trying to make a living, and tools like youtube enable me to do what I love and get paid for it.

@JimJWalker 11 жыл бұрын

Come to think of it, most club's PA are in mono anyway. So the whole point is probably moot.

@n0ise92 11 жыл бұрын

is that TRIPLE H sitting on the chair with black t-shirt ..??

@danielcolehour6454 3 жыл бұрын

I've been preaching this recording philosophy for years and cannot get one audio engineer in Nashville to listen to me long enough to commit to it. It's insanity.

@PhillyJazz2K 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Dan, I’m curious what you mean by “this recording philosophy.” What specifically are you preaching?

@danielcolehour6454 3 жыл бұрын

@@PhillyJazz2K distance mic's, not close micing everything. The Glyn Johns method.

@queenpurple8433 2 жыл бұрын

I’m an audio engineer in Nashville who would listen to you lol

@PhillyJazz2K 10 жыл бұрын

Yea yea yea we know, nothing we could do sorry. Room was packed.

@ochayedonald 11 жыл бұрын

I say just out of interest because I don't know if other listeners are affected by inbalances in mixes, and also because Snippletrap is totally right of course, there are no rules, just preferences!

@elysianfury 9 жыл бұрын

16:50 he is very agile watch him run

@elysianfury 8 жыл бұрын

+Carter Holland yeah but he did it really quickly and accurately. You can tell he's intelligent and has a beautiful mind

@doogdoogdoogdoogdoogdoog 7 жыл бұрын

X'D

@PhillyJazz2K 12 жыл бұрын

I know I know - sorry! Kind of tough to move - as you can imagine there were a ton of people crammed in...

@NZLeduc 12 жыл бұрын

if it wasnt for that advertising and the guy who posted the video, you probably wouldnt know what youtube is. you dont become the busiest site on the web for free man.

@michaelmarsh1142 7 жыл бұрын

In-Utero

@JimJWalker 11 жыл бұрын

...and don't forget to check your phase with all those mics....lol.

@CAMMYSINCLAIR 2 жыл бұрын

Should’ve done a lesson on how to record Steve Albini 1st ;-)

@sonikboom007 12 жыл бұрын

i have no idea whats wrong with him. i like my drums to sound like drums. and steve does this better than almost anyone else out there. natural, fairly un colored , open, just the right amout of room behind it.

@rockinfreakapotam100 9 жыл бұрын

he's a bad penny

@pablomistralband 12 жыл бұрын

You should have cut everyone's head. I can't fuckin see the damn microphones! Great video anyway, I was looking for this!!!

@mycapibara 11 жыл бұрын

I don't agree at all. Define messy? Listen to "The Forms - Red Gun" for example, or even the Zao album he did. I think the production sounds very precise and organic. I think generally it's a matter of taste.

@PhillyJazz2K 12 жыл бұрын

KZfaq is helping us indie content producers - just trying to make a buck yo.

@JasonMatthewChampion 11 жыл бұрын

I tend to disagree; yet also agree. When a band comes into your studio, you're trying to sell their sound back to them, not their audience. Plus, a person in the audience is typically too far away to hear much difference in the panning of the drums. If panning occurs in the club, it is because of speaker placement, and the guy running the board. Beyond that, there really isn't a rule because that is subjective and should be applied during each song as desired.

@kurdtjohn 11 жыл бұрын

Steve Albini is more of a sound pioneer than a producer.

@JimJWalker 11 жыл бұрын

Yeah...there are no rules in recording. Its really about what sounds good.

@mjt11860 7 жыл бұрын

the "really rude" chick @2:25 is hot!

@JimJWalker 11 жыл бұрын

Drums can be close mic'd and then use panning to position each drum in its correct place in the stereo field. Overheads directly above a drummer actually have to be panned reversed to do what Steve is suggesting. Albini is not wrong and neither are you. Its just hearing the HH in the left speaker while watching a band play while he is playing it to his right seems just weird to me.

@bullcrapptv 3 жыл бұрын

Ah yes, that age old question... Is the listener standing behind the drummer or out in the audience? It can't be both. 🤣

@overkill7990 3 жыл бұрын

Unpopular opinion: I think I enjoy the traditional way of recording drums more than Albini's. His way is interesting but to me it sounds more like a demo or a live recording, which is cool but it's not what you typically want in a studio album.

@queenpurple8433 2 жыл бұрын

Not what YOU typically want in a studio album but it is what I want lol. And many others. If the drums are tuned well and you’re in a good room you don’t need the microphones so close, and I’d argue his method is more traditional than slapping the microphones so close.

@hepphepps8356 2 жыл бұрын

The problem with Albini is that he says one thing, and then make every drumkit he ever recorded have the same trashy garagey sound that is HIS signature, not the drummer's. He is a charlatan. PLUS, in a lot of genres and styles, and throughout most modern recording history, certain stylistic choices and processing IS part of the artisitic idea and fundament that the drummers and the drums themselves cannot get acoustically alone, so even what he is saying is a flawed logic and shows an immature and shallow understanding of sound, creation, art and musical composition. These are tools. Drums and studio technology equally so. Use them to express yourself, don't set yourself aside of the creative process and pretend to be some mysterious, objective operator driven by integrity alone with no voice.