Drum Against the Machine: How to Be a Better Drummer in the Studio

This week's article is not only for drummers, but the rest of the band. I sat down and had a chat with my friend and producer extraordinaire, Marc Hudson (Taking Back Sunday, Saves The Day, The Swellers) to get some ideas. We're going to take a walk through the forgotten steps of the recording process. Do you want your record to sound good? Better yet, do you want it to sound like you envisioned? Well get in that live room, put on the headphones, pick up the sticks (or picks) and let's get ready to make some noise.

Believe it or not, there's a lot of pressure on the drummer when it comes to recording. You are at war with computers for timing issues and even the threat of BEING COMPLETELY REPLACED. That's right. Most engineers these days will use sound replacement on your drums to get that big, modern sound and render your existence completely useless. In some cases, you won't play at all and they'll type the drum parts in using a computer. If you're in a bigger band, some producers have studio drummers (cyborgs of perfection like Josh Freese) they swear by and you'll get the awkward boot from them and your asshole band. It happens ALL THE TIME. Want to play ball? Pick up the bat. Let's do this.

Assuming your band has finished writing songs for your demos, EP, or full length, it's time for you to prepare to record. Get a click track or metronome of some sort and start writing down the tempo of EVERY SONG. Play through the song using that exact tempo or even record a quick demo using one mic in the middle of the room. Listen back and see how it feels. The adrenaline of playing live means the song will be a bit faster so you might want to push it up a few BPMs (beats per minute). If you want something heavy or moody, usually going down a few BPMs will do wonders for that feel. Drummers should be playing their new songs to their designated tempos on a click track without the other musicians if possible until it's second nature for them. All of your parts should already be thought out and you should only be focusing on a solid take once your'e recording.

If you have the appropriate software or recording capabilities, you should record scratch tracks for each song. It should be drums, guitars, bass, vocals and whatever auxiliary parts with melody included. You need to make sure people aren't playing over each other and sounding jumbled. You want everything to be fully actualized to let the song stand out instead of a sloppy shred fest.

On top of being prepared, you're also doing wonders for whoever will be recording you. It saves time which saves money.

In most cases, you'll be dealing with someone pulling double duty as an engineer (recording you) AND producer (arranges songs/gives ideas). Nitpick everything from drum sounds to the tone of the vocals and arrangement of the songs. Do you want a big polished record? Do you want a raw, natural feel to your record? If you're a mellow indie band and love the sound of a death metal band, YOUR RECORD WILL NOT SOUND LIKE THEIR RECORD. Use realistic examples of albums that sound closest to your vision so you can have a basis of what you're getting into. If you like the idea of someone's work, but it's different than what you're used to, simply starting a dialogue with them is suggested. After all, your fate is in their hands.

After you lay out the idea of your dream record to the person recording you, it's time to stop blabbing and let them say their piece.

Most times, studios will swear by their own gear so you may not have to bring anything. When an engineer finds a drum sound they love, the easiest way to recreate it is by simply reusing it. I've recorded in my parents' basement with my own kit and a huge recording facility that had 10 drum kits in it. The difference? I know exactly what sound I'm getting when I trust the judgment of the engineer based on their discography and experience. That's why you picked them, right?

Provide some examples of your ideal drum sound. It could be the snare sound from a record or the idea and feel of a kick drum in a song. Talk it out.

Ask what drums, cymbals, drum heads, etc. they prefer and what would suit your album. If you brought your own gear, you have a chance to prove that you know what you're doing with tuning and getting some rad tones. Remember every hour you spend tuning and getting ready is money out of your pocket. If you have a budget from a label then use this to your full advantage and experiment until you can make your own sound out of your gear or the studio's. Don't feel intimidated, you both want the best result because a high quality album that sells well is mutually beneficial.

This applies to everything from drum sounds to drum takes. Don't be one of those people who looks back on their album with regret. When you hear the voice in your headphones asking how you felt after a take and you didn't really like how you played or wanted to change a fill… DON'T SAY IT WAS FINE. Redo it if you feel uncomfortable. Make it the best you possibly can. You're the drummer, the foundation of the record.

While you're getting drum sounds, don't let getting tired or bored get in the way of making a great album. Sometimes I will take a whole day experimenting with gear, tuning, and the way I play before we even start recording. Yes, hitting a snare drum for thirty minutes straight while the engineer tweaks knobs gets old fast. Power through and get that kit to sound like the best thing you've ever heard before tracking, during tracking, and when you listen back on the studio monitors.

Drummers, we may slowly be losing our jobs to machines, but it doesn't mean we can't fight back. We're playing the oldest instrument known to mankind! Let's show them why it's lasted this long. Join the revolution, one good take at a time.

Jonathan Diener is the drummer for The Swellers and is a normal human person, not a robot. Now he must go consume food and type human words into Twitter. Beep boop. - @jonodiner