When working with multitrack drums, simple edits across all the mic channels are often the best way to replace problem sounds.
I have a recording of a drummer where the sound is decent, but there are some issues with the performance. In particular, there are quite a few snare hits that are too quiet, where he didn’t quite hit it right. EQ and compression is getting me nowhere, and it seems a shame to just replace the snare entirely, because the sound generally is pretty good. Is there a right way to tackle this?
Jim Barnes via email
SOS Reviews Editor Matt Houghton replies: There are plenty of tools you can use to even out the levels, and on drums I often like to use Sound Radix Drum Leveler rather than a compressor, as it doesn’t impose a ‘curve’ that changes the sound. But a mis‑hit drum isn’t just quieter: if it sounds bad you won’t get a good result however loud it is, and that means you do really need to replace the offending hits somehow. One approach would be to use, as you imply, a drum replacement plug‑in, and for the replacement sample I’d use a good hit (or load a sampler with multiple good hits) from elsewhere in the recording. But there are a few reasons why that might not be my first choice...
First, as you say, you’re replacing the many good hits, not just the problem ones. Second, if the hits are too quiet and there’s lots of bleed, it can sometimes be fiddly setting up the trigger plug‑in so that it works consistently well throughout the track. Third, the bad hits will be present in all the other mic recordings, including the overheads and room, and they can be really important to the snare sound. While you could bounce down a stereo mix of the drum mics to create your replacement sample, you still have to devise a way of turning down the other mics without causing collateral damage. Not impossible, but it takes care and time.
Most DAWs make it really easy to cut/paste all the drum multitracks in one go, so the ‘new’ snare is heard in all the drum mics.
So... If you’re going to spend all that time and effort, why not just opt for simple edits and crossfades? Just copy a good, solid hit (or several) from elsewhere in the recording, and paste it in place of the offending hits. Most DAWs have tools to make this sort of thing quick and easy: with a 'tab to transient' function, a paste command and suitable crossfades, manually replacing dodgy hits in a typical rock track won’t take forever, and there needn’t be any phasing or other artefacts, as you listen carefully to the result.
What I really like about this approach is that most DAWs make it really easy to cut/paste all the drum multitracks in one go, so the ‘new’ snare is heard in all the drum mics, just as if it were the real performance. Do listen carefully to each edit: make sure the timing is right, adjust the fades if needed, and check that you haven’t truncated any sustained sounds such as cymbals or open hi‑hats that are still playing when the snare is struck.