Recording Tip:
After many years of cutting drum tracks, I finally found the best process for getting that kick to SLAM! First of all, you need a good sounding kick drum. I'm not talking about a $5000 DW kick, but I'm also saying that K-mart special won't cut it. Prep the drum by removing the front head and placing a pillow inside the drum against the back head. As for a mic, my favorite choice is the Sennheiser MD421. Place the mic about 6 inches inside the drum, off to the side pointing at the beater. Many people say to put the mic right up to the beater of the drum, but I found that method to be weak in the low frequency area. NOW FOR THE BIG TRICK! Record the kick WITHOUT EQ right to a track. On playback is where you insert EQ.
Boost highs around 10K
Boost mids around 4-5K
!!CUT!! ALL LOW MID FREQUENCY - this is the area that makes the kick sound boomy when you add lows.
Now that the low mids are out of the picture: BOOST LOW END
This is the best way to get a clicky kick with a good solid bottom
Dan Korneff
