Drum recording - several methods of muffling the snare drum

Drumset in a recording studio is quite a challenge. It can be the driving force of the recording or drive the sound engineer or producer into mental problems ;) There are many factors that contribute to this. From preparing the musician himself, arranging the songs, choosing the right sounding set, tuning, etc. etc

Drumset in the studio Vintage Records

This time I will describe methods of muffling the snare drum to obtain interesting sound results.

Ever since the drum kit arrived under the roofs of the recording studios, the sound engineers were guaranteed to spend their sleepless nights on a permanent basis. It was a loud "machine" which required an unconventional approach to the subject of recording from the very beginning with the amount of sound, its characteristics and bandwidth. One of the methods of taming this loud monster was to suppress its individual elements, but in such a way that it still sounded musical and interesting. George Martin's approach during The Beatles sessions was famous, where drums were covered with material up to the insertion of microphones into a jar.

The snare drum, due to its construction and the role it plays in the set, requires special care.

Here are some methods of muffling snare drums:

- all kinds of so-called gelly stickers, a very popular and effective method, however, dedicated gellys are more and more expensive and they do not last forever. After a few months, they lose their adhesive properties.

Żelki

- metal and felt mechanical dampers

Tłumiki mechaniczne metalowo - filcowe

- repair reinforced tape glued to the tension with felt elements placed under it

Zbrojona taśma naprawcza jako tłumik werbla w studio nagrań

- the oldest method of muffling a snare, i.e. a wallet lying on a string

Potfel jako najstarsza metoda tłumienia werbla

- a leather muffler replacing the wallet mentioned above. Due to the use of a leather strap, it does not move over the tension surface. Effective attenuation without a big change in the sound of the snare drum.

Skórzany tłumik do werbla por-T-fel firmy GoVintage

Link do zakupu skórzanego tłumika:

All described methods are best checked in person and decide which sound is the most suitable for the music we are currently playing or recording. You can also leave the snare drum undamped and let it be itself ;)