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Chris at work producing “hundreds of individual samples”. the console’s pre-amps was fantastic, and as the studio, 2Khz Studios, happened to have a dry room (contrasting the normal ambient rock sound), we suggested this as the perfect venue for our multisample recordings. Although I’d done some multisample drum recordings back in the ‘80s, neither Peter nor I had any idea how Toontrack structured their recording sessions. Mattias Ecklund, the creative force behind all Toontrack recordings, suggested we book four days at the studio and added he would travel to London and run the session so we would know what to do. Before the first recording day, Peter and I discussed the various drums I had available and which ones we might want to record first up. Also, as luck would have it, 2Khz was a short distance up the road from the best drum rental company in London. Day one started like any recording session. I set up my main drum kit, tuned it and was ready to go. Meanwhile, Peter had determined the microphone selection he wanted to use. I left that side of things to him because I totally trusted his judgement in the recording process, and we had Mattias to guide us overseeing the recording from Toontrack’s perspective. We then spent a few hours with me playing the whole kit or parts of the kit while Peter moved mics, adjusted input levels, tried EQ, and so on. The approach was the same as a normal album tracking session. With half the day already gone, it was finally time to start committing some recordings to hard disc. It 44
PHOTO: TOONTRACK
was then I realised the contrast between a musical collaboration, exciting and rewarding; and a sampling session, rather more tedious and less rewarding. As we worked our way through the kit, Mattias described the samples he needed and listened intently as I attempted to deliver. Not as easy as I thought, and straight away I realised all the pressure was on me.
Under Pressure On a regular recording session, I might play a song through three or more times. Speed was the key: a first- or second-take performance was the goal. Then I could take a break while the drum takes were listened through and finally okayed by the producer and songwriter, or while a bass part was fixed up, or a guide guitar part was added if I’d been tracking alone. On the sampling session, it was all about me. From the first drum stroke of the day to the last, I was ‘on’. The virtual drum software demands hundreds of individual samples, all as closely related as possible, and without any imperfections or extraneous noises. Rather than playing a kit as a whole instrument in context with other musical sounds, you are playing a single tom, for example, with the sonic microscope in full effect. Suddenly, it seemed any skin rumble, or pesky snare buzz, sounded twice as loud as it would as part of a drum fill. The other shocking realisation is the need for absolute consistency - not only within the single drum, but across the kit, then across the day and www.digitaldrummermag.com