If my custom drums are sounding good should i really worry?

Whats good boss. Im starting to build my own custom drums from layering kicks with other kicks and snares with other snares. Im liking the sound im getting, most of my drums are giving me that punch and sound good coming out my speakers. Im too skilled at using a compresser much but i understand it and i just wanted to know is it always a must to run your drum in and out of a compressor and would say its more of a must to eq your drums then it is to compress them......

young_keyz wrote:i just wanted to know is it always a must to run your drum in and out of a compressor ......

Nope, I've never used a compressor

well you gotta know that compression and eq is 2 different things

compressors are affecting the dynamics
eq is affecting the frequencies

with that said compressors are overrated with people just thinking if it doesnt thump they will just compress(squash) it till it does, there are def other ways to get those sounds you need

Sounding good 2 you is the ultimate goal

If you're sampling your drums off records, or getting them from the triton, remember that when they recorded those drums they probably already used the proper compression on them. Just work your EQ, if it sounds good to you chances are it will sound good to someone else. Do your thing and bang out homie, don't OD on effects...

Iceberg-Slim wrote:well you gotta know that compression and eq is 2 different things

compressors are affecting the dynamics
eq is affecting the frequencies

with that said compressors are overrated with people just thinking if it doesnt thump they will just compress(squash) it till it does, there are def other ways to get those sounds you need

Sounding good 2 you is the ultimate goal

\

Word

Boogie Man wrote:

young_keyz wrote:i just wanted to know is it always a must to run your drum in and out of a compressor ......

Nope, I've never used a compressor

me neither

I use compressors differently. I use it so that the sound wont hurt my **** ears after a few hours of playing the beat Im makin.

Remember that when they start playing your songs/beats on the radio it will be further raped by comression. I think that is what is missing from a lot of music now a days is dynamics.

guitman wrote:Remember that when they start playing your songs/beats on the radio it will be further raped by comression. I think that is what is missing from a lot of music now a days is dynamics.

guitman's absolutely right.

What's missing in music is dynamics... I remember that HITek was saying that he doesn't overcompress certain elements of his music.. i think he was talkinga bout vocals though... but of course the logic still stands.

guitman wrote:Remember that when they start playing your songs/beats on the radio it will be further raped by comression. I think that is what is missing from a lot of music now a days is dynamics.

Finally somebody agrees with me. I use compression most of the time, but what these radio stations are doing is insane. They put a really hard multiband compressor on everything. TV is even worse. Why does everything have to be so LOUD? If i wanted it louder i could just turn up the volume, i don't need someone F&cking up the dynamic content of the music for me.

yea i understand the difference froma eq and compressor but i just wanted to make sure i wasnt not taking the last step towards getting great drums but since i dont use the compressor and i always use a eq then im on the right road. thanks alot guys....i just always read somewhere where sombody might stress using a compressor on there drums to get that bangin sound and i wasnt sure if i was doing something wrong by not using it.

If you wanna program Drumz then boy!!!! u better get to know two friends of mine.

Mr Compressor and Mr EQ.

These together are a lethal combination. You cannot make beats tight or tuff without these tools.....

I look at these like this!!!!!!

Compression will change the sound (ie) tighten it up/hold it down and make it bounce out of your speakers.

Eq is for adding and taking away and shaping your sound into what you need for the track.

I very rarely Eq first (reason is)

If you eq the sound to what you like on the track then compress the compressor will change the sound to much......so i alsways compress first the add Eq.

Remember (don't go cheap with these tools)

If you can only afford a #100 comp and eq dont bother!!!!

If your on a budget get Drawmer DL241 Comp or DBX 160X

If you got some cash get the Alan Smart (whom created SSL) c1

Eq is much harder......Go to places whom don't sell musical equipment like Carboot sales and stuff and look for some old shit.

All the new shit is cheaply made and will make your sound thin.

If not pick up a TLA Crimson or indego Eq. (They are solid state)

Hope this helps you !!!!

Mac

I have em in my digital mixer, but have never used em. I played with them in the beginning just to see what they can do, but maybe I just have some $h!t ones, cuz I don't see what the big hype is. I don't use anything in my tracks.. maybe some effects, but for the most part, I don't do anything untill I'm ready to lay vocals, and then the engineer will do all the compressing (and other stuff).. I wouldn't worry about all that other gear, just make the hot tracks, and save your money.

. ..roxstar. ..
http://www.soundclick.com/creamofbeats

a producer(beatmaker is proper term) with no mixing ability is in bad shape, unless you are starting off with some GREAT samples your going to need to know how to atleast use the basic tools to help shape your music

A engineer while he can take a lot of the load off, 9 times out of 10 he isnt going to come with exactly what you have in mind and that can be a plus or minus

and if you cant afford an engineer to mold your tracks, or your a do it all you are better off learning basic mixing

True there Slim!!!!!

You look at RKelly/Jerkins/Dre/HarveyMason/Teddy/Babyface/Jam+Lewis/

All those cats assist on the mix to make sure no one has **** there track up.....I've mixed and engineered my stuff for years and find that a engineer unless you got big CASH wont help your shit only make it sound shit.

only you can understand how you want the mix to sound.

All these cats saying (i don't use compression) should play there shit down a club next to a tune that's been mixed with EQ and compression.
then watch your beat vanish in the P.A System!!!!!

Treating your samples with these tools makes you original then make's your shit fat.

Any Pro out there will know how important this is .

Just because these guy's own an MPC and have a good few grooves don't make you great. You need the whole shit

I bet half the people on this site claim there producers but are really only Programmers (wannabe producers) Belive me when you gotta see a project through to the end including (writing /vocaling/programming/session singers/guitars/editing/ with a cut off date (or 4 hours with the artist whom all have ego's)

Then record companies adding there shit then mixing (you still ain't no producer.

Do it ten times... and every tracks a hit then you might be a producer.

You need to know who's gonna mix the shit/ who's gonna master the shit to.

Don't think the WAVES BUNDLE can do all that on a laptop with some dumass preset that reads (club pump mix).

Learn as much as you can........... there is more to justmaking the beats on a MPC sound good.

Try finishing the Record with all of the above!!!!! and sell the **** in a shop and make a living out of it. (now that shit's hard.)