We’re already a week into our month of 31 mixing tips. Today’s 5 minute video covers a personal favorite technique of mine involving over-compressing your room mic(s) on your drum kit. If you don’t record with room mics on your drums, then try it next time and this tip will help!
That Big Led Zeppelin Sound
When you put a room mic in a decent sized room and record drums, it can sound cool. But what’s even more cool is if you then take that room mic and compress it to death. You’ll get a super pumping, sound that brings a ton of energy to your tracks. By itself it may sound over the top, but blended in with your close mics it can be just what the Led Zeppelin doctor ordered!
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My name is Graham Cochrane and I'm the founder of The Recording Revolution, one of the world's most loved audio recording and mixing blogs with over 200,000 readers each month. 
Wow! I love that sound! I got a little problem. I just have a Mbox 2 Pro, with only 4 analog inputs. I have another 2 digital inputs (coaxial), but I have no digital preamp. Kick, snare, 2x OH, 1 Room Mic, and I still have another free input. What would you do Graham? Can you show me a nice (budget) preamp with digital (coaxial) outputs? Thanks so much! Greets from Spain!
I would look at the ART DPS preamp. It is a super affordable 2 channel mic Pre with digital outs! Then rock either a mono or stereo room mic setup!
Another great tip, Graham. Love the whole 5-minute series! Well done.
Just to clear things up – with this particular plug-in, turning the release and attack knobs fully clockwise will make them super-fast, not slow.
When the levee breaks anyone? lol
Thanks for pointing that out Lukas! You are correct.
what about phase issues?
Excellent site, lots of inspiring tips to try out. Thanks!
Just wanted to let you know that on the 1176 7 is fastest and 1 is slowest. But I usually put it on 7 anyway so that it brings up the ambiance right after the drums hit (whichever part of them). Oh, and I actually do this a lot by duplicating my OHs and putting a super dense, midrangy reverb (and some other stuff) before the compressor. It actually comes out pretty cool.
Awesome tip. I always heard about drum overhead compression but now I know how to use it. I mostly do my own drum programming in my MPC drum machine (hip hop), but i found an awesome trick to creating drum overheads… play your drum mix very loudly(from your drum machine or from your daw), and record it with a condenser! It sounds great! Any compressor will work but I like the free SSL plug in LMC-1… wow. It sounds AMAZING! Thanks Graham for all of these tips, I’ve increased my knowledge and ability tenfold.
^I meant room mic compression. It still sounds awesome^
I was just thinking Graham, i have only an interface with 2 inputs, so i’ll record the drums with 1 condenser overhead, and another mic on the kick, so thats impossible to set a room mic.
But what if I record another independent take just with the room mic ?
You’d have a heck of a time playing 100% identical to your first performance. I wouldn’t worry about the room mic, honestly.
Do you have suggested settings for compressing the room mic.
TH
Ratio
Attack
Release
Thanks !!!!