With drums in particular, there can be a giant chasm between what was recorded and what is expected in the final mix.

There’s no question that mixing drums can be a difficult task. If you type “mixing drums” into Google, you are rewarded with 34 million results which will offer you varying degrees of usefulness. There are so many conflicting opinions on this subject that wading through all of them can be less help than hindrance.

However, just as it goes with recording drums, the difficulty in achieving great results when mixing them lies less in a lack of knowing “what” to do, and more in the absence of understanding why to act. Too often, inexperienced engineers are led to adopt processes and use their processes by rote, rather than develop the analytical tools and awareness to get to the root cause of why some things work and others don’t.

Another problem is vagueness. If, for instance, I tell you that you can frame a wall using wood, I’m not really giving you enough information to ensure that you return from the lumber yard with all that you need to do the job. (Nor does it ensure that the wall will remain standing when you’re done!) Toothpicks are wooden, so does that mean I can use them to frame a wall? I guess the approach all depends on the dimensions of the room and what it is going to be used for, right?

In the same way, if I tell you “work on good balances” and “use compression to control your drums”, I’ve done you no favors, and have added nothing of value. Don’t we all want “good balances”? What does that really mean? Or, when I use a compressor to “control my drums”, what kind of control is the compressor providing? How should I expect the sound to change when I use the compressor? Does this control make the mix subjectively better, or is it merely serving a technical need?

Random tips and tricks can help (I steal these ideas all the time, too) but they are more useful if you understand the foundational components that make up a good drum mix. Everything is more meaningful with context.

We’ve all seen the artist presets that are included with every plugin, effect box or audio software that we purchase. The idea is that you can apply something tried and true, that a professional has used in a situation similar to yours. These presets are OK to get you in the ballpark, or to help you consider new and different ways of solving a problem, but they can also cause confusion in the likely event that they don’t quite work as desired.

Every song and every band and every drum track is unique. Even songs in a similar style are not the same songs. They were written by someone else, played by someone else, and recorded by someone else in a different studio with different musicians on a different day. (If you’ve ever worked on a project that spans more than one day, you are probably aware that, even when you leave the drums and mics setup overnight, sounds can change from day to day. It may be subtle, but if you’ve ever tried to overdub on or edit into a track from one day to the next, the differences can become plainly obvious.)

Knowing this, I am often surprised at how many people want to know what producer X used on source Y so they can apply it to what they’re doing right now. What someone else used on one day has practically nothing to do with what you’re doing today.

It’s true that we can develop our own methods by emulating others, and that emulation is a window into the way someone else works. But if we don’t dig further into why these techniques and processes are used in the first place then we cannot develop further as a recording engineer or producer. “Teach a man to fish…” and all that. So in that spirit, this three-part series aims to give you some ideas and context about how to approach mixing drums.

This first part will help you determine what you’ve got, how it’s supposed to be used, and how to decide what belongs in the mix.

The second part will emphasize the importance of having good phase coherence across the drum tracks and why it gets messed up in the first place, how to think about using EQ, and how to use distortion in musical and colorful ways.

The third part goes into compression and will try to explain why it’s more difficult to use on drums than it is on any other instrument. 

Let’s get started.

Step 1: Actually Assess What You’ve Got Before Diving In

As with everything, you have to start somewhere, and when it comes to mixing drums, that somewhere is to really listen to what has been recorded.

This may seem pretty basic, but unfortunately, it’s not always the order in which things happen. Less experienced engineers will often get ahead of themselves and get cooking before they really know what they’ve got on their hands. Their inexperience may lead them to try to “save the mix” before they even know what needs saving…if anything!

It’s easy to envision the “perfect drum sound” and start chasing it right away, with no appeal to the context of what’s actually been recorded. But, in fact, what’s recorded is what you’re going to mix! You’ve got to start by respecting that. A drum sound, to be mastered, must first be understood.

When you’re working on music that you’ve tracked, this is less of a concern, simply because you are already familiar with the tracks. But if you’re mixing someone else’s tracks then you need to know what’s there before deciding what needs to be done with it. Here’s an approach that should help you with both.

1a: Start With the Rough Mix (If There Is One)

If there’s a rough mix that the artist has gotten used to, then that’s a good place to start. If nothing else, it will inform you of what they deem important and where they want the focus to be.

Keep in mind that the rough mix is about everything in the song, not just the drums. Every rough has a sound that resonates with the artist at some level. If not, they wouldn’t have sent it to you in the first place. If you listen and pay attention to the feel and intention of the rough mix, it can guide you towards what they’re really looking for from a completed mix.

This is especially true when you’re told that “the rough is pretty close”. That is a clear signal that the artist feels like the rough embodies something important and significant about the way they hear the song. You should first listen as a “fan”, rather than as a mixer or engineer, and try to find “the thing” about the track that makes you pay attention and compels you to listen more. Once you’ve zeroed in on that, you have to then dissect what’s contributing to the feel and the sound of the rough, so you can feature those elements and try to make them even better.

Sometimes, however, the rough mix is more basic and really only serves as a means to hear what was recorded—no more, no less. In these instances, the artist’s hope is that you will somehow transform it into something special that is just right for the song. If this is the case, then you need to clearly define what their expectations may be. And of equal importance, you need to determine whether these expectations are realistic based on what has been recorded.

With drums in particular, there can be a giant chasm between what was recorded and what is expected in the final mix. Maybe they are expecting to hear John Bonham but have sent you tracks that more closely resemble Dr. Beat. Short of using samples (which I almost never do), you may have to deliver a reality check about the quality of the drum tracks and establish an achievable goal that will still support the song sufficiently well.

1b: Build a Rough Mix of Your Own

If you’ve been given free reign over the mix, then it’s best to bring all of the faders down and build your own rough mix (Note: you should do this even if there’s a good rough mix).

This is no inconsequential task, because this is the time to acquaint yourself with the tracks and figure out what is working and what is not. You should make mental notes about strengths and weaknesses of the tracks and think in broad strokes about how to improve the sound of the drums once you start the mix in earnest.

Don’t sweat the finer details at this point…you can deal with those while you’re mixing.

1c: Ask Yourself: How Does It Sound?

Now, take note of how the drums were recorded and ask yourself:

-Do the drums sound good as real drums in a room?

-Does it sound like they used new drum heads?

-Are the drums well-tuned?

-Are the drums muffled or wide open?

-Are they thuddy and dead, or bright and ringy?

-Do the overheads sound clear and natural, or more compressed and EQ’d?

The reason for noting all of this is to make sure that you’re considering the sound that was established by the tracking engineer and the producer and staying true to the spirit of what has been recorded.

Hopefully everything was tracked intentionally and with a purpose. But you’re not always that lucky.

These days, the tracks I receive are about 50/50: 50% are tracked with a very specific sound in mind and the other 50% are just a bunch of mics around a drum kit. Both methods can work, but I’d rather work on something that is cohesive and deliberate. 

Once you are familiar with the tracks, it will be fairly obvious what kind of effort will be required to make them sound right. If it’s pretty good to start, then consider yourself fortunate! If not, embrace the challenge, roll up your sleeves, and get to work.

It’s also important to determine if the way that the drummer plays has any kind of notable internal balance—meaning, the drummer plays with the balance they want to hear. This is usually most obvious in the overheads. For example, if the hi-hat is louder than everything else in the overheads, then the drummer probably played it that way. Even if it was unintentional it is worth noting so you can stay true to what was sent to you, or know what limitations you might come up against.

Knowing this from the start can keep you from trying to fix a “problem” that may not be a problem at all, or avoid stressing too much about trying to coax an impossible natural balance out of a performance.

Step 2: Consider the Drumkit’s Role in the Song

You also can’t effectively mix the drums until you define the role of the drums in the mix. Each song and each artist will have different aims and objectives, and each may require a different approach to make the drums complement the song perfectly.

In general, the clues to solve this puzzle lie in how the drums were played and how they were tracked. If after analysis and exploration there are still lingering questions about the drum kit’s importance in the song, then some direct guidance from the artist or producer may be needed. When their answers are unclear or contradictory, try to see if you can get reference track recommendations from them to help establish a better picture.

In general, when the client is a band, there’s a good chance that the drums are just as important as all of the other instrumentation and should be featured as such. The drum track certainly doesn’t carry as much weight as the vocal, but it is absolutely vital toward helping the track shine. Most drummers are an integral part of the band’s sound.

When it’s a solo artist, the lines get a bit blurrier. Some artists see the music as a big part of their sound and the instruments are really there to provide a sturdy foundation upon which the vocals can build. In other cases, the music is completely secondary to the vocal and should be treated in that manner. Obviously, these important details will influence what direction you should go with the drum mix.

The genre can play an important part in defining the drums’ role in the mix as well. It helps to be familiar with the genre in which you are working and to know whether the artist wants to adhere to that aesthetic…or to go in a different direction completely. Clearly, the drums for a metal track will sound nothing like the drums in an acoustic-guitar-driven track. (You would hope that it was tracked appropriately for the genre, but it may not be!)

There’s also something to be said for the overall aesthetic of the track itself. Sometimes a band or producer will create a very specific sound for the track that should be evident in the sound of all the other tracks. Be it bright or dark or “vintage”, a well-put-together track should sound cohesive. A good producer will generally ensure that this is the case, and as the mixer, you want to make sure that you maintain the aesthetic, rather than fighting against it.

Step 3: Throw Things Away (Don’t Feel Like You Have to Use Every Track)

With more musicians recording their own music these days—and an endless supply of information about how to do it on the Internet—I probably see more mics of “interest” than I used to. While almost everyone sticks to the standard: kick, snare, hat, toms, OHs, and room mics, I am seeing more “mono room” or “crush” mics, with the occasional “hallway” or “bathroom” mic thrown in.

I love to explore what these mics have to offer and do my best to make them part of the drum sound. Sometimes these additions are really cool and add a unique character to the drum sound that helps in a way that just can’t be replicated by any other means. But about a third of the time, these mics are useless and add nothing beneficial to the drum sound. It’s OK to not use tracks like these.

A good way to decide if any track is causing more harm than good is to pay attention to how the drum balance and tone changes as you add each track. As an example: if you have kick inside and outside mics, there’s a good chance that they will interact with each other in some destructive manner. To figure this out, I first bring up the inside mic and take note of how it sounds. Then I listen to the outside mic on its own. When you combine them, neither should appreciably change in tonal balance or sound quality. If they do, then there’s a phase interaction between them that needs to be addressed.

This process can be applied across the entire drum kit. If the addition of any mic upsets the balance and tone of the rest of the mix, and it’s not solved by a simple flip of the polarity switch, then you have to investigate why it’s happening. This takes time!

Omitting tracks completely is an easy way to correct or minimize some of the phase issues that may be present in a multi-mic setup. Using fewer mics can often help the drum sound, simply because there are fewer sources that run the risk of interacting destructively. As long as you can still hear everything that needs to be heard and the drums sound like you want them to, it shouldn’t matter if you used every track or not. Less is more in such instances.

I always attempt to use everything that an artist sends me when I mix a song for them. If they took the time to record it, then they probably want to hear it. But when it comes to the drum sound, I am a bit more prejudicial in deciding what should or shouldn’t be used. If it’s not helping, it’s hurting. And if it’s hurting, then I’d rather pull that fader down and move on.

Remember, just because they tracked it and it’s interesting on its own doesn’t mean that it fits in the context of what you’re doing. If it should be there, then it will work. Don’t force it.

In the next article in this series, we’ll look at the importance of a coherent phase response, how to approach EQ for drums, and how to use distortion in colorful and musical ways in the drum mix.

Mike Major is the author of the book Recording Drums: The Complete Guide and is the creator of the video series The Method to the Mix.

Mike Major is a Mixer/Producer/Recording and Mastering engineer from Dunedin, FL.

He has worked with At The Drive-In, Coheed and Cambria, Sparta, Gone is Gone, As Tall as Lions, and hundreds of other artists over the last 30 years.

Major is the author of the book Recording Drums: The Complete Guide.

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