Drum Mixing: Techniques

GRAMMY-winning producer Ryan Hewitt explains his techniques for mixing radio-ready drum sounds with any DAW or console.

Introduction

• Welcome

1. Mixing Drums

• Touring the SSL channel strip
• Listening to the faders-up track
• Checking phase before building the mix
• Panning and creating the stereo field
• What is groove?

2. Building the Mix

• Starting with kick drum inside and front mics
• Bringing in the snare drum and bottom mics
• Widening the image with stereo overhead mics
• Focusing the groove with the hi-hat mic
• Utilizing the crush track printed during recording
• Getting larger-than-life sounds from the rack tom and floor tom mics
• Going further with ambience and balance

3. Adding Parallel Compression, Distortion, and Reverb

• Intro to parallel compression
• Parallel compression on the kick and snare
• Adding power with stereo parallel compression
• Distorting the trash mic
• Emphasizing the backbeat with parallel distortion
• Grouping drum tracks to control the full mix
• Using reverb to add depth

4. The Final MIx

• The final mix of "We Won't Stand Alone"

Conclusion

• Inspiration and next steps