This man is a straight up BEAST!
Shells, rooms, mics, heads… all of that stuff definitely matters, but when it comes to drum sounds, the biggest factor is and always will be one thing: the player. There’s simply no substitute for a great player laying down a great performance – all the samples and editing in the world can’t replicate it!
I’m not gonna say that a session like this mixes itself, because that it’s true, but it DOES change your job as a mixer. Instead of being a turd-polisher who spends a huge chunk of your time and energy on cleanup, editing, samples, and the usual workarounds that we use to make the most of a subpar performance, you’re spending your time on CREATIVE DECISIONS – on taking something that’s already awesome and bringing out the best of it to turn it from good to great.
And AUGUST BURNS RED’s Matt Greiner is without a doubt one of the best in the business – this man hits HARD, with the kind of fury few drummers can bring, and all with the kind of tight, super clean performances that sound better than most people’s edited tracks. See for yourself in this clip from Nail The Mix with Carson Slovak and Grant Mcfarland…
Anyhow – my point here is not to fangirl over Matt, the point is that I want you to understand a) how critical the player is in drum sound, and b) to underscore the thing we’ve said so many times, which is to GET IT RIGHT AT THE SOURCE.
Of course you should feel free to use samples, editing, and whatever other tricks you have in your arsenal, but never try to fix it in the mix — because the truth is that just doesn’t cut it when you want to deliver a truly world-class mix!
Nail The Mix is our online mixing school that gives you REAL multi-tracks from REAL bands, plus a mixing class from the producer who recorded it. Past guests include Periphery, Gojira, Meshuggah, Machine Head, A Day To Remember and State Champs. Join now for instant access!