Step 1: Get your samples
You'll need to make a collection of several samples for each part of the drum kit. For most of my drum samples, I used a microphone and took several samples of each piece of my kit. At this stage I was interested in developing a good, dry rock drum sound with my samples.
If you don't have time or the equipment to create your own samples, there are many free samples available on the internet. If you're willing to spend some cash you could try a more professional solution such as Drumkit from Hell or BFD.
Step 2: Compose your drum tracks
To compose the drum tracks, I use a simple program called Algorhythm. It allows me full control over volume and panning of samples, and makes it easy to compose drum patterns and loops. There are many programs which will do this job, so find one that you are comfortable with. A few trick's I've learnt are:
- Crash Cymbals - I use two different samples simultaeneously, panned 100% left and right to give a wide stereo image.
- Hi-Hats - I use six different samples for a groove, vary them randomly and don't repeat one twice in a row.
- Snare - I have several loud hits that sound very similar, and a few lower velocity hits. You want different hits to the point that if you put a roll in, it doesn't sound like a machinegun. However, if your hits sound too different, it will become noticable to the listener from pattern to pattern.
- Toms - I like to pan these from left to right (with the smallest drum 50% on the left) to get a stereo effect during fills. However, if you want a more realistic stereo image, it's probably better not to pan these too much.
- Bass drum - I use two slightly different high velocity kick samples and one lower velocity, which I often use during double bass pedal style runs and to add ghost notes.
So this is how it sounds so far:
Step 3: Track effects
Dynamics Processing
I mix down the bass and snare drum seperately from the cymbals and toms. I then do some dynamics processing to the bass and snare. It is important that this is done at least independantly of the cymbals, as if it's done to an entire mix of drums, the cymbals will swell and fade unaturally and their volume will be out of control.
Compression/Expansion curve
This results in the start of the hit being boosted, so it sounds like the drum has been hit a lot harder.
It will punch through the mix better and sound more aggressive. I only use this dynamics processing during the heavy sections of tracks, which is why I don't just pre-apply this to samples. It also needs to be tweaked depending on the mix.
EQ
I often add high treble (8-16kHz) to my bass and snare during the heavy sections, to compensate for the attack lost by the heavy compression that will take place at the mastering stage. This way I can use a slower mastering limiter, but still retain enough "snap" of the snare drum.
This is how it sounds with the compression and eq:
Reverb
I generally avoid reverb during heavy sections, as when the mix is heavily compressed, most of the reverb is inaudible, and what you do hear just takes away from the presence of the drum. During quieter sections when there is space around the drums, I like to add reverb with a nice high-end fizz and plenty of stereo width.
Step 4: Mix it
Add a crazy chromatic guitar riff, heavy mastering compression, and this is how it sounds in the mix: