I just found an incredible article from Disc Makers that is basically a complete guide to mixing drums. They say it’s just a collection of tips, but those are some great – and pretty comprehensive – tips! The article starts with how you should treat each part of a standard drum kit; then it finishes with tips for non-drum kit percussion that apply to just about any kind of percussion instrument.
You’ll learn suggested EQ (equalizer) settings – including which frequencies to use and where to boost or cut, and by how much – as well as suggested compression settings for:
- Kick drum
- Snare and toms
- “Full-kit” sounds picked up by overhead and other ambient mics (which is where cymbals are discussed)
- Percussion instruments (including tambourine, shakers, congas, etc.)
All of this mixing learning goodness is excerpted from a larger guide on mixing in general – Mixing With iZotope – which is a FREE pdf from the folks at iZotope (makers of such awesome audio software as the mastering plugin, Ozone).
The Disk Makers article on mixing drums is here: http://blog.discmakers.com/2014/11/mixing-drums-how-to-mix-drums-and-percussion-in-your-home-studio/
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