Access the Entire MxU Library

Gain access to 500+ Premium MxU videos.

Payment frequency
$19 /mo

Basic Snare Top

Explore the intricacies of enhancing your snare drum sound, specifically through the use of a snare top mic. Lee, Jeff, and Andrew use EQ, compression, and reverb to adjust the drum’s sound.

  • Remove mid-range frequencies (around 600-800Hz) from the snare top mic. This can help to reduce boxiness while preserving the low mid-body sound of the drum.
  • Add high-end frequency to the top mic to capture the nuanced sounds of the drum. This is especially important when working with drummers who have an intricate playing style.
  • For compression, start with a 3:1 ratio and adjust the threshold for gain reduction. Use your ears over any visual cues to find the sweet spot.
  • Adjust the attack and release of the compressor. This will allow the drum’s transient to come through before gain reduction. It will maintain the drum’s body and tone.
  • Use the output gain on your compressor. It reintroduces volume and richness to the drum sound after compression.
  • Use a 2.5-second plate reverb to create a simple drum reverb. It enhances the sound without complicating the process.

Categories

Audio
101
Team Videos