Snare Drum with Andrew Stone

Crafting your snare drum sound can be a sophisticated process. Andrew Stone showcases his approach, which encompasses a detailed exploration using EQ, compression, and gating to achieve a distinctive snare sound. He uses effects to make the snare stand out in a mix. Andrew teaches how to manipulate the character of your snare drum through precise processing techniques.

Key Points:
  • Andrew’s snare drum setup utilizes a floor tom with snares. This requires a more magnified approach to processing due to its unique characteristics.
  • He applies a standard EQ curve. Adjustments include a high-pass filter at 116 Hz to accommodate the drum’s larger size. He also boosts the low mids, around 230 Hz and cuts a significant amount of 500 Hz. Then, he adjusts the high mids and highs to enhance clarity.
  • Compression is employed judiciously. Andrew utilizes the SSL compressor’s peak mode to increase sensitivity. This allows for dynamic control without over-compressing the signal.
  • Andrew uses gating to minimize hi-hat bleed into the snare mic. He carefully adjusts the gate’s range to allow ghost notes to pass through whole reducing unwanted noise.
  • Advanced processing includes the use of a tube emulator for added warmth. In addition, dynamic EQ can selectively enhance the snare’s high-end presence without increasing hi-hat bleed.
  • The “torque” plugin further tailors the drum’s pitch. It offers real-time adjustments to the snare’s tonality within your mix.
  • The top mic exclusively triggers a gated reverb, creatively used to add a distinctive spatial effect to the snare.

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