A majority of the music produced today is made using computers and MIDI sequencing software like Logic Pro, Ableton, Digital Performer and Cubase. The possibilities provided by these programs are quite extensive, except one of the common problems is that the music can sound like it came from a computer.
Even the best drummers in the world play while keeping time with a slight inflection. And while their performance may sound tight, there’s an unmistakable human element to it that can be missing when every note has been quantized to line up perfectly with the MIDI grid.
Fortunately you don’t have to be a great drummer to get more human sounding drum tracks. Here are three tips that can help you perform your drum samples while still maintaining the accuracy and groove of a quantized track.
Slow It Down
When you lay down a percussion instrument, don’t record it at the actual tempo of the track. Slow it down enough that you have no trouble keeping up with the beat. Then when you’re finished recording, change the tempo back to the original speed and you’ll be surprised at how ‘tight’ your performance now sounds.
Only Quantize the Snare
If you’re in 4/4 time (which most music these days is), then your snare hit is often the most important element in the drum track. If it hits a fraction too late, the music feels like it drags. If it’s slightly early, the groove feels rushed. That’s why it’s important to make sure your snare hit is right in the pocket. If you need to use quantization to make sure it’s in time, go ahead. But, don’t quantize any of the other elements or it will start to sound too manufactured.
Mix In an Acoustic Element
Perhaps the best trick to make your drum samples sound more realistic is to combine them with a recorded percussive track. A live recorded hi-hat or tambourine can go a long way to make it sound like you tracked a whole drum set. Also the combination of a live element with a completely inorganic drum machine element can make your percussion track even more interesting. (Radiohead does this from time to time.)
Just because you’re a not a drummer doesn’t mean your music has to always sound like it was made using a sequencer. By slowing down your tracking tempo, using less quantization and interspersing your percussion tracks with live recordings, you can create much better and more convincing sounding drum tracks, even if it’s mostly samples.
Make Pro Songs
There are 8 unique value-points inside the Sage Audio membership, so let’s go over each one so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.
1. 50 Free Mastered Songs Per Year
- 50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
- You’ll get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
- Unlimited revisions with your dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer. As a standard of our service, we are not happy until you are happy with the sound of your masters.
- All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.
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2. 1-on-1 Mentorship
- The Sage Audio 1:1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us to answer all your questions and receive unlimited advanced mixing feedback directly from us.
- Unlimited direct access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve your mixes and masters.
- Unlimited advanced mixing feedback with detailed suggestions for improvement.
- Fast communication to answer all your questions and get tailored guidance that’s specific to your needs.
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3. Unlimited Mixing Feedback
- Unlimited mixing feedback so you can improve your mixes quickly.
- This is highly valuable - giving you access to a thriving community of mixing engineers who can provide feedback about what you can improve before sending your mix to be professionally mastered.
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4. Sage Audio University™ (SAU) — (Mixing and Mastering Education Platform)
- SAU is a modern audio engineering education platform that includes in-depth mixing and mastering course curriculums that match the new music industry.
- SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from first-time mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout every course curriculum.
- SAU course curriculums include Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
- SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website, social channels, and portfolio for as long as you remain a member.
- Get first access to all future SAU course curriculums to continually build and refine your mixing and mastering skills as the industry evolves.
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5. Mixing and Mastering Competitions
- Compete in Mixing Competitions and Mastering Competitions to win prizes and connect with friends and colleagues.
- This is a great collaborative way to improve your skills alongside both aspiring engineers and seasoned industry professionals.
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6. Community
- The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.
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7. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content, Including:
- 36 multitrack sessions spanning multiple genres for mixing practice.
- 57 un-mastered mixes spanning multiple genres for mastering practice.
- 62 Recommended Free Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 39 Recommended Paid Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 71 Sage Audio custom plugin presets to improve your mixes and masters.
- Sage Audio Membership Badge to showcase on your website, social channels, and portfolio.
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8. 700+ Video Catalog
- Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into playlists so you can take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your mixing and mastering skills at your own pace.
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