Good drums, Bad drums.

[Bloodybastid]

What's everyone's stance on drums?

I think this is hard thing to discuss because unlike melodies/samples, drums are a lot harder for me to engage in. It's just for me, harder to tell which drums sound good and which type of drums sound bad. Is there like a general concensus on what is a good sounding drum and what is bad???

I mean, I'm listening to some 9th Wonder stuff lately such as that Murs' album and I have to say I did not like the drums AT ALL. Okay, I know 9th works on FL and maybe that's why. Maybe he just uses the default drums and EQs them as best as he can. I have to give him props, but I just doesn't like those plastic-sounding snares and kicks. But it does seem like the rest of the Hip-Hop community loves that stuff.

I don't know, I just try to emulate the sound of the 93-95 era of Hip-Hop. Even though the snares are muddy and grimey, they sound hard and complete. But people on here are always commenting on how my drums aren't up to par. So how does everyone feel about how Hip-Hop drums should sound??

 

[nonie]

For me, how well you fit the drums sounds with the rest of the track determines how good your drums are. You can have the best drum sounds and pattern in the world, but if you try and lay it over a sample that it doesn't mesh well with it, then people are gonna label them as bad. That's how I see it.

When you're laying down the track, you'll know you got the right drum sound when you're goin through your sounds. It just feels right.

But nah, I doubt 9th uses stock sounds. He's a professional dude, he knows better.

 

[slik da relic]

D.R. Period said in an online video,"make sure that snare sounds like a gunshot." this is so tru. i always believed the drums bring out the song on the majority of Hip Hop joints. make sure u take ur time on ur sounds in ur mix. never relax on ur drums, take ur time on each individual sound. when u rush to finish ur product, alot of times the drums will be sacrificed. and never mind the "public." they are not as critical on music as u/we are.

da relic

 

[LonChainy]

You got to remember the foundation of hip hop is drums and bass....if you want that grimey 90's era sound...you gotta do what they did.....sample em from vinyl...IN MONO!!!! and beef em up with eq

 

[Haze47]

You got to remember the foundation of hip hop is drums and bass....if you want that grimey 90's era sound...you gotta do what they did.....sample em from vinyl...IN MONO!!!! and beef em up with eq

word son,

yall kow i ate most peeps drums, take Lons advice.....!!!!

 

[eKim(one)baBY]

i just loop the sample and go tru all the drumz i gotz till something fits verry well ... etc ..

 

[Relic]

Kix that bump and boom= good.
Snares that smack and Pop= good
NOW getting them to do that .... I am still studying.
So your best option is to try and use sounds that already do this.(at the time of the sampling)
Bump Boom smack with crisp hi hats is the formula.
Cant go wrong.
I have gotten drums in the past that I liked but ended up bein unable to eq them to what potential I heard in them(if that makes sense)
So my advice is grab a sound that is ready already the drums are the most important thing fo sho...

 

[KurtisRich]

For me, there are no good or bad drums. As long as the drum goes with the beat you're creating then it's good.

 

[Da IllFellaz]

if ur beat aint knocking, then dont waste ur time is my motto. drums gota knock. they are the ones dat keep da beat goin so to me, they are the most important part of the song. u can have a beat wit some hot/hard drums n one simple lil melody hit or stab n shit will probably be hot wit lyrics on it. n if u wana learn how to make ur drums bang, theres a few mehods:

1. listen to all of dr. dre's records and compare ur drums to his
2. layer your drums (premo n 9th do it all the time, n forget the fact dat people say drums in FL is wack, they dont know how to use the program then)
3. understand some basics of what compression and eq do to sounds

i will always be learnin because to me, the drums are so important. thats wat makes ur head nod, dats wat makes ur booty shake.

nomezzy

 

[Bloodybastid]

Thanks for all the advice...I been making beats for quite awhile now and it seems like drums are the only part I'm struggling with. Sometime I come through, but other times when I think something sounds good it sounds bad to you guys.

 

[veon]

there was an article here posted by i dont know who(sorry man i forgot) and was called Dope Eq. In there you find how to tweek your drums with eq. How to get the crispiness of the snare and all

 

[trebeatz]

9th does not use stock sounds, he samples all his drum hits from vinyl

 

[thedreampolice]

Maybe read a few books on how to record real drums, that could help.

 

[samuelock]

if the drums sound good to my ears, they're good drums. and they have to be original. not much of that happens.

 

[static]

its just about your own style...

iv got a pretty fucked up producing style. lol meaning im on some other shit.
i can tell you that no drums are really BAD.
depends like a pattern you use on one song might sound better on another ya dig?
id suggest doing what you know and what not.
but after you finish a beat. always have a second ear. let someone else hear what you did to see if they are feelin it. someone that produces. then someone that has no knowlege of producing at all. so you get the feedback from both worlds.
but HIP HOP not rap drums tend to sound break beatish. (my opinion)
like the snares arint as "crunk" and the kicks def are not. keep it smooth and relaxed. peep some nas. az. imortal technique. 9th wonder. black moon. mos def. talib. old school jay. n some fresh prince. AND special ed. and big l and madvillian and mf doom and.... and.... ect.
i could go on and on. lol but just study the drums on most songs that i hear for the first time i dont pay attention to the lyrics just the beat.

 

[Bobby Ffitch]

I mean, I'm listening to some 9th Wonder stuff lately such as that Murs' album and I have to say I did not like the drums AT ALL. Okay, I know 9th works on FL and maybe that's why. Maybe he just uses the default drums and EQs them as best as he can. I have to give him props, but I just doesn't like those plastic-sounding snares and kicks. But it does seem like the rest of the Hip-Hop community loves that stuff.

first of all, since FL basically just sounds as good as the sounds you put into it, that shouldnt really effect how someones drums sound.

personally though, im a big fan of 9th wonder's drums. dont really see how they can sound at all like stock sounds, or bad.

i geuss that basically just shows that its subjective, its a preference thing.

 

[Bloodybastid]

like the snares arint as "crunk" and the kicks def are not. keep it smooth and relaxed. peep some nas. az. imortal technique. 9th wonder. black moon. mos def. talib. old school jay. n some fresh prince. AND special ed. and big l and madvillian and mf doom and.... and.... ect.

I don't really like MF Doom drums...I can't really explain the sound that he has for drums but they sound "flat" to me...if that makes any sense. Just listen to that King Geedorah album.

Doesn't Southpaw produce for Immortal Technique? He uses very questionable samples and again some messed up drums once in awhile...production is not very memorable.

I remember that Black Star had really good drums. So did Jay and Nas' first couple of albums.

Madvillain had interesting drum programming and patterns...but that's because of Madlib mostly.


My Preference is more old Wu-Tang or RJD2 type drums.

 

[Phi'Zik]

The tune of your drums is very important too to fit in your song !

What do you think about the old legend 12bits A/D converters for drums ?
Buying to day a sp1200 is luxury or useful ?

 

[Lazy Eyes]

Yesterday i was peeping GZA - Liquid Swords and man the drums on that album is crazy.. they really hit so fucking hard.. it's amazing.. and it all fits.. he bangs the shit outta of the drums! rza is a maniac on that one..

On the 9th wonder note: i do dig his new drums a lot more then the ones he used to use, he always used to use them triplet hihats... now u can def. notice he's advancing on the drumtip.. he got nice drums, but he isn't the best on the drums..

JAY DEE

Check out Dilla for drums, almost every drum hit u want to hear u can hear on Dilla's beat tapes.. whether it's old & dirty or clean and crisp he got them all.. Like when u hear the Jaylib shit that's all clean and all, and then u hear the Pharcyde shit with the dirtier drums.. the man is a beast.. he knows how to program drums and make em hit the hardest..

For Drums: No Doubt Dilla

 

[Bloodybastid]

Yeah that Liquid Swords album has some of the best drums I've ever heard.


Dare Iz a Darkside also had insane drums....Reggie Noble was good back then.