My humble approach to Changing Things, Newly and Nicely Refined

[tjmtruth]

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Ya know, you are probably right about the overheads. I know Jazz purists love the drums to sound a certain way....almost mono. But, for most other genres and other materials in this forum, listening to the overheads gives a clear indication of just where the "spread & location" are of the toms, hat, etc. :-) I also always mix from the drummer's perspective, and some of the best "pro" mixes I've heard both in Jazz/Fusion and other genres are mixed that way. That's why it confuses me when some people get all bent out of shape when you mix drums that way. Once thing is that "rules" are meant to be broken and in today's world there are no longer ANY rules.....hee heeee. I know you agree with me on that.

Peace,
Tom

Tom,

Rule breaking is not even a question in audio. It is probably the most subjective thing in the human experience. As for drum mixing perspective, I for one would love to know (when tracks are delivered in stereo like overheads), is left, stage left, or audience left? I have always mixed from the listeners perspective and almost never from the musician's perspective. This decision is based upon listening to mixes with video. When you know a drummers setup and you hear toms go from right to left in the stereo field, you can easily infer the perspective. When we as blind mixers (meaning we did not participate in nor have the ability to communicate with the artists/engineers) make decisions on placement of instrument in a drum mix, we have a few immediate decision to make. 1: Determining left and right (audience or stage), 2: Is the drummer left handed or right handed. Since we have none of that info nor the miking technique used to record drums, if any (i.e.: samples), we are pretty much free to do any placement we like. I like to mix visually meaning I try to mix so you can see the location of the players and their instruments. But that is just me and it varies according to genre.

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Oh I agree with everything you said. Drum mixes are a delicate thing if, say, the artist WANTS it to be mixed from the audience perspective. I was thinking about someone who critiqued one of my mixes a while back who simply went on and on about mixing drums from the audience perspective and that I was doing it wrong by mixing from the drummer's perspective. I then gave numerous examples of famous and pro songs mixed that way.....never heard from him again....LOL.

----> I'm just a bit upset about someone here in your thread (and I think we know who we are talking about cause the comment is still up). I'm surprised that Mike didn't delete it because it was a thrashing, disingenuous, nonconstructive and condescending comment, and I'm sorry for you that SHE chose your mix to bash like that. Not only that, SHE actually trashed the artists and engineer/s who recorded the tracks. Pretty sad if you ask me.

Later,
Tom

As you have stated so well, there are no rights or wrongs in this. If I or you were to reverse the perspective on our drum mix I have a feeling we would be the only ones who would notice. The only people who can definitively state we have a particular perspective on a drum mix would be either the drummer or the recording engineer and his opinion is also subjective.

As for Girl Power, thanks for your defense. I did actually listen to a mix 'she' put up previously and it was a beginner's mix. It had potential though. I do wonder about her assessments though..lack of low end. I wonder what 'she' is listening back with when that statement is made. And her stereo comments on the piano are very curious too. I get the feeling there is a rat's nest of wires in 'her' environment and some wires are crossed.

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Indeed, well said. By the way, you were so controlled in your response to her. I admire you for keeping your cool. You are a better man than I am, as it is said. :-)

Tom