Hi Folks
As I've gained more experience at this home recording lark, I have an idea as to how I might approach most things (even if they don't necessarily turn out exactly as I'd like) but if there's one thing...my nemesis in fact, that alludes me is how to get a massive, weighty snare sound that works on all systems and co-exists with other instruments in a big-sounding production without sounding boxy.
Which brings me onto my question for anyone who knows...
Just how do you get the Mutt Lange snare/kick sound?
Let me cite a couple of examples for you: Def Leppard's Animal (or anything on Hysteria...I didn't chose that name for nothing
) or Nickelback's Something in your mouth (or anything on Dark Horse)
Now, I know how to do the massive snare with lots of verb, gated or otherwise but if you listen carefully to these sounds you'll hear that this isn't what Mutt's done. Yes, there is some verb but the drums sound relatively dry compared with the methods I know.
Some observations / attributes about (principally) the snare sound:
-I has a 'springiness' to it like a tom hit
-It doesn't sound boxy
-it sounds huge even with everything around it being huge
-it works on everything from ipods, to car systems, to monitors, to hifi speakers - sounding great on each one (in fact the whole 'Mutt' sound, has these attributes, imo)
-there isn't much difference to the kick sound in some of the tracks such as animal
What I know:
-from interviews with Mike Shipley (Mutt's long-time engineer), I know the Hysteria drum sound was created on using multiple samples (using a Fairlight back then). It was created this way because they left the drums to the end and found that normal drums sounded boxy in context with the rest of the tracks.
Whilst Mike, like many of these pros, come across like a great guy, like others (and I can understand why), he stops short of telling you what you really want to know...which seems to be par for the course on many of the other boards.
So, does anyone have an idea what the (a) recipe might be to get close to these snare and kick sounds?
Many thanks
Simon