Three Fool-Proof Ways for Punchier Drums

Published: Tue, 04/10/18

Your drums are the foundation of your mix.

Screw that up and your mix falls down like a house of cards.

I suppose that's better than the way the Netflix series came crashing down, but that's none of my business.

So if you're fighting the drum sound in your mix, here are 3 fool-proof ways you can cheat your way out of a weak drum sound.

Think of these tips like the glue that holds your house of cards together.

1. Compressing the Overheads

Compress your overheads to raise the overall punchiness of your drum kit. It can elevate your drum sound in your mix and make it stand out more without getting in the way.

2. Parallel Compression

The "New York Compression Trick" boosts your punch without sacrificing your dynamics. Talk about having your cake and eating it too! Simply send your drums to a parallel bus and add some heavy-handed compression. Then blend to taste :) Yum.

3. Drum replacement

Drum replacement is the secret weapon for professional mixes done in bedroom studios. Drum replacement is great when your drum sound sucks but you still have a good performance. Beware that they won't really help if your drummer can't groove to save his life.

Do you want to know more?

If you want in-depth, step-by-step information on how to make your home studio drums punchy and tight, check out my Drum Mix Toolkit here: