I’ve come across a COMPLETELY out of the box method to record a better snare sound. Use stones. Yes, stones. I learned this from the fantastic TapeOp magazine (if you are into recording, you need this magazine. It’s free and it’s one of the best recording mags out there. Go here to get it.) TapeOp does an incredible in-depth interview with a well-known producer in Slovenia named Janez Krizaj, who records at Studio Metro.
This technique is best utilized when the room you’re tracking the drums in are carpeted. Krizaj doesn’t like using a second mic to record the bottom snare, by the way. “I hate it – too harsh”, he says. “But if the snare drum is above a carpet,” Krizaj continues, “…it just kills the snares.” So he suggests using rocks, flat ones, and quite a few of ‘em. Anywhere from 8 to 12 stones. The purpose of using stones under the snare drum is to diffuse the snare sound, therefore making it livelier.
Test it out, hear the difference.
