Unless you're a guitarist, overdrive may be an effect you're not familiar with. Simply put, overdrive is a gain effect that raises the signal level to the point where it softly clips. It's a bit like a more dialed back distortion. Guitarists like it because it compresses the signal and adds lots of lively harmonics that really brighten up a sound.Reading that description, it's easy to see why this is an effect that can sound fantastic when applied to drums. I don't think it sounds very good on cymbals, but on kicks, snares, and toms it can sound brilliant. The key, as with most effects, is not to overdo it (unless you're after a very harsh sound). Your ears are your best guide, but try a relatively low drive level and if your favorite overdrive effect allows for it, crank up the tone control to brighten up the sound and add in plenty of those tasty harmonics.
At ideal settings, the drums won't sound distorted at all, just a bit grittier, harder, and punchier. If you're having trouble getting your head around compressing drums, give overdrive a try. You obviously give up a lot of the control and nuance that an actual compressor offers, but it's an easy way to get more level, body, and punch if you don't know what you're doing. (But seriously, learn to properly use a compressor too... it really makes a huge difference.)
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4 comments:
The key is not to overdo it?
NONSENSE TOM
:)
Good tips again though. If you can get a nicer distortion module like Ohmicide where you can control specific settings on the distortion itself then its even more creative.
You're kind of implying it and I'm sure you know this but some readers may be interested to know that compression is actually a form of distortion.
A few years ago, I stopped thinking about compression as a corrective effect and started to think of it as an EQ/distortion unit and that really helped me apply it in a more meaningful and musical way. After all, it's something that colors your sound (EQ) and levels out peaks (distortion).
And for those of you using Logic, you really owe it to yourselves to try out the compressor's different "circuit types" and the different "output distortions" (under extended compressor parameters).
-Tom N
Indeed, abusing a multi-band compressor can do very interesting things to any drum track... or running the drum mix parallel through EQ and into compression, with the original mixed in to keep it from degenerating into a wall of crunch (unless that's what you're after).
Even the weaker of the Roland drum machines (I'm looking at you, TR505) can sound massive through distortion/compression. (cheap drum machine + cheap distortion pedal = cheap crunchy bliss)
Ah yes. The NYC bus.. I can feel it..coming in the air..TONIGHT.
909 and distortion pretty much invented Gabber and other random genres as far as I'm concerned.
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