Drums are the heartbeat of a track—but getting them to feel right in the mix? That’s a whole other story.
In this episode, we (Chris and Steve) pick up where we left off in Part 1 and dive deep into the art of mixing drums. From building the sound around overheads to layering samples, managing reverb, debating time alignment, and even feeling bad for the neglected hi-hat mic—we cover it all.
If you've ever wondered how two mixers with totally different workflows approach drum mixing (and still somehow get great results), this one's for you.
✅ Why we both start mixes with overheads—and how it changed our drum sound.
✅ How to decide if your overheads are for cymbals or the whole kit.
✅ When drum samples are essential—and when they just get in the way.
✅ Our personal routing setups (and why they might be overkill).
✅ How we handle phase, time alignment, and why we don’t always agree.
✅ Tricks for taming hi-hats and bright cymbals without killing your tone.
📌 The overhead-first approach: why it works and what to watch for.
📌 Our favorite sample stacking techniques (and why we name them like pizza toppings).
📌 Drum bus setup, parallel compression, and how not to overdo it.
📌 Why clipping might be your drum mix’s best friend.
📌 Room samples vs. reverb plugins: what we reach for first.
📌 “Mixing with your eyes” (yes, we admit it… pretty plugins matter).
📌 Silencer, Soothe, and our favorite tom gating tricks.
📌 What we do when our mix “falls apart” at the loud parts.
📌 How we build a drum sound that fits the whole song—not just soloed drums.
🎙️ “Should I time-align overheads to the snare—or just leave them?”
🎙️ “What’s the point of using room samples instead of reverb?”
🎙️ “How many drum samples are too many?”
We talk about all of these… and probably overthink most of them.
There’s no one right way to mix drums. It’s about making creative choices that support the song. Whether you're stacking samples or working with raw tracks, the goal is the same: make it feel good.
What’s your go-to drum mixing trick? Do you mix from a drummer’s perspective—or the audience’s?
Drop your thoughts below or tag us on socials!
We’d love to hear from you!
📩 Submit your question here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.