#182: Drum Limiting: Using Limiters, Clippers and Saturation for a Powerful Drum Sound

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Episode Show Notes:

In this episode, we explore drum limiting and how it can transform your drum sound. Join us as we dive into the world of limiters, clippers, and saturation to achieve an impactful drum mix that stands out.

Malcolm & Benedikt discuss the significance of using clippers and limiters to shape the perfect drum sound. Discover how these techniques can level up your music by adding punch or addressing inconsistent playing. They also delve into hard and soft clipping, explaining the difference and why and when you’d use them.

Understanding the differences between hard and soft clipping and when to use limiters versus clippers can lead to significant improvements in your music production skills.

In terms of practical application, we explore how to use limiters and clippers on drums to best benefit the overall drum sound. For example, limiters can fix inconsistent playing and reduce the snare bleed in overheads. In contrast, clippers can create headroom and increase the punch of the drum hits. It's also essential to understand how the type of limiter or clipper used affects the sound of the drums in different ways.

There is a clipper that is always on my snare channel right when I import. I know I'm going to want it every time. It just lives there. So for me, clippers are the priority on drums. - Malcom Owen Flood

Part of the discussion centres around hard and soft clipping. The differences between them are significant, and understanding these differences is key to effectively using limiters and clippers on drums. Additionally, we explore how saturation-based clipping and limiting can be applied to a mix and how these tools can control dynamics and add harmonic color.

To sum up, mastering drum processing through techniques like clipping and limiting can dramatically enhance your music's sound quality. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a DIY enthusiast, gaining knowledge in these areas can provide you with valuable insights and practical tips to get those drums hitting right!

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For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/182

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]