Advanced Drum Recording Session with Josh Freese

Watch the pros at work in a real drum recording session at a top LA studio, EastWest. GRAMMY-winning engineer Ryan Hewitt records with A-list drummer Josh Freese.

In this course, GRAMMY-winning recording engineer, producer, and mixer Ryan Hewitt explains his techniques for capturing drum sounds in one of the best recording rooms in Los Angeles, EastWest Studio 2. Utilizing the talents of A-list session and touring drummer Josh Freese (interviewed in the first chapter of the course), Ryan will demonstrate his mic choice and placements on Josh's drums, spending time on the details of the kick, snare, toms, cymbals, overheads, and room mic setups. Ross Garfield, the Drum Doctor, assists in fine-tuning the drum sound. Watch for a one-of-a-kind look at the pros at work.
Check out how Ryan prepared for Josh's session in the first course, Drum Setup and Mic'ing in the Studio.

Introduction

• Welcome

1. An Interview with A-List Drummer Josh Freese

• Josh Freese, session and touring drummer
• If it sounds good, it is good
• Listening to the demo song

2. Recording Drums

• Getting a great kick drum sound
• Getting a solid snare to create the character of the track
• Approaches to EQing the kick and snare
• Dialing in the overheads, hi-hats, and cymbals
• Experimenting with room sounds
• Getting rack tom and floor tom sounds
• Getting creative with the stunt mics

3. Josh Freese Recording Session

• Finessing sounds with Josh Freese on the drums: Part one
• Finessing sounds with Josh Freese on the drums: Part two
• Recording the first take and making adjustments
• Recording two more takes of the song
• Recording one more pass: The keeper take
• Punching-in to polish the performance

Conclusion

• Inspiration and next steps