Better cymbals than superior drummer?

[thevisi0nary]

I just started recording a project at a studio, my style is a hybrid electronic/acoustic disco type thing. The cymbals and toms from superior are so wish washy and not very tight or present. I have the most basic model of s2 is there a way to mix them so they sound better or is there an upgrade I should get? Is there another program or sample library someone would recommend for better cymbals?

 

[Winspear]

I think you should work on your production - these cymbals are fantastically recorded and the toms just need compression/gating as usual What you are hearing is a top notch recording of a fantastic kit - but it's all natural so it needs the usual work, unlike pre-processed libraries that are made to impress.

 

[thevisi0nary]

The genera I'm going for is popish so I'm somewhat concerned with impressing hahaha, what would you reccomend trying to compress the cymbals and toms? Any specific tutorials you would reccomend

 

[NickShredScott]

Superior cymbals suck bad. Try out Joey Sturgis' samples. They're awesome:

Joey Sturgis Custom Drum Samples, Store

 

[tedtan]

Here are some basic cymbal "tips". These are not a recipes per se, but rather a generic point from which to start processing your cymbals. Try them and see if they help your track. As always, use your ears to determine whether or not they are helping or hurting your mix.

Compression - Use any compressor you like, but try a slow-ish attack time so the transients are allowed to poke through a bit. If the transients are out of line, try either a limiter or clipper after the comp, taking off only 1 or 2 dBs.

EQ

- Lows: High-pass somewhere between 300Hz and 800Hz. You said this is pop, so you can cut higher than some genres, but be careful not to remove too much body.

- Mids: cut out a wide scoop around the 500Hz to 700Hz if needed; the specifics will depend on your track itself and your high pass settings. Use your ears here.

- High Mids: 2kHz to 5kHz is where vocals sit; make sure the cymbals don't destroy the intelligibility of the vocals in this range.

- Highs: If you want more sizzle, try a high shelf with a boost around 10 - 12K. If you have too much sizzle, try cutting the same region with either a high shelf or a low pass. Note that pop usually has a lot of sizzle, so you will probably be boosting here rather than cutting. Just watch to make sure the cymbals don't become too thin.

After trying these, continue tweaking to taste useing you ears. And remember to level match the average volume between the effected and uneffected track when comparing so you can make an accurate decision. Otherwise, you will always prefer the louder of the two options (Fletcher-Munsen effect).

 

[chocolatePETE]

There are 2 sets here as well for you to take a gander if you'd like.

www.seraphrecordings.com/sample

Heaps of samples

 

[pushpull7]

Some of the superior cymbals really do suck. It's not just comping and q'ing. It takes a ton of time and patience to find a combo that is right.

@Nick: I never heard of those, thanks for the link!

 

[Larcher]

I use EZX metalmachine for my drum and cymbals. So far they are my favorites ones. I've tried sd2, the metal foundry, ezd, and metalmachine and MM always comes out on top for me!

 

[TheDepthsWillRise]

I love the tones in BFD2. If you don't mind spending a little time on mixing and production, you can get a ton of great sounds. Very flexible.

 

[Whammy]

IMO the cymbals in Superior Drummer are recorded amazingly.
I don't do much processing in regards to my overheads in any tracks I use them on.

What I find to be the most important factor in making the cymbals sound at their best is getting the velocity for each cymbal hit just right for the part of the track they are in.

Too hard and the overtones are a bit overpowering, too light and the cymbals lose vibrance. Sure both can be useful from time to time but I try and find a happy medium for each cymbal and keep dynamics in the velocity hits to give it a realistic vibe.