Be careful though, they can add distortion/harmonics much like a saturator, but with clippers I find they are not the kind of distortion you want. Simply leave it on full resolution/quality (24-bit, no downsampling etc.) and just use the gain control. When in doubt, I've also used a bitcrusher. I use a clipper on my toms, kick, and snare. This is something to do later on in the chain, after EQ and compression. Use a clipper to get a more consistent performance and volume, among other things. Softube's Saturation Knob plugin is great for aggression. Depending on the type of saturation it can also add glue. Can add aggression and color in a very pleasing way. Saturation can be awesome, I use it on toms all the time and sometimes the snare as well. Then, use some parallel compression to take it just that little bit more over the top and give it the extra punch. Get the kit to where you're happy with it and would be glad to have it be the final product. It totally kills the realism and 'vibe' of the kit, separating it to just a sterile sounding kick, snare and overheads. Too many people just use direct mics and disregard Superior's room mic. This can also add a good amount of aggression to your kit too and help it vibe.

I usually slap an 1176 on there (usually CLA-76) and really crush it. It's also great for gluing the kit together. Use reverb for an added effect (a huge snare during a breakdown, really washy overheads during an ambient section etc). A lot of your ambiance and sustain comes from the drums themselves when EQ'd and compressed properly.įor ambiance, your room mic is all you need 99% of the time.

However, I will give you some tips that I like to use.ĭon't touch reverb until you get the EQ, compression, reverb and saturation where you want it.

It's a massive topic, and I highly recommend the Systematic Mixing Guide for the basics/essentials of EQ and compression for each individual mic, and the purpose they all serve.

Mixing superior drummer 3