Snare in Vital Signs

[PhilsFriendMatt]

Anyone got any tips for getting that nice tight pop out of the snare like Neil does in Vital Signs? Head suggestions or relative tightness ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

[Rush Cocky]

My immediate first thought is to make sure the reso head is very tight.

 

My second thought is to make sure you have a shell composition drum that allows the drum to cut the music (any metal shell for instance).

[Sir Lerxst]

Tight Reso-Head, and a crapload of damping on the batter head...

[PhilsFriendMatt]

QUOTE (Rush Cocky @ Jun 8 2009, 04:11 PM)

My immediate first thought is to make sure the reso head is very tight. My second thought is to make sure you have a shell composition drum that allows the drum to cut the music (any metal shell for instance).

hmmmmm kinda playing on a maple shell snare. So there may be a problem there. I'll try tightening the reso head and go from there.

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

5 x 14 Slingerland Radio King Snare, Remo Clear Emperor batter head. Both heads should be tight and the same pitch.

 

Part of the sound is the room at Le Studio. Part is the Sennheiser 441 mic, as well as the other mics on the kit. Part is the SSL console at Le Studio. Plus whatever gear it was fed through, like Neve EQ, reverb, etc. Same drums and room as Permanent Waves.

[DallasRUSHian]

I read somewhere that the snare on Vital Signs was the first recording Neil used an electronic drum.

 

I can't remember where I read it, but it seemed like a reliable source.

 

[PhilsFriendMatt]

QUOTE (CygnusX-1Bk2 @ Jun 8 2009, 06:10 PM)

5 x 14 Slingerland Radio King Snare, Remo Clear Emperor batter head. Both heads should be tight and the same pitch. Part of the sound is the room at Le Studio. Part is the Sennheiser 441 mic, as well as the other mics on the kit. Part is the SSL console at Le Studio. Plus whatever gear it was fed through, like Neve EQ, reverb, etc. Same drums and room as Permanent Waves.

Really a clear batter head huh? Alright i'll try it out I suppose. I'm using an evans genera right now on a 5.5 x 14 dw maple vlt snare. Don't suppose anyone has an extra old faithful sitting around the house?

[WCFIELDS]

QUOTE (DallasRUSHian @ Jun 8 2009, 05:23 PM)

I read somewhere that the snare on Vital Signs was the first recording Neil used an electronic drum. I can't remember where I read it, but it seemed like a reliable source.

I remember reading something like that also.........can't remember where......

[hunter]

Our drummer used to get that sound live by turning the snare upside down and tapping the snare (Springs) itself. Sounded pretty close though.

[JARG]

QUOTE (DallasRUSHian @ Jun 8 2009, 04:23 PM)

I read somewhere that the snare on Vital Signs was the first recording Neil used an electronic drum. I can't remember where I read it, but it seemed like a reliable source.

Neil used to write articles for the old Rush Backstage club, called, I think, "For whom the bus rolls" and in one of the articles he talked about all the processing they used to get his snare to sound the way it does. I believe he said something along the lines of, "getting my snare to sound like an electronic snare is akin to making wood look like plastic, but it seemed like a good idea at the time".

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

QUOTE (PhilsFriendMatt @ Jun 8 2009, 03:45 PM)

QUOTE (CygnusX-1Bk2 @ Jun 8 2009, 06:10 PM) 5 x 14 Slingerland Radio King Snare, Remo Clear Emperor batter head. Both heads should be tight and the same pitch. Part of the sound is the room at Le Studio. Part is the Sennheiser 441 mic, as well as the other mics on the kit. Part is the SSL console at Le Studio. Plus whatever gear it was fed through, like Neve EQ, reverb, etc. Same drums and room as Permanent Waves. Really a clear batter head huh? Alright i'll try it out I suppose. I'm using an evans genera right now on a 5.5 x 14 dw maple vlt snare. Don't suppose anyone has an extra old faithful sitting around the house? Hmm, well maybe not. In ESL he had a clear head on the snare, but in the Limelight studio video he seems to have what looks like a well worn coated head. But in the Tom Sawyer studio video there is a clear head. When my buddy won the kit he didn't get Old Faithful, he got the Tama snare made for the kit, which when he got it had a clear dot on it. They were not readily available in '82 as far as I know. It was the first time I ever saw a clear dot. The MP tour books states "Remo clear dots" on snare and bass drums.   Ok, I am a drum geek!

[PhilsFriendMatt]

QUOTE (CygnusX-1Bk2 @ Jun 8 2009, 11:27 PM)

QUOTE (PhilsFriendMatt @ Jun 8 2009, 03:45 PM) QUOTE (CygnusX-1Bk2 @ Jun 8 2009, 06:10 PM) 5 x 14 Slingerland Radio King Snare, Remo Clear Emperor batter head. Both heads should be tight and the same pitch. Part of the sound is the room at Le Studio. Part is the Sennheiser 441 mic, as well as the other mics on the kit. Part is the SSL console at Le Studio. Plus whatever gear it was fed through, like Neve EQ, reverb, etc. Same drums and room as Permanent Waves. Really a clear batter head huh? Alright i'll try it out I suppose. I'm using an evans genera right now on a 5.5 x 14 dw maple vlt snare. Don't suppose anyone has an extra old faithful sitting around the house? Hmm, well maybe not. In ESL he had a clear head on the snare, but in the Limelight studio video he seems to have what looks like a well worn coated head. But in the Tom Sawyer studio video there is a clear head. When my buddy won the kit he didn't get Old Faithful, he got the Tama snare made for the kit, which when he got it had a clear dot on it. They were not readily available in '82 as far as I know. It was the first time I ever saw a clear dot. The MP tour books states "Remo clear dots" on snare and bass drums.   Ok, I am a drum geek! Haha its ok me too. It's just a little odd to have dots on the snare and the bass. In fact I don't think I've ever seen a 22 in dot head. Not sure if they are still made or not. As far as a 14 in one goes that's easy enough to come by and hey I might try throwing one on the snare just to check out out. If nothing else it might look cool.

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

Yeah Adam still gets the clear dot heads for the bass drums. Those are 24s and not cheap! You can now get the 14" clear dots with the dot on the "underside" of the head. Though I don't know why because it isn't coated, but coated heads come that way so it stand s to reason... somewhat.

[Der Trommler]

QUOTE (CygnusX-1Bk2 @ Jun 8 2009, 07:10 PM)

5 x 14 Slingerland Radio King Snare, Remo Clear Emperor batter head. Both heads should be tight and the same pitch. Part of the sound is the room at Le Studio. Part is the Sennheiser 441 mic, as well as the other mics on the kit. Part is the SSL console at Le Studio. Plus whatever gear it was fed through, like Neve EQ, reverb, etc. Same drums and room as Permanent Waves.

Way to go Cyg! I'm glad I read read down! I wouldn't have gotten the mic stuff but the snare & heads I would've.

[Der Trommler]

QUOTE (PhilsFriendMatt @ Jun 8 2009, 07:45 PM)

QUOTE (CygnusX-1Bk2 @ Jun 8 2009, 06:10 PM) 5 x 14 Slingerland Radio King Snare, Remo Clear Emperor batter head. Both heads should be tight and the same pitch. Part of the sound is the room at Le Studio. Part is the Sennheiser 441 mic, as well as the other mics on the kit. Part is the SSL console at Le Studio. Plus whatever gear it was fed through, like Neve EQ, reverb, etc. Same drums and room as Permanent Waves. Really a clear batter head huh? Alright i'll try it out I suppose. I'm using an evans genera right now on a 5.5 x 14 dw maple vlt snare. Don't suppose anyone has an extra old faithful sitting around the house? Part of the problem is the Vertical Low Timbre snare. It's a step lower than a snare of similar size. Personally, I want to buy the VLT for the toms/bass drums & a regular Edge snare. If you can, maybe try the Grace Under Pressure Tour thing & make it an electronic tom sound.

[spitball]

From day one, I have firmly believed it to be an electronic snare. I remember being shocked to hear it, 'cuz it immediately made me think of Kraftwerk, another band I like, but so far removed from Rush.