I miss big sounding late 1980s recorded drum sounds

[bpaluzzi]

I didn’t think much of him at the time cause he is fairly basic on the surface but I have grown to appreciate Tico Tores. He had that big fat 80s snare that still had some crack, and that dinner bell ride

100% agreed about Tico, but that’s Kenny Aronoff on that track

 

[pjmariner]

100% agreed about Tico, but that’s Kenny Aronoff on that track

Indeed it is. Very much a tico drum sound and even tico style, so I just assumed. I love Kenny too but he always seem to drive a beat/song, never heard him play back like that, at least not with John Cougar.

 

[Core Creek]

I’m nostalgic for the 80’s sound, but not necessarily looking to recreate it.

Here’s a perfect example (amazing band btw):

 

[Donkey Hottie]

Does anyone else here miss the exaggeratedly huge gated room reverbs and long decay times on drums? Snares that sounded like explosions each time they were hit? I also miss big, boomy toms. More reverb please! I don't miss the power tom sizes though, because that wasn't fun to set up. (I like to play an ergonomically efficient kit.)

Ready to duck at any tomatoes being thrown my way!

Personally, I always hated real drums sounds of the 80s because they failed so miserably at sounding real. In The Air Tonight changed everything, and that recording was great and innovative, because there was still life to that sound, but any of that 80s stuff where the drums were tuned low with some massive verb slathered on top just feels utterly emotionless to me.

There was an attitude in the 80s that thoughtful drum recordings were pointless because 'we have computers for all that now!' and those metal/rock bands really thought they were getting some updated version of When The Levee Breaks drums at the push of a button (and EVERYbody was pushing that button) but it was just stale, store brand cereal vs the real thing.

If we're talking 80s drum sounds, I'd much rather be dealing with the synth stuff (pre-86) because while most of that stuff failed to properly recreate the stuff it was emulating, it ended up creating new vibes that you couldn't create with real drums.

 

[Hillcom]

Does anyone else here miss the exaggeratedly huge gated room reverbs and long decay times on drums? Snares that sounded like explosions each time they were hit? I also miss big, boomy toms. More reverb please! I don't miss the power tom sizes though, because that wasn't fun to set up. (I like to play an ergonomically efficient kit.)

Ready to duck at any tomatoes being thrown my way!

 

[Hillcom]

Does anyone else here miss the exaggeratedly huge gated room reverbs and long decay times on drums? Snares that sounded like explosions each time they were hit? I also miss big, boomy toms. More reverb please! I don't miss the power tom sizes though, because that wasn't fun to set up. (I like to play an ergonomically efficient kit.)

Ready to duck at any tomatoes being thrown my way!

Well, I built a kit recently just for the sole purpose of a hugh, almost wide open sounding drum kit. 24" kik, 14" 16" 18". 6.4"x14" sensitone snare with no muffling. Everyone within ears reach can't believe how awesome they sound. Big drums with almost no muffling. Proper heads and tuning, I Love it. Im not sure when or how playing card board boxes became popular but I hear drums that sound this way a lot. Id attach a pic but can seem to get it to upload. Big Drums Rock.

 

[Donkey Hottie]

Well, I built a kit recently just for the sole purpose of a hugh, almost wide open sounding drum kit. 24" kik, 14" 16" 18". 6.4"x14" sensitone snare with no muffling. Everyone within ears reach can't believe how awesome they sound. Big drums with almost no muffling. Proper heads and tuning, I Love it. Im not sure when or how playing card board boxes became popular but I hear drums that sound this way a lot. Id attach a pic but can seem to get it to upload. Big Drums Rock.

That's totally my vibe too, but stuff in the 80s was actually generally tuned low (and often still muffled) but with a TON of artificial verb thrown on to sort of give the impression of big drums. After the wet cardboard box sounds of the 70s, basically everyone forgot how to tune drums and get big sounds, so bring on the digital reverb!

 

[Ludwig26]

Alot of these/those so called "big drum sounds from/of the 80s" were infact Linn drum machines & Simmons or Roland drum machine.

 

[vinnyrac63]

Mark the Time Date of the turning of the tide: Power toms and heavy ride cymbals soon to replace micro kits and thin/trashy cymbals. (the market is so bereft of power toms and heavy rides that I never thought I'd ever even be writing this.)

 

[Targalx]

Mark the Time Date of the turning of the tide: Power toms and heavy ride cymbals soon to replace micro kits and thin/trashy cymbals. (the market is so bereft of power toms and heavy rides that I never thought I'd ever even be writing this.)

Oh! Agreed. I miss HEAVY RIDES! I have a few that I use regularly. 22" 2002 Heavy Ride, 22" 2002 Power Ride and a 22" AAX Metal Ride. I don't ever crash my ride or play on the edge of the ride, so a heavy ride is perfect for my style.

 

[Fat Drummer]

Ahhhhhyes... a session I was playing around 1986.... but we still had not nailed cymbal samples so it was always real for me.... and from here I got really high tech!
I still miss that #193 BR 10 lug snare with the TDR strainer!

 

[Hillcom]

That's totally my vibe too, but stuff in the 80s was actually generally tuned low (and often still muffled) but with a TON of artificial verb thrown on to sort of give the impression of big drums. After the wet cardboard box sounds of the 70s, basically everyone forgot how to tune drums and get big sounds, so bring on the digital reverb!

Lol yep. I tune my kit almost daily. I take into consideration, temp. Altitude and barometric pressure, d8d they get moved and go from there, lmao.... Temperamental damn 1975 sonor phonic shells man. Wouldn't trade em for the world! Well, maybe for a new SQ2 beech kit.

 

[lamartee]

I didn’t think much of him at the time cause he is fairly basic on the surface but I have grown to appreciate Tico Tores. He had that big fat 80s snare that still had some crack, and that dinner bell ride

for gated 80s sound, Ton

I didn’t think much of him at the time cause he is fairly basic on the surface but I have grown to appreciate Tico Tores. He had that big fat 80s snare that still had some crack, and that dinner bell ride

for gated 80s sound, Tony Thomson was the man

+1 on the Mighty Tony Thompson

 

[Targalx]

This is a great example of the indulgent 1980s hard rock drum sound! Supremely exaggerated toms with that gated reverb on the snare that explodes with each hit. Jimmy DeGrasso on the drums in this period of Y&T (not Leonard Haze RIP):

 

[Cauldronics]

I heard Robert Plant's "Little By Little" the other day and found the amount of gated reverb on the drums comical. Huge, up front delays on the vocal, too. The thing is, at the time, it didn't sound unusual. Either way, I always liked the song.

 

[Cauldronics]

BOOOOM!!!!!

There. Fixed it for you.

 

[pgm554]

Does anyone else here miss the exaggeratedly huge gated room reverbs and long decay times on drums? Snares that sounded like explosions each time they were hit? I also miss big, boomy toms. More reverb please! I don't miss the power tom sizes though, because that wasn't fun to set up. (I like to play an ergonomically efficient kit.)

Ready to duck at any tomatoes being thrown my way!

I had a thing for Mister Mister and it's 80's feel.
Acid washed jeans, sampled orchestral drum hits and sequenced Oberheim riffs .
Perfect LA studio band.

 

[High on Stress]

 

[Targalx]

Never seen the video until just now. I remember the single got a little bit of airplay upon release.

 

[davezedlee]

and a degree of separation from XTC (Terry Chambers), 'tho not on this song, apparently