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RECORDING WITH JR ||| SCOTT DONNELL RECORDINGJR’s The Time Machine DVD by Scott Donnell Kevin Majorino knows a thing or two about engineering world-class drummers. Years of experience at Drum Channel saw him working with the likes of: Terry Bozzio, Chad Smith, Taylor Hawkins, Aaron Spears, Sheila E., Simon Phillips, Thomas Lang, Peter Erskine, and the list goes on for days. We asked Kevin about his experience recording John ‘JR’ Robinson for his DVD, The Time Machine, and we think you’ll agree that his answers are enlightening. Scott Donnell: Was JR open to microphone and placement suggestions? Kevin Majorino: Yes! That was one of the great things about working with JR. He’s very experienced in the recording world and knows exactly what he wants to hear. We were able to communicate very easily and that made mic choices and placement very simple. SD: Did you have different drum miking set-ups for JR’s drum demonstrations vs. the band performances? KM: Yes, I had a different mic set up for the Jazz kit demonstrations. The “big kit” set-up remained the same for the demonstrations and the live performances. The Jazz kit only differed in the snare and the overhead mic choices. I used a Telefunken M-80 on the Jazz kit snare and a Rode NT-4 stereo mic for the overhead. On the big kit, we used a Shure SM-57 for the snare and a vintage AKG C-426B for the overhead. SD: How much ambient or room sound was used in the mix? KM: There was actually a fair amount of the room sound used in the mix. I was careful about where the instruments were placed in the room and I spent a good amount of time working on isolating the close mics that were on the guitar cabs and bass cab. On one of the tracks, we had Greg Mathieson playing the B3, so I isolated his Leslie cabinet outside of the live room. Overall, for a live recording scenario it’s good to have some of the main instruments in the room with the drums; they tend to resonate with the drums and glue the performance together sonically. SD: JR hits hard. Did that influence your mic placements? KM: Yes, he does! But he also hits very accurately and intentionally. I took into consideration the fact that he is a hardhitter, but it didn’t scare me away from placing the mics exactly where I wanted them. Being an engineer and working with hard-hitting drummers, you have to pay more attention your mic and preamp selection. Know what your mics and preamps can handle and what they sound like, and then make your choice based on that. And, of course, what the drums sound like in the room. I actually prefer a harder hitting drummer (controlled, of course) because it really makes the drums speak and communicate with accuracy. That’s one of the things I love about JR, you never question what he’s played on a track, and it’s always a statement. SD: Did JR have any influence on mic preamps or compression? KM: JR’s sound within the room influenced what I wanted to use on the recording. He also has some specific things he listens for, which is a definite consideration, as well. JR is very into the engineering side of recording, so it makes it very easy to communicate what he likes. We discussed what he enjoys using on major recording dates and then we made our choices based on what the studio had to offer, to get the best results. One thing we both agreed on is that we were not using EQ or compression on any of the tracking. All of the initial recording was done from mic, into preamp, into Protools. In the mix we used some EQ and compression, of course, but tracking was pure. That way, you always shoot for a finished sound right off the bat. SD: What’s your take on internal bass drum miking and the May Monorail system? KM: Love it! I actually had the opportunity to test it out with Randy May and John Good when Randy first came up with the idea. I remember playing with the multiple movements and positioning that it was capable of and I was amazed by the stability and isolation the unit provided. The biggest thing for me was that this unit was hard-mounted to the bass drum, but was isolated well enough to barely transfer any resonance from the shell of the drum to the mic. The flexibility, in terms of positioning the microphone, is also very impressive. Well done, Randy! SD: Did you double mic any of the drums? KM: Yes, I did. I used two mics on the kick drum of the big kit. I used a Shure Beta 52 on the inside of the kick drum and a Telefunken AK-47 on the front. The Shure Beta 52 is a studio staple when it comes to kick drum mics. The Telefunken AK- 47 is a re-make of the vintage Telefunken U-47 from the 50’s/60’s. The Beta 52 was used for the main kick sound. It captured all of the punch and attack of the drum. The AK-47 on the front of the drum was used to capture the subsonic overtones of the drum. If you spend some time finding the sweet spot for these mics and have a drummer like JR behind the kit, you can’t lose! 40 EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
JR revolutionized his bass drum. John JR Robinson upgraded his kick with the very latest internal shock mount microphone technology available today. Now, he can infinitely adjust his microphone position from resonant to batter head and find the ultimate “sweet spot” for recording and live situations. It’s all thanks to the patented Monorail Microphone System by Randall May International. And the Monorail is compatible with today’s most respected bass drum microphone brands. Have one factory-installed at the DW Custom Shop or install the aftermarket version yourself. Revolutionize your bass drum today. See Randall May, inventor of the Monorail, and JR Robinson explain this versatile, all-new Monorail shock mount system at www.youtube.com/dwdrums Microphones picture and shown on Bi Mic-Monorail. ©2012 Drum Workshop, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 1 and 2: S ISSUE 10 ||| 2012-2013 ||| DWDRUM
Page 3 and 4: S S Contents Editor’s Notes: The
Page 5 and 6: DW Airlift Hardware: Revolutionize
Page 7 and 8: PDP CM5 Pearl Black with DW 3000 Se
Page 9 and 10: PHOTO BY ROB SHANAHAN As much as th
Page 11 and 12: DAVE GROHL ENOUGH SAID.
Page 13 and 14: Bogota, Colombia 20 JUNE 2012 - SHO
Page 15 and 16: James Wormworth Photo Credit: Megha
Page 17 and 18: airs Monday through Thursday, with
Page 19 and 20: Big Gigs by Atom Willard Change. A
Page 21 and 22: off or you just got off a 14 hour f
Page 23 and 24: 5000SERIES WWW.DWDRUMS.COM Chad Wac
Page 25 and 26: GEARING UP for the eil peart writes
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Page 29 and 30: the-job training for you. Did you e
Page 31 and 32: So, you probably get the idea. Cont
Page 33 and 34: you are creating, not the licks you
Page 35 and 36: with the band, Parmalee. Their curr
Page 37 and 38: WE HOPE YOU’D FOLLOW US ANYWHERE.
Page 39 and 40: IN THE Studio JR Robinson WITH by S
Page 41: 9 3 6 2 5 4 10 technique. Once the
Page 45 and 46: NEW ARTISTS ENOUGH SAID. EDGE 10 ||
Page 47 and 48: I got deeper into the material, the
Page 49 and 50: RM: This could potentially be a via
Page 51 and 52: EDGE 10 ||| DWDRUMS.COM 49
Page 53 and 54: Satnam Ramgotra may not be a name y
Page 55 and 56: Sometimes I just don’t have the t
Page 57 and 58: 9000SERIES WWW.DWDRUMS.COM Carl All
Page 59 and 60: is just right for shell making. It
Page 61 and 62: etween the runs. It’s equal; it
Page 63 and 64: Trends Deep Snare Drums by Dave Eli
Page 65 and 66: 9000 HEAVY DUTY • 7000 SINGLE-BRA

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