I’ve always loved the way his kit sounds on thy record and it adds so much character to the songs. Everyone was in top shape for that album. My question is what was done to produce such a unique sound? Anyone know?
He had natural reverb from the room he recorded drums in.
Brendan O'Brien has a lot to do with the production sound of that album.
The drum sound is very similar on Pearl Jam's Vs. which he produced.
I read your first sentence and thought to myself: Huh, I didn’t know he was involved in BSSM. I do know that Dave’s drums sounded fantastic on Vs.
Read your second sentence: BINGO
Yeah, I'm a drummer. Started playing in 1994. BSSM and Vs. are my main reference points/biggest influence in terms of both production and performance. Chad and Dave have very similar styles.
There is an old interview with Chad and Dave Navarro from One Hot Minute era where they are talking about how Anthony took forever to do vocals for the record and the band was waiting around, and Dave mentions the rest of the band was worried that Chad would join Pearl Jam when Dave Abrruzzeze left.
I LOVE Matt Cameron, but Chad would have been a better fit for PJ than Cameron (who does not get the chance to shine as much as he did in Soundgarden).
You're absolutely right! I've never really liked how PJ sounds with Matt on the drums, seems to me like he's got a different style of playing
Go watch Funky Monks!!!
Mic and drum choices were standard fare.
The big deal is the gated room mic keyed off the snare, recorded in a very lively solarium.
Yuge
It’s all in here. Funky Monks doc
I think a big part of it is the drum room sound in the mix. Also a piccolo snare. And Chad is an absolute beast! haha
Most of the songs were on a Black Beauty I think! Tuned super high up. He did have a Tama piccolo as well
Yeah you’re right!
Power of Equality was two of the same drum parts played over each other which gives it a banging sound
Each part panned left and right. Sounds amazing yea
I always wondered if the double tracked the snare, you reckon they did the whole kit?? Sounds amazing
I was positive it was the whole kit. Or at least the bass drum and snare. But you might be right it might just be the snare.
In any case it's a cool as fuck technique man.
All I know is what I heard from the CD, maybe don’t quote me on it!
I love this guy. His videos are perfect.
My recollection was a gretsch drumkit and a black beauty snare… I'm old and my memory might be failing me though :)
https://youtu.be/d1fJj5_9X0s?si=rp4rNw8Wa_bVNfPs
This is an awesome breakdown
As others have said, the room they recorded in was the reason for the way the drums sound on the record. Also, Chad Smith is an incredible drummer and could probably make any kit in any room sound good through just his performance. That being said, I wish I had more info on the mics/preamps used for his drums. My inner sound guy thirsts for the knowledge
Brendan O’Brien was the engineer on the record. He is known for his snare sound on the records he works on described as a piccolo snare. Tuned very high it gives that really WHACK sound. He engineered other great rock albums in the 90s such as Evil Empire by RATM where you can hear the same snare sound. As for the rest of the kit it’s due to the room they recorded the drums in and Brendan’s mic technique. One kick mic, one snare mic, two overhead mics, and one room mic for natural reverb. The room was like a big living room with high ceilings and practically no sound treatment so the sound is bouncing off alot of hard surfaces giving off a lot of high end. All of this added with Chad behind the kit beating the absolute fuck out of the drums gives us the drum sound of BSSM which is my favorite drum sound on any of their records. I highly recommend watching the documentary Funky Monks which shows the making of BSSM and the room where Chad is playing. Also Rick Beato does a really good breakdown of Brendan’s recording technique in one of his videos where he talks about his snare sound.
AK's verse vocals on If You Had To Ask are also fed into that same echo room, then captured by a mic and recorded back to tape. Then the vocals are 'dry' on the chorus, i.e. just the vocal booth sound.
Mainly the space and mic placement. The rest is the instruments and the players themselves.
Rick was experimenting with a new production studio at the time, which included playing around with the acoustics on the walls of the studio etc. it’s the same reason John’s finger picking on ‘I Could’ve Lied’ is so crisp and so anyway I was spelunking in a 20 foot cave and found a bat who’s name was Percy the Persephone and he introduced himself as the first one to be born in his family and I think that was a great idea to have him in my life.
Dude what
A lot of room reverb to start
I was thinking about it the other day, and I really like sound of the drums and crispness of the instruments from that time. I know they also recorded Stadium Arcadium in the same mansion, and it sounds so different. Made me think how BSSM would be if recorded in 2006.
Anyways, I wonder how many people actually prefer the way it is recorded now versus back in 1991 as far as the recording sound.
Similar to the drum sound of Ten by Pearl Jam
This is a super detailed analysis of the BSSM recording sessions from an engineering standpoint : https://youtu.be/2vCCGhCBw7I?si=4cKr0ba3W4os8dPG
Saved for later! Thanks!
He also used Paiste cymbals while recording BSSM (despite his Sabian endorsement at the time), which I think certainly contributes to “that” sound
Listen to his interview with Rick Rubin
BSSM is the most organic sounding record they’ve ever put out. Sounds like we are in the studio with them.
Rick Rubin I believe was very instrumental in guiding that dry and bombastic sound of Chad’s kick and snare. It’s almost Bonham-esque
People are saying it’s because they recorded in a mansion but they actually recorded in the very same mansion for not only Stadium Arcadium but fortune faded and save the population.
They definitely did some editing for that drum sound on BSSM because it doesn’t sound the same as stadium arcadium even though they were recorded in the same place
By 2003, the Mansion had been converted by Rubin into a professional recording space & had been acoustically treated. During BSSM, the house was just a hired space & not designed for recording. This explains the difference in drum sound.
Hwat.
Different sounds don’t mean editing. As someone has said, the mansion evolved from literally recording in a house to being more of a fully fledged studio of sorts. Also technology/recording fidelity changes, as much as aesthetic choices.
Nothing . There’s no effects no reverb it’s just the kit .
Record in a mansion lol.
Peak drum sound, for real.