Larry's Roland Drums

[Chill Mike D]

Does anybody know how his Roland drums were recorded for the songs they are featured on?

Were they recorded via direct input, or were his monitors miked? Does anybody do that? That also applies to synths I suppose. Do people always record those DI, or does anybody ever mic the monitors?

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

Does anybody know how his Roland drums were recorded for the songs they are featured on?

Were they recorded via direct input, or were his monitors miked? Does anybody do that? That also applies to synths I suppose. Do people always record those DI, or does anybody ever mic the monitors?

Never heard the electronic drums or synth recording techiques discussed in interviews.

I'd guess direct.

 

[quadcaster]

yeah, they'd be direct. whats the point in putting a mic up against the monitor? doesnt really achieve very much.

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

yeah, they'd be direct. whats the point in putting a mic up against the monitor? doesnt really achieve very much.

Direct was probably used most if not exclusively but to mic a monitor CAN be very useful to get the natural sound of a room or space along with any other sounds one is getting from the electronic kit.

It can achieve a natural ambience that could be rather useful. Just like one can run a guitar or bass direct or through an amp/cabinet or a combination of both, there can be benefits to doing the same with an electronic kit.

 

[quadcaster]

yeah but the whole idea of recording with an electronic kit is to keep the whole thing digital. you can add the ambiance digitally.

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

yeah but the whole idea of recording with an electronic kit is to keep the whole thing digital. you can add the ambiance digitally.

I respectfully disagree with you there. The whole idea of an electronic kit is easy access to a number of sounds and to be able to control volume, not to keep the whole thing digital.

Yes, one can add ambience 'digitally' but natural ambience can be as effective or more so.

Just like an electric guitar can be recorded direct and with great success, there are a lot of sounds that are better gained by recording a cabinet in a particular room/space.

Guessing that Larry's electronic kit was direct. But that isn't to say that it counldn't have had cabinets mic'd.

 

[quadcaster]

i know it works, i've just never heard of it being done that way before.

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

i know it works, i've just never heard of it being done that way before.

I realise that you haven't heard it. Or that you don't see the merit in it. Either way.

There are merits to running the kit through a monitor or amp. I've used Roland kits though a few guitar effects into an amp and have been able to get sounds that way that one doesn't quite get from the stock sounds of the Roland unit ran direct. I know a few others that have done this as well. I have also read of similar accounts in Modern Drummer and Drums magazines.

Like I said, electronic kits best virtue is to get a number of sounds from one kit. It's 2nd best virtue is that you can record it direct. But another viable variable is to run the kit through effects and amp or merely a monitor and get the sound of the room and the various mic techniques that one uses recording bass, guitars, etc.

If you have the opportunity to use one of these kits, I recommend trying direct and to mic an amp or monitor. The use of guitar effects or other outboard units too. It takes a piece of gear with a number of sonic possibilities and gives you that many more great sounds to utilize.

 

[LarryMullenFan]

To me, the fade-in drums in Breathe sound like the Roland drums used with ambient mics. I don't think they used the Roland a lot. It was used in the early Marocco sessions. An accoustic set would have been to loud. Eno mentions it in an interview, that he loved the Roland because it enabled the whole band to play at lower volumes during the jam sessions.

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

To me, the fade-in drums in Breathe sound like the Roland drums used with ambient mics. I don't think they used the Roland a lot. It was used in the early Marocco sessions. An accoustic set would have been to loud. Eno mentions it in an interview, that he loved the Roland because it enabled the whole band to play at lower volumes during the jam sessions.

Roland kit is used a lot during writing sessions and some during recording.

The black oyster finish Ludwig drum kit seen in the Olympic Studios pictures and "Father Christmas" video was used a lot during the sessions too.

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

http://media.u2.com/flash/highlights/larryinstudio.swf

U2.com video of Larry and his Roland kit.