How To EQ Toms - Drum Mixing Tips

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Having trouble getting metal or rock drum tones to sit right in the mix?

Toms can be tricky and introduce all types of cymbal bleed issues if over-processed, but it usually just takes a touch of tasteful EQ to get them sitting right within the mix.

Here are some tips on getting your metal or rock tom tracks sitting right in your metal productions using simple EQ techniques.

[FrightboxRecording]

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[bryanunderwood]

Big help! Toms have always been one of my biggest struggles.

[wolfthronestudios]

Debleeder does the job very well when it comes to getting rid of the cymbals. Good tips for the beginners that you proved that light compression and just alittle EQ can go a long way!

[Asgaia]

I often automate not only the level of toms but also the EQ. For instance I use an param bell EQ and set it where the attack is (say 5k). Normally this is set to 0dB. Its just for correction. I like the idea, that I do not automate the settings iotself, but have a static setting and automate the difference. On lighter hits I can so boost the attack as well. Same goes for bass/foundation tone. But here I automate more harder hits on the lower toms. When you boots the attack than you normally boots the bleed, as you already set. So I use a third band of the EQ, make it a low pass and automate gain and frequency as well. Right after the attack you can lower the frequency. So I keep the highs of the attack but after the attack I remove cymbal bleed by lowering the frequency.

[CyberTechOfficial-hn]

To me, toms are really hard to deal with! It took me countless hours to nail the right EQ and tuning. Great video Bobby 👍

[CausticRKS]

I'm just getting the hang of this stuff. I automate track volume as a means of cleaning them up much like you did here, however sometimes i'll get that one crash after a tom roll that just RAPES some tom tracks. In instances like this, I find an isolated tom in the song or another song, and instance that in any place where the cymbal bleed is really hurting the track and trailing out too far. It doesn't always work, but you do what you have to sometimes haha.

[VasilisKoskinas]

You should try Drum Leveler it brings where you set it the lower hit's of any drum but without any compression...the gate on it is great as well...great video thanks!

[CarcPazu]

As a simple hobbyist, I've been struggling with toms for years as well, and still struggling (that's why I'm here). I like toms with fast and punch attack and with less sustain, not boomy. I'm into fast death metal, lots of blastbeats, I need toms that cut through and disappear fast.

[lordbanhmi]

The fumbling with the keys was comedic. lol

Thanks for the videos, man. Much appreciated.

[High]

Love your vids. Thank you for taking the time to make them....

[Starcore-Studio]

Rule of thumb.. "Dont hit your toms like a bitch".... Haha

[Hifcrea]

I have the issue of my toms sound GREAT with the drum kit with my deep heavy bass and intense background ambience/ melodies with ebow, BUT as soon as I bring in my heavy djent guitar tones they sound so thin and lost in the mix.

I just don’t know how bands get those deep rumbling Toms without getting the low end muddy. I really don’t want thin snare sounding toms lol :(

[wolfkiller]

CLA presets all have a massive top end boost that sounds good in solo but doesn’t work in the rock mixes I’m doing

[hannes]

2:17
The camera: Yeah i like the tv in the background

[mikespink]

Why not just take multi velocity (quiet to loud) samples of each of the drummers Toms at the beginning of the session - ie before the tuning on each has inevitably slipped after ‘X’ amount of Tom battering takes ? In fact you should do this for every element of the kiit ..especially Kick & Snare etc - (left hand and tight hand crescendoed ghost note to rimshot hits on snare) -, Also a great idea is to capture some flams on the snare too as I can guarantee if you do any drum replacement / sample augmentation you will benefit from having a natural flam sample to edit & use for a more natural and less ‘shotgun’ sounding flam)- This way you can just replace inconsistent hits and remove ‘all bleed’ between virtually all hits (no need to gate) leaving the ring out tail / sustain of each hit totally bleed free where necessary! This really works well especially on single Tom hits and slower fills / rolls - But if you don’t want to do this you can also just replace the last Tom hit of each Tom in a fill - so the initial hits are the original and the last hits get replaced so the ring out / sustains are totally clean ! You can also just ‘low pass’ the tail and sustain of each Tom hit - which can almost eradicate the cymbal bleed on Tom hits whilst preserving the transient attack and can sound pretty natural actually if you tune the low pass filter to the right frequency.. I just make a selection on the Tom I’m editing from just after the transient front end / attack of the hit to the end of the Tom’s ring out / sustain - select a pro tools stock 1 band Eq on the channel ... dial in the right low pass frequency where it sounds natural and takes out the cymbal bleed ... copy the Eq settings of the 1 band Eq on the.channel - open up audio suite .. select same 1 band Eq - paste settings - render the edit selection (Tom tail) - then cross fade transient front end of Tom hit to the now edited, rendered and cymbal free sustain section you’ve just created ‘in place’

All of this can clean your Toms up no end and also allow you to compress harder or even limit ... and to my ears especially in rock etc limiting Toms for power, atttack, weight & girth is pretty much a ‘must’ in denser mixes 👍🏻

[jose.a.r.]

Hey man! What is the name of this song?? Is it available for purchase or on spotify? It is so sick and melodic!

[goatsurgeon]

I hope my toms are mixed well
My video came up just after this one so I dunno haha

[Jazz_Daddy]

That just me, or did that compressor say 123:1 for a ratio?

[jabooky]

Tom drums are the dumbest instrument ever made. Good video, but I’ll just keep using samples lol