Creating a Drum Room Sound with UAD Ocean Way Studios & Neve Compression - Vance Powell

Grammy-winning engineer, Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton), shares key techniques for mixing drums — using the UAD Ocean Way Studios plug-in to inject room tone and realism to a kit recorded in a small recording booth, plus the Neve 33609 Compressor to add power and energy.

Learn more about the UAD Ocean Way Studios plug-in:

Ocean Way Studios offers two modes of operation: Reverb mode, using send/return paths to mix wet and dry signals; or Re-Mic mode, to fully immerse the original source audio within Ocean Way’s rooms. Re-Mic mode is by nature “fully wet,” and can be used to entirely replace your original room and microphone sounds with the fabled sound of Ocean Way (now United Recording).

By combining elements of room, microphone, and source modeling, Ocean Way Studios moves far beyond standard impulse response players and reverbs — giving you an authentic replication of one of the world’s most famous recording studios.

Ocean Way Studios reinvents ambience processing with UA’s proprietary Dynamic Room Modeling technology, an exclusive combination of signal processing and advanced measurement techniques. Whereas standard convolution reverbs only provide a sonic snapshot, Dynamic Room Modeling offers the full spectrum of a studio’s ambience possibilities. Specifically, Dynamic Room Modeling provides the unique dispersion properties of various sources, as recorded through various vintage microphones that can be positioned in each room — in real time — via a simple click-and-drag interface. This technology gives the Ocean Way Studios plug-in a shocking level of sonic realism.

With virtual access to $250,000 of hand-picked, vintage microphones, Ocean Way’s microphone setups and Distance controls are the centerpiece of the plug-in. The setups capture the ideal microphone selections and placements for each room and source type.

Up to three vintage microphones pairs (Near, Mid, Far) are available in each setup, allowing for creative sonic blending. Click-and-drag the microphones to position them in the room, then EQ and filter their sound as desired — complete with mic bleed and proximity effects.

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[jasonzdora]

Is it just me or does the initial "bypass" sound already sound like its in a great room?

[roycox]

Haha. Begins with a drum sound that already sounds massive and recorded in a great room. This is not a tiny room or drum booth.

[dtp]

Love using OWS for making a small-space recorded drum set sound more "professional" and for making drum VST's come alive. Does something that a typical reverb just can't do. Magic.

However, I typically use it in "remic mode" putting the close mic right up there, typically as close as it will go, and mixing in one of the other far mic options. Always tinker with the phase on one of the mics... sometimes it does make a difference but not always.

Also love it for close miced guitars for the same reason - also for multiple background vocals panned into a sub-mix to give them a sense of placement in a studio like you were in there listening while it was recorded.

Probably my favorite UAD plugin!

[GabrielXDrums]

These guys always never cease to amaze me, there’s a reason they’re professionals, so nice to have this wealth of information online 🥴

[ahmedadly]

finally upgrade for neve 33609 Thanks Universal Audio

[billyhughes]

This plugin is amazing on a drum mix -- I did exactly what Vance said and, ...it just works. So good -- thanks Vance!

[castor-X]

I love UAD, I bought the Ultimate 8 Collection on Sunday, so many good plugins, I still have a lot to learn, thanks UAD

[paulrucker]

Thinking outside the box while working in the box. Nice one, Vance.
I don't have UAD system, but the IK Sunset Sound rooms are quite nice, I'll try this with that, thanks.

[laurenstanfield]

I really hope Universal Audio carrying on with this way of thinking its truelly brilliant...Abbey Roads, Electric lady, Blackbird Studios, Power Plant, Funkhaus, Muscle shoals, trident, sun set, sun (elvis), capitol....can you imagine being able to get the vibe from those places!!!

[mileyondrumz]

I knew I recognized that groove! Haha I just got some Townsend Labs mics AND using this Ocean Way plug in. Amazing! Makes my tiny drum room at home, well, sound like OWS! And PS Luna just kicks major ass

[edwardpatrickwhite]

Also amazing for creating surround content!

[TBSDrinkTeam]

We need these extra features to the plugins too!

[paulbromley]

Hey Vance - is the 33609 and OWS inserted on the drum bus or a parallel aux? The wet/dry blend suggests bus, but if my 33609 slams that much on my drum bus it sounds a lot more collapsed than yours.

Also i second a vote for a/b comparisons without stopping playback thanks 😎

[gerrycollins]

Doesn't anyone realize that the first "bypassed" playback of the Drum Mix had the reverb on??? C'mon. ?! If it WAS bypassed, these drums were recorded in a small warehouse, not a small room.

EDIT: I just listened again....It's not only identical, but there is a short delay as well... This video needs to be corrected. C'mon UA.!

[laurenstanfield]

Also UA still waiting for a blackface fender and a vox (i know soft tube have done there thing but needs updating!

[audiobloomstudios]

If u ever update this plugin, metric system would be cool … cm and meters for mic distances.

[akomkov]

Vance Powell is a great sound engineer. However, why didn't anyone tell him to compare the audio before and after directly immediately, without any other cuts? I believe that not everyone heard the difference before and after, especially compression. The brain forgets sound information very quickly

[bluesmanable]

what you know there is no plugin for that, peace and rock on

[paranoizehfx]

Yeah that original drum sound does not sound like it came from a booth. I hope this tutorial was not sponsored by universal audio haha

[almerinofirmino]

What a joke ! Try this with a dead drum sound . Its not the same !