Sounds Like A Drum

12/19/2024

We passed a significant milestone on our YouTube channel over the weekend and we wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude. While we tend not to focus on metrics like views/likes/subscribers as a source of self-worth or general success, 100,000 subscribers feels like a pretty massive achievement for two guys providing an educational resource focused on drum sounds.

Thank you to the brands that have provided product support. Thank you to the people who have offered up words of encouragement. Thank you to our friends and families who have shown so much love and support. Thank you to the members of our Patreon who make this series possible.

Whether you've been with from the start or just started watching, thank you for being part of this community.

-Ben & Cody
👂🏼👉🏼🥁⁣⁣⁣

12/17/2024

New Episode: https://sladl.ink/Episode329
We all have to start somewhere but there are some who never dare to leave where they started. Sometimes there are practical needs that dictate switching up your tuning. Other times it’s the tactile experience for a given style that you’re playing. The worst thing you can do is ignore it all and stick to the familiar trope of “if it ain’t broke…” out of fear of deviating from “your sound”.

We all have to start somewhere but there are some who never dare to leave where they started. Sometimes there are practical needs that dictate switching up y...

12/10/2024

New Episode: https://sladl.ink/Episode328
Nope, this isn’t a sponsored episode. We just love these things so much and, if you don’t know about them already, you’re about to find out! It really doesn’t matter what style(s) of music you play- everyone should have something like these in their stick bag.

Nope, this isn’t a sponsored episode. We just love these things so much and, if you don’t know about them already, you’re about to find out! It really doesn’...

12/03/2024

New Episode of Cymbal Sounds!
The use of tape for controlling cymbals can be a bit controversial but it’s a hack that has been in practice for decades, used by some of the greatest drummers of all time. So how do you go about controlling various aspects of a cymbal with nothing more than tape? In this episode we cover several of our favorite approaches, demoing the difference in effect and providing a full comparison at the end.

The use of tape for controlling cymbals can be a bit controversial but it’s a hack that has been in practice for decades, used by some of the greatest drumme...

11/26/2024

New Episode: https://sladl.ink/Episode327
As drummers, we tend to think most about the initial sound created when we strike a drum or a cymbal. After that, the sustain is mostly out of our hands. We’re not sustaining a note by blowing through a horn or moving a bow across a string. But sustain (often casually referred to as overtones, though that’s a whole other story) is something that we can control with both our tuning and our technique.

As drummers, we tend to think most about the initial sound created when we strike a drum or a cymbal. After that, the sustain is mostly out of our hands. We’...

11/19/2024

New Episode: https://sladl.ink/Episode326
We’re flipping the script and utilizing sympathetic resonance for sonic inspiration. On the heels of a recent episode where we decided to step outside the box of pure, resonant drum tones, today’s episode is another fun exploration of the creative possibilities with our instrument.

We’re flipping the script and utilizing sympathetic resonance for sonic inspiration. On the heels of a recent episode where we decided to step outside the bo...

11/12/2024

New Cymbal Sounds Episode: https://sladl.ink/CymbalEp8
One of the most integral elements of a cymbal is the bell. From profile to thickness to hammering treatment, the bell helps define the cymbal in a way that few other elements are responsible for.

One of the most integral elements of a cymbal is the bell. From profile to thickness to hammering treatment, the bell helps define the cymbal in a way that f...

11/05/2024

New Episode: https://sladl.ink/Episode325
It seems that there’s never quite enough attention paid to the impact of the acoustic environment when it comes to analyzing drum sounds. In this episode, we’ll use some digital reverbs to demonstrate how super muffled, dead drum sounds can be transformed in particular sonic environment while discussing how that could impact your decision making process for tuning and muffling.

It seems that there’s never quite enough attention paid to the impact of the acoustic environment when it comes to analyzing drum sounds. In this episode, we...

10/29/2024

New Episode: https://sladl.ink/Episode324
Let’s face it, drums are generally perceived as loud instruments. It’s more than likely that you’ve been told you’re too loud on the drums at one point or another. While there are all sorts of practice solutions like mesh heads and Swiss cheese cymbals, we decided to approach things a little differently with three different methods (any of which can be combined to varying degrees) for keeping the volume down when you’re drumming.

Let’s face it, drums are generally perceived as loud instruments. It’s more than likely that you’ve been told you’re too loud on the drums at one point or an...

10/22/2024

New Cymbal Sounds Episode: https://youtu.be/Ph0woIRjcgY
We’ve talked a bit about hihat setup in the past but today we’re going deep into setup and sonic ramifications- how the choices you make affect the sound and playability of your hihats.

We’ve talked a bit about hihat setup in the past but today we’re going deep into setup and sonic ramifications- how the choices you make affect the sound and...

10/15/2024

New Cymbal Sounds episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ea2zfZvig7k
HiHat cymbal size can greatly affect the articulation, though there are quite a few preconceived notions regarding size directly relating to genre of music. In this episode we demonstrate the versatility of different cymbal sizes while busting a couple myths.

HiHat cymbal size can greatly affect the articulation, though there are quite a few preconceived notions regarding size directly relating to genre of music. ...

10/08/2024

New episode: https://sladl.ink/Episode323
While we often focus on fairly pedestrian drum sounds, we’re going to start doing some explorations in to more creative approaches that break the mold of predictability. In this episode we’re turning bugs into features and combining some previous experiments for setup that produces some wild sounds. Taking that a step further, we’re showcasing our vision for how these sounds would be mixed in a creative manner.

While we often focus on fairly pedestrian drum sounds, we’re going to start doing some explorations in to more creative approaches that break the mold of pre...

10/01/2024

New episode: https://sladl.ink/Episode322
Whether it’s remote recording from a small project studio or recording at some of the most noteworthy studios, there are many who aspire to become session drummers. Some will argue that those days are over while others will encourage you to build up your gear arsenal and take the dive. Even if you don’t have plans to become a professional session musician, we’ve got some important information worthy of your consideration.

Whether it’s remote recording from a small project studio or recording at some of the most noteworthy studios, there are many who aspire to become session dr...

09/24/2024

New Episode: https://sladl.ink/Episode321
This episode covers one of the most fundamental (and yet, frequently ignored) aspects of drum tuning and accounts for a majority of the blindspots drummers have with getting their preferred sounds. We’ll walk you through a few demonstrations in real-time and we recommend that you reproduce the experiments with your drum(s).

09/17/2024

Cymbal Series Ep. 5: https://youtu.be/z7P8SYk0FK4
Hihats don’t really function without the pair but there’s no reason you can’t pair your own. In fact, purchasing single (typically used) hihat cymbals is often one of the best ways to shop for hihats. Today we demonstrate how simply swapping out bottom cymbals can completely transform a set of hihats without dramatically altering the feel.

Hihats don’t really function without the pair but there’s no reason you can’t pair your own. In fact, purchasing single (typically used) hi hat cymbals is of...

09/10/2024

New Episode: https://sladl.ink/Ep320
If you don’t have $4k+ to drop on an authentic Tama Bell Brass snare drum, don’t worry! We were able to get quite close in sound with our “clone” (wait until you see it but then make sure you hear it…). If anything, this is an excellent practice to make a regular part of your sonic explorations and something that is sure to improve your tuning skills and confidence over time.

If you don’t have $4k+ to drop on an authentic Tama Bell Brass snare drum, don’t worry! We were able to get quite close in sound with our “clone” (wait until...

09/03/2024

New Episode: https://sladl.ink/Episode319
It’s not always pretty to see “how the sausage is made” but we’re committed to demonstrating what it looks like to experiment and play with tuning. This is a form of practice and exploration that can have massive benefits when it comes to understanding cause and effect with making tuning adjustments. These explorations can also help inform you about what a drum and drumhead are capable of doing together. Ultimately, this is one of the most impactful ways to make progress with your tuning skills.

It’s not always pretty to see “how the sausage is made” but we’re committed to demonstrating what it looks like to experiment and play with tuning. This is a...

08/27/2024

New episode: https://sladl.ink/Episode318
A few weeks back we “snuck” a snare drum into the episode without calling attention to it by name. The surprising thing was that only a couple comments picked up on the presence of the 50th anniversary Tama Bell Brass, a highly coveted snare drum with a $4,000 price tag. By definition, almost everyone who watched considered the sound to be unremarkable. So we ask the question, can you hear what this drum is and does it make it any more special?

A few weeks back we “snuck” a snare drum into the episode without calling attention to it by name. The surprising thing was that only a couple comments picke...