Mixing Real Drums In The Box:
A Proper 6-Hour Masterclass in Sheffield
Hi, I’m Federico Telesca (you can call me Fed!) and I’ve been messing about with drum mixes for over 15 years, working with metal outfits like Malevolence and On Hollow Ground, indie acts like Sam Scherdel, The Rosadocs, VIVAS and Harri Larkin, and alternative rock bands like 2far2jump and EXTS.
Point is, I know a fair bit about making drums sound decent and I’d like to share that with you on in a 6-hour masterclass at my studio West Homesick Recording Studio in Kelham Island, Sheffield.
This isn’t about flashy nonsense, it’s the nuts and bolts of mixing drums for metal, indie, and all kinds of rock.
We’ll cover phase relationship, EQ, compression, saturation and bleed control on the whole lot: kick, snare, toms, overheads, rooms, spot mics. We'll also go over the best practices to use samples to reinforce or replace without it sounding forced or unnatural.
We'll talk about the foundational stuff I use every day, the kind of knowledge that lets you tweak drums however you fancy once you’ve got it down. We'll break it down into chunks, with a bit of breathing room for Q&A and a laugh!
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I’m keeping it beginner-to-mid-level friendly, so whether you’re just starting or you’ve been at it a while this masterclass is for you!
THE MORNING MEETING (10am)
Even if the masterclass will start at 10am I will be in the studio from 9.45am, so we can have a chat before everything kicks off.
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PHASE ALIGNMENT
The most underrated tool at our disposal. I'll explain the basics of it, how to check for good phase relationship and not just the "perfect theory", but real use cases.
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EQ 101 FOR ROCK DRUMS
We'll go over basic and advanced EQ moves for all of the different tracks, from close mics to overheads and rooms.
Wether it's about the fundamental frequencies, annoying resonances, whistles or anything else, we will approach it.
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COMPRESSION: PUNCH, NO SQUASH
Compression: how to use it? When to overdo it? When not to?
We'll go over the different types of compression, some of my go-to plugins, what to use for what effect. Want it to sound punchier? I got you. Want it to sound rounder? I got you.
We'll also approach the incredible world of parallel processing, a must-know especially for drums!
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SATURATION: SOUNDING ALIVE WITHOUT CHAOS
Saturation: the oldest trick in the book (literally!).
I'll showcase different ways of using saturation, when to use it, when not to use it and why. I have an arsenal of saturation plugins, so we'll have some good fun with it!​​
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REVERBS: CREATE SPACE IN YOUR DRUM MIX
From expansive reverb to tight room sounds, I'll showcase different way to add dimension and space into a drum mix.
What are we gonna be talking about in the morning?
What about the afternoon?
THE AFTERNOON MEETING (2pm)
After enjoying the fantastic food that Kelham has to offer, we'll meet again at the studio ready to start the second part of the masterclass.
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BLEED CONTROL: TAME THEM CYMBALS
We'll talk about why gates aren’t always the answer (and when they are), dynamic EQ/expanding tricks to isolate the close mics, mic placement, tips and tricks.
I'll also show my favourite technique that I call "the perfect gate".
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​GETTING A GOOD SOUND QUICKLY
One of the crucial points in getting the handle on mixing drums is to provide a great sounding drum kit whilst recording. Wether you're playing back a take just recorded to a drummer, or you finished the drum recording and you need to start another instrument this is gonna be invaluable.
We'll go over latency free plugins, how to setup a template that's gonna help during tracking and must-knows about it all.
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DRUM SAMPLING: LAYERING DONE RIGHT
We'll go over the triggering basics: when to replace, when to reinforce and when to live it alone.
How to pick the right samples, the importance of tuning them to the note of the live snare and some automation tips too.​
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Q&A / AMA
Open floor, so you can bring your mix struggles, daft questions, whatever comes in your mind! Quick demo of a full drum mix with everything we’ve covered.
Do you like what you read? Sign up and let’s crack on.
Perks & Takeaways
I’m not just gonna throw a bunch of info at you and leave you to figure it out on your own. You’ll walk away with some solid resources to keep you on track:
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Raw drum multi-tracks. The exact ones we’ll use in the masterclass, so you can practice mixing on your own time.
PDF recap. A no-bs breakdown of the key concepts we’ll cover in the masterclass.
Kick & snare one-shots. A couple of my go-to samples that we’ll be using in the session, yours to keep.
25% off 1-on-1 sessions. If you want to go deeper, you’ll get a discount for 1-on-1 consultations and online lessons.
Private Facebook group. A spot to exchange mixes, ideas, ask questions and keep in touch with the whole crew after the masterclass.
Some examples of my drum mixing:
Ready, set, go. Join the Waiting List.
Let's break it down one last time, here's everything you need to know:
Where: West Homesick Recording Studio. 114 Harvest Lane, S3 8EF (Sheffield, UK),
When: Date TBA, the masterclass will last 6 hours (10am to 1pm, 2pm to 5pm).
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Price: £200 total, only paid when you confirm your spot. No commitment, just hop on the waiting list for free if you're interested!
Once the date is set, you'll get an email with all the details and how to lock in your place. Spots are super limited so when the announcement drops, don’t wait too long!