Master Quality Custom Drum Tracks

Drum Samples Don’t Cut It: Get Custom Drum Tracks from an Online Session Drummer

2009-04-25T01:40:00.000-07:00

This article is for the benefit of you, the songwriter/composer.

Undoubtedly you need professional sounding drum tracks for your music. But how to get great drum sounds without breaking the bank?

Many folks see the solution to the problem in drum sample software, such as the BFD premium drum module.

People feel this is the solution because, admittedly, the drum samples involved in the software tend to have drum sounds that are very good. Generally, the drums are well-tuned and recorded well. But there are drawbacks.

The biggest two drawbacks to using drum sample software are:

1)“Canned”, uninspired results -- drum tracks that sound disconnected from your music.
2) Large amounts of time being wasted putting together “custom” tracks slice-by-slice with individual-hit drum samples.

Most of these drum sample software packages give you pre-made loops you can use. Most also give you the option to construct your own beats using separate, single-hit drum samples.

Lets talk about the loops for a minute.

You may be able to occasionally find a pre-made pattern in the package that basically fits your song.

But even if a pre-made drum pattern works partly, there are inevitably parts of your song that could use a little bit of variety. Certain parts may benefit from a change in the bass drum pattern, for example, or maybe looser hi-hats or some extra snare hits. At any rate the chances of drum sample software containing a loop that has exactly what you need for that situation are very slim.

Confronted with this situation you are likely the think something like “I need my drum tracks to sound more organic than that”, or perhaps “this loop or that loop won’t cut it because I need the drum part to highlight the vocal rhythms on the third pre-chorus”.

Of course these are legitimate concerns as you want your music to sound alive, not contrived.

And at this point you may decide that you need to construct the drum parts yourself, hit-by-hit, slice-by-slice, using single-hit drum samples. Admittedly, you’ll probably get a better result this way as you at least have control over specific cymbal crashes, adding bass drum notes, fills, etc.

There is a big problem to this approach however: It takes up huge amounts of your precious time.

If you have been through this before, I don’t need to tell you: putting together “custom” drum tracks using single-hit drum samples will take up so much of your time that you are likely to compromise your artistic needs in the end anyway. You will put in so many hours, and the tracks will sound better than just using factory loops, but you will probably give up realizing that they will never really, truly sound and feel like custom drum tracks that were played by a real person for your song.

You would look at how much time you have put in to them, and settle for your cobbled-together tracks because you couldn’t bear to do such tedious busy work anymore. You wouldn’t even end up with the result you wanted . It would only be closer to that goal than the factory loops -- closer, but no cigar!

They say say time is money, which everybody knows is true. It seems like you'd save money painfully cobbling a drum part together slice-by-slice from a drum pattern /sample software package, but in reality its just not worth the time you'd waste, and the frustration you would feel.

As you look at it that way, its obvious that approach would really end up costing you.

A much better idea is to take advantage of a recent development, the appearance of online session drummers.

You can now get real, custom drum tracks from session drummers over the Internet and save a whole lot of money over conventional recording methods. Conventional recording methods tend to involve having to pay several people (rental of the studio for every minute of usage including setup and teardown; carting the drums there; paying the producer, the engineer(s), drummer, etc.). All that can really add up.

With an online studio drummer you only pay one person, which obviously saves you a bundle.

Be sure to shop around -- all online drum track providers are not equal. Of course you should base your decision on which session drummer would musically fit your project best, but you must also compare the actual sound quality provided. Compare the sound quality of tracks on the websites, and compare the gear being used by each online studio drummer.

You will see that some sites are providing noticeably better sound quality than others, so choose carefully. [For more tips on choosing an online drum track provider, see my article titled “Online Drum Tracks – Tips For Success”]

Remember, using drum sample software will make your music sound very stale. Pre-made loops won’t sound like they were for your song, and piecing a drum part together from sample slices will drive you mad with wasted time yet still sound uninspired and “canned”.

Don’t go with drum sample software-- samples are “canned” goods! Go for fresh, custom drum tracks online.

eDrumSessions.com and Engineer Thai Long Ly in NAMM publication

2009-03-20T05:11:00.000-07:00

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Online Drum Recording: Save a Huge Amount of Money Over Traditional Methods of Getting Drum Tracks

2009-02-20T01:39:00.000-08:00

If you are reading this article you are probably investigating online drum recording versus traditional methods of getting professional drum tracks.

It is a wise pusuit indeed to look in to online drum recording because there are advantages. Or, more accurately, one huge advantage: you can save HUGE amounts of money getting online drum tracks over tradional methods of getting drum tracks.

Online drum recording=more bang for your buck.

Your savings with online drum recording are firstly based on not having to pay a whole bunch of people. To get professional, custom drum tracks you normally would have to pay 1)someone for rental of the studio space/recording equipment, 2)sound engineers, 3)cartage (transportation of the studio drummer’s equipment to and from studio), and of course, 4) the studio drummer.

And of course under traditional methods of getting drum tracks, when paying for rental of the studio you don’t pay a flat fee, you pay by the hour (not the case with online drum recording, in which case you don’t pay for studio rental at all).

That means you are paying while the studio drummer’s gear is set up, and while the mics are set up/patched in. You are paying while the engineer and the studio drummer are dialing in the sounds. You are paying while breaks that are taken during tracking of the drums, and after tracking you are paying while the studio drummer’s gear is taken down. Because unlike online drum recording, you have to pay for every minute of studio usage.

This can add up to some costs that are simply not within most budgets. Often an eight-song album can cost, just for drum tracks, upwards of $5000! Sometimes it can cost double that or more.

Online drum recording is much more affordable.

With online drum recording, you only have to pay one person for your drum tracks, the online session drummer. In most cases the online drum recording websites have a flat, per-track fee.
That means no worries about having to pay by the hour, nervously watching the dollars fly out of your pocket as the minutes tick by.

You also could save a lot of money in transportation costs. With online drum recording you save gas money not having to drive to and from the studio. Considering that many times studio drummers have to be flown to locales for recording, there are possible huge savings there as well. When taking advantage of online drum recording you can choose a studio drummer you dig without worry of location.

You have choices regarding online drum recording. There are numerous sites for getting online drum tracks from an online studio drummer, but you must choose wisely. You need great playing, amazing sound quality, and a high level of communication.

Look for more of my articles on the subject of online drum recording for guidance in finding the right online studio drummer for your project.

FREE DRUM TRACKS: DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF FORCING THEM ON TO YOUR MUSIC

2009-01-05T00:05:00.000-08:00

If you are reading this article then you must be in need of drum tracks for your music. You may have noticed by now that you can get "free drum tracks" or "free drum loops" from many session drummers on their online drum track websites.

The main purpose for online session drummers offering these free drum tracks is promotion. They want to get you - -the songwriter in need of drum tracks-- to visit their websites, and there is nothing wrong with that of course.

The free drum tracks can be useful to you as well, in ONE WAY: to compare the drum sounds being achieved by each session drummer on their respective drum track sites. In that respect, the free drum tracks are great for helping you decide where to get custom drum tracks recorded for your song.

That's fine, but you shouldn't think for one second that there are any benefits to forcing free drum tracks on your music. I say forcing free drum tracks on to your music because that is exactly what you would be doing.

Your music deserves drum tracks that are custom-recorded. Even if a free drum track is a beat that sounds okay for some of your song, there will be moments when variation will be needed. Sometimes the variation would need to be subtle, sometimes drastic. Either way, having generic "free" drum tracks with no variation and possibly a wrong vibe will damage your music. Considering this unacceptable sacrifice, these free drum tracks are not "free" at all, as your music will pay the price.

People can hear a lifeless drum track whether they realize it or not. Its a subliminal thing. Free drum tracks were not made with your song in mind. Even if the listener is not conscious of why your song doesn't feel quite right, the lack of energy coming from the free drum track will be felt by the listener. So even if the drum sounds are good, forcing free drum tracks on to your music is not the way to go.

Of course, the session drummer websites that offer free drum tracks know that you will eventually reach the conclusion that custom drum tracks are necessary to really give your music life! This article is just a bit of friendly advice to save you some time and get you ahead of the curve.

Free drum tracks are not the way to go, your music deserves custom drum tracks.

Good luck with your research into drum tracks from an online session drummer.

Custom Drum Tracks: Make the Right Choice

2008-03-25T02:19:00.000-07:00

Custom Drum Tracks: Make the Right Choice
When you get custom drum tracks online, you need to choose the most musically suitable online studio drummer!

This article is designed to help you make a good choice when seeking an online session drummer to record custom drum tracks for your music.

There are several characteristics or qualities that you should look for in an online studio drummer.

Let me first point out a technical skill that most recording situations call for in a studio drummer, online or otherwise: the ability to play with a click track.

When a custom drum track is played accurately with the click, it makes any possible editing much easier.

For example, if you have three takes of a song and each take is nailed to the click, you can use the first verse from the second take, the choruses from the first take, and the bridge from the third, or any combination of sections you wish.

But the editing together of different takes to make the perfect custom drum track would be very difficult and at times impossible if not done with a click.

So for most situations the ability to accurately play to a click is a good starting point, but that skill alone is not sufficient. Some online studio drummers might play accurately to a click but may lack groove, feel, energy, and dynamics.

Avoid the multitudes of online session drummers who play accurately to the click but sound robotic while doing so. You do not want your custom drum tracks to be lacking musically, even if they are done technically well.

This leads me to speak of more musical concerns regarding your online custom drum tracks now that we have covered the technical prerequisite of being able to nail a click track.

Musicality is what makes a custom drum track great. What constitutes musical playing? Well, to some extent that varies between songs and, of course, styles of music.

One important factor is need for the online session drummer to play with the proper “touch” for the custom drum track. For example, if your song is in the style of Antonio Carlos Jobim, it is not enough for the online studio drummer to simply play a bossa nova pattern to the click. The playing would need to have a “lightness” reminiscent of the way a Brazillian drumset player would play. By the same token, if your song is in the style of Nirvana then the drummer must be able to bash those drums -- yet still be able to create dynamic and textural contrast.

Energy is also very important. You do not want your custom drum tracks to sound like the online session drummer was just “going through the motions” or “phoning it in”. The right energy and vibe has to be there from the start of the drum track and must build as the song progresses, moving in the natural direction of the music.

The online studio drummer you choose must be able to “lead” the dynamics, energy, and vibe throughout the song.

Another important musical factor for your custom drum tracks is that the drummer must play a part that makes sense with what the other instruments and the vocals are doing. The drum part does not necessarily need to “mimic” the bass part, but must be in the same flow -- not going against the grain.

The drum part also needs to be out of the way of other things going on, especially vocals.

An online session drummer with a good sense of musicality will know when to give vocals space and when to reinforce certain vocal rhythms. Do not accept custom drum tracks that are too busily played and stepping all over the vocal parts! Of course, if busy playing is musically appropriate then the drummer should go for it.

Bottom line, the drummer must play in a way that serves the music.

Lastly, when you get custom drum tracks online you want to make sure to hire a drummer who can come up with ideas but still be totally open to instruction. This is because for some songs you may not have a specific part in mind, so you want be able to trust the session drummer to come up with something good on his own. However, you may have a very specific part in mind and if so the drummer must be able to give you exactly that part for your custom drum tracks.

Keep in mind that if you want a very specific part to be played, you may want to send the online session drummer a chart -- which of course the drummer must be able to read, so if you have charts make sure you hire a reading drummer!

Hopefully this article will help you choose an online session drummer who will provide you with custom drum tracks that are grooving, dynamic, and energetic.

As always, good luck with your music.

Online Drum Tracks - Tips for Success

2008-02-19T14:38:00.000-08:00

Online Drum Tracks - Tips For Success
Getting custom drum tracks for your music from an online session drummer is a great idea for several reasons, but there are things you need to know to make good decisions.

Congratulations for recognizing an opportunity : you are looking into getting custom drum tracks from an online rock drum track provider. Using today’s technology to get something you need (while saving money and time) makes a lot of sense.

For those who already are hip to the advantages of getting your custom drum tracks online, I am going to help you better understand how to make good choices in terms of which provider to go with.

But first bear with me while I review the ways in which getting your drum tracks online can save you loads of time and money.

There is always the traditional way of doing things, which involves having to pay a lot of people and basically goes like this:

First, you rent a studio to record in. Rates can depend on a lot of things, including the area the studio is in. Studios located in more expensive areas are of course likely to charge more because of high rent. For a well-equipped studio, rates average around $150 per hour.

Secondly, using the traditional method, you have to hire one or more sound engineers. Sometimes the same person will set up the mics and run Pro Tools, Logic or whatever recording platform is in use. But often there will be two engineers, which of course raises your expense.

So far, you've got potentially three people you have to pay so far: the owner of the studio and possibly two engineers. Add the session drummer to the mix and that makes minimum three and possibly four people you have to pay for your custom drum tracks. If your budget has no limits, that’s fine, but if you seek to save money (without compromising quality, of course) there is a better alternative: getting your custom drum tracks over the internet from an online session drummer.

What a cool time we’re living in, getting to see technology expanding so rapidly and all the exciting changes that come with it. The ability to get do recording sessions over the internet is one of those things that seems highly unusual now but within one year or two will be quite common. But as of now this is a relatively new development and is in its beginning stages.

Not to digress, let me get to the point: What a huge advantage for those needing custom drum tracks for their music! Instead of having to pay someone for a room in a studio, pay and engineer or engineers, and pay a session drummer you can now pay ONE person, the online session drummer. This will save you loads of money, and you won’t have to leave your home.

You just send the files of your songs to whoever is doing your drum sessions online, they record the custom drum tracks, then they send you the individual drum tracks after you have approved them and paid. That’s a lot easier than coordinating the schedules of multiple people with yours, and it means huge potential savings in terms of travel budget for a recording.

And if you are in Europe or Canada, you can save even more money using an American to do your drum tracks online, as the dollar is very weak right now and the exchange rate will work very much in your favor.

Okay, now that everyone is up to speed on the advantages of getting your drum tracks from an online session drummer, lets get to the point of this article:
You need to understand your options in choosing an online drum track provider, so lets discuss what to look for in order to make good decisions.

Or perhaps I should say what to LISTEN for, because the first priority is GREAT SOUND.

Regardless of how perfectly an online session drummer plays on a track, if the recording quality is not of a professional, master quality level then its no good (unless your music artistically benefits from a lo-fi drum sound).

So lets establish this right away, that you want to compare websites and find which online studio drummers are providing clients with a truly professional product in terms of sound quality. And as you compare websites, you will surely notice that there are different levels of sound quality represented!

There are two main reasons for the wide discrepancy in sound quality between some of these sites: the varying levels of recording gear used and the and the varying levels of expertise in terms of sound engineering.

The bottom line is this: your ears will be able to tell the difference between an online studio drummer with little sound engineering experience using mediocre recording gear and someone with sound engineering expertise using the highest level, state-of-the-art recording gear. Logically speaking, the online session drummer you choose must either be a professional sound engineer himself or be working with one.

Most drummers, even if they know some stuff, are not professional sound engineers. On some of the Internet drum session websites you can really hear that fact.

It would seem that the bulk of these sites are run by drummers who play well, but are not using pro-quality microphones to record with. It sounds as if they don’t know much about placement of those mics either. Nor does it sound like they have a good room to record in.

Many online drum track providers have no analog equipment, and many have only eight or fewer inputs available to them.
.

Basically you can hear that there are many weak links in the recording chain on some of these online drum track websites.

And then there are a few sites that represent sound quality that is somewhat more acceptable…but still definitely “demo quality” as opposed to “master quality”.

As it turns out, there are precious few online drum track websites out there that are offering truly professional, “major label quality” sound quality! As far as sites that offer tracks for under $150 per track, I literally only found four that I considered to be in this category.

These sites are obviously run by online session drummers who either are professional sound engineers themselves or are using one, and are using the highest quality recording gear, with no weak links in the recording chain.

The rest of the sites offering this high sound quality level are run by guys you may have heard of such as J.R. Robinson, whom charge fees that are out reach for many based on their names.

So your first order of business will be to “weed out” the lemons, which frankly are most of them.

Warning: don’t be tricked into listening with your eyes, because some of the worst-sounding sites I found actually looked very professional and had a great presentation. But lots of flash content and visual presentation in general should have nothing to do with which online studio drummer you use.

In terms of rates, you can be suspicious of the sound quality of anyone charging less than $100 per song. Go ahead and do your own research, I’m just saying you get what you pay for. I actually found a very slick-looking site offering tracks for only $35 per song…WOW, that is cheap, and it truly sounded that way, like drums in a garage (and not in a good way).

My strong advice to anyone would be to spend what is necessary to get master quality custom drum tracks. It is still more affordable than ever before to do so because of online sessions. And if that means getting your budget together takes a few more months, it will be well worth it in the end.

Now that you fully understand how important it is to get major-label quality drum tracks (with no weak links in the recording chain), your next order of business will be to compare the level of communication that would be involved with any site you may choose.

I noticed that some sites had forms to fill out, several asking about artistic considerations such as when in the song the drums should enter, what sort of vibe is desired, or if the approach should be similar to that of a specific song or drummer.

This is a great place to start, but while some sites ended it there, other sites offer real-time communication through Skype or similar programs, which allow the session drummer and client to speak to each other during the recording session.

Obviously this type of setup involves a great level of communication and increases the likelihood of the your getting what you need musically from your online drum tracks.

This can easily save you money as well, as all of the sites I looked at charge extra fees for additional takes, often referred to as "mods" (modifications), or "re-dos". This is totally fair, but having to do an excessive number of takes per song can be avoided with the better communication offered by some of the sites.

Your last order of business in choosing what online session drummer to go with is the fun part: deciding which drummer would serve your music best!

Remember, if you like the playing but the sound quality is not at a master quality level, then its not good enough for your music.

Once you have narrowed your decision down to the websites offering the highest level sound quality, you just need to listen for which drummer sounds like the one to handle your songs the most musically.

Of course you want to listen for things like groove/feel, energy level (some guys sound like they are just “going through the motions”), dynamics, musicality of parts, support of vocals, etc.

So lets summarize: when choosing an online drum track provider, find one that will give you tracks of major-label sound, uses an online session drummer whose playing you really dig, and is going to be able to communicate effectively with you, hopefully in real time. I hope this article has been of some help to you, and that you feel ready to make some good decisions. Enjoy your creativity!

Session Drummer Shay Godwin

2008-02-12T18:49:00.000-08:00

"Shay Godwin is one of the top session drummers I've had the pleasure of working with. He's a one take wonder, which is great in the studio because time is money. Shay was extremely professional, and well prepared. He has killer sounding drums, and was able to give me all kinds of snare tones to choose from. We will be working together for many years."- Jay Ruston, Producer/Engineer/Mixer, credits include Brian Wilson, The Donnas, Abandoned Pools, Dianna Ross, American Idol, Morrissey, Polyphonic Spree, Meatloaf

Shay Godwin is a versatile professional session drummer who has accompanied many very creative independent and major label artists. He brings both power and subtlety to any music he is involved in.

Some of the artists Shay has performed and/or recorded with include Charlotte Martin (RCA), Butterfly Boucher (Interscope/Geffen), Paul Freeman (Arista), Rama Duke (Hollywood), and James Blunt (Atlantic).

All of the brush samples on the BFD premium drum module 1st edition expansion kit were performed by Shay.

In 2004 Shay was honored to contribute drum tracks to "Eight O'Clock at the Shop", an independent release by singer Caren Manuel on which many great musicians played including Al McKay (guitar - Earth, Wind, & Fire) and Tim Carmon (keyboards - Eric Clapton, Babyface, Marcus Miller).

On Sarah MacLachlan's 2004 Afterglow Tour, Shay played with the opening artist Butterfly Boucher, with whom he also performed on AOL Sessions Live.

Shay has toured the world several times with legendary Persian singer Siavash Ghomayshi.

Shay's drumming has been heard in the the film "The Breakup" (WB) and on television shows "Las Vegas"(NBC), "One Tree Hill"(WB), "Summerland"(WB), "Twilight Zone"(Sci-Fi) and others.

Television appearances include the Late Late Show (CBS), The Sharon Osbourne Show, MTV's Advance Warning, "Las Vegas"(NBC), "Miss Match"(NBC), and "Charmed"(WB).

Shay proudly endorses Vater Percussion, Aquarian Drumheads, Axis pedals/hardware and Turkish Cymbals.

Master Quality Custom Drum Tracks From A Versatile Session Drummer

2008-02-05T23:04:00.000-08:00

"How to Easily Get Killer, Pro Drum Tracks of the Highest Sound Quality: Risk Free!"

Dear friend,

Do you need killer drum tracks of the highest sound quality?

Are you worried about the massive costs you have paid for drum tracks in the past, including:

studio time by the hour (including setup/teardown time!), staff engineers, and cartage (transportation of drums to and from studio) in addition to paying the drummer?

Have you spent hour after frustrating hour with drum sample software such as BFD, painstakingly putting drum samples together in a useless attempt to make them sound like a custom drum track – when you KNOW it will never be the same as a real custom drum track played by a session drummer for your song?

Maybe you've considered getting your drum tracks online, straight from an online studio drummer who does it all himself with no sound engineer...

... But you should know that's a mistake, because even though you may save a pile of money compared to renting a studio and paying multiple people, but you're probably going to end up getting tracks that sound like they're made by some kid in his parent's garage, not the pro drum tracks you need.

The unfortunate truth is that while they may be great players, many online session drummers are learning sound engineering on the job...

...And these well-meaning guys are also using a lot of mid-level recording gear, and cheaper mics and cables, with limited inputs (many have fewer than 12 inputs available, some have 8 or less), all resulting in many weak links in the recording chain...

...and here is the secret they don't want you to know:

Sound engineering is a serious skill that takes experience.

Novice sound engineering and a weak signal chain will get you “demo level” results, not the professional, major label quality sound you need and deserve.

And don't listen to that devil on your shoulder saying "Its okay, we can EQ the tracks and run them through plug-ins until they sound right"…

Because every one knows...You can't polish a turd!

But I've got good news for you...

YOU HAVE ANOTHER CHOICE!

Just imagine how STOKED you will be when you discover you can get master quality custom drum tracks for your music, completely ***RISK-FREE!!***

You can FINALLY...

Stop bleeding away your precious time slaving to put tracks together with a drum sample software package such as BFD...
Stop spending top dollar to rent studio time...
Stop getting poor sound quality drum tracks from a drummer who is a novice sound engineer because you want to save money -- ending up unsatisfied with the results

Hi, my name is Shay Godwin and I am a Los Angeles-based studio drummer.

I have recorded and performed with many independent and label artists (RCA, Interscope, Arista, Hollywood, and others) covering a multitude of styles.

I believe my calling in life is to provide musical support for artists of all flavors and styles, and nothing gives me greater satisfaction as a studio drummer than playing exactly what a song needs. Thats what custom drum tracks are all about!

"Shay is one of the most talented drummers I've ever had the pleasure of working with. He is a real musician that plays with taste, incredible feeling, and he is amazingly versatile in his styles."
Charlotte Martin: founder, Dinosaur Fight Records

As a professional who has recorded in expensive rooms (e.g. Capital Studio A) and has contributed to drum sample software (I did all of the brush samples on the BFD XFL premium drum module), I have a unique insight into the previously mentioned problems you can have trying to get master quality, custom drum tracks.

I can see that drum sample software, no matter how impressive, will never make music as exciting as real drum tracks. But I can also see that that getting real, custom drum tracks for your music can be financially out of reach due to high studio costs.

I decided to come up with a solution to these problems.

So I began talking with a great sound engineer friend of mine, Thai Long Ly of TL2 Productions.

And we decided to team up to give you...

all the benefits of hiring a drummer AND a pro sound engineer, but in the same affordable price range of hiring a drummer alone!

Here's how it works:

You send me your songs in whatever format you wish. Appropriate selections are made from a variety of great sounding, well-tuned drums to fit the style of the song.

Then, state-of-the-art analog/ digital gear and high-end microphones capture solidly grooving, musical, spirited drum tracks performed with both power and subtlety.

...and you get THREE TAKES of each song you send!

That's right, THREE TAKES!

Each take will have subtle to drastic differences.

That leaves you a lot of room for editing as you wish.

As client Craig Campbell of Detroit puts it,

"Your process is great. The three takes is a perfect way to make sure it works."

Now, you may wish to communicate a general direction you want on a track; I'm all ears.

OR...

Maybe you will leave things to my judgment; you'll be happy with the results.

OR...

Perhaps you have a programmed drum pattern you would like duplicated; I'll nail it.

OR...

Some may wish to send me charts; I'll be able to read anything you send me.

However you choose to do things, you will get results you will not be able to get elsewhere...especially at an extremely LOW price...

...WITH ABSOLUTELY NO RISK TO YOU BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T WANT THE DRUM TRACKS YOU JUST WALK! Your deposit will be immediately refunded and you have no obligation whatsoever!

How can I offer such a guarantee? Because I have that much confidence in my product, plain and simple. NOT ONE CLIENT HAS OPTED OUT OF THEIR TRACKS. You are going to love your custom drum tracks, and let me remind you that you will have three takes to work with and edit as you wish!

Other providers with comparable prices will definitely not be using the same HIGH END RECORDING GEAR used here!

We're talking full-on professional studio stuff here, from a Neve 8816 board, to Neumann mics, to Tara Labs cables (these are audiophile-quality cables, which makes a big difference in signal integrity) to Daking compressors. Check the gear link and see for yourself!

BUT DON'T JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, USE YOUR EARS!

GO AHEAD, COMPARE OUR AUDIO SAMPLES TO SOME OF THOSE OTHER SITES--THE DIFFERENCE IN SOUND QUALITY OBVIOUS!

And while I am proud to be able to provide completely clean tracks that sound great without EQ, if you desire we can EQ the tracks for you.

AT EDRUMSESSIONS YOU GET:

major label quality sound
custom drum tracks that are passionately played for YOUR song
to save huge amounts of time over putting together drum tracks from drum sample software such as BFD (that end up sounding sterile anyway)
big savings over paying to rent a studio, paying for engineers, drummer, etc.
a satisfying, interactive artistic experience in which you can communicate your needs to me through email or in real time (via phone or using Skype, free download)
to stay in your PJs while I track killer drums for you!

"Hi Shay, the takes are perfect, exactly what I was after and played with real
passion, thanks so much!" Owen Duff, London, UK

Under conventional circumstances, to get master quality drum tracks you would have to shell out a minimum of $400 per track...

...but I AM PROUD TO BRING YOU THIS HIGH LEVEL OF QUALITY AT THE INCREDIBLE PRICE OF JUST $200 PER TRACK if you act right now!
(A 50% per track *REFUNDABLE* deposit will be required - standard procedure).

You won't find drum tracks with a comparable level of playing and sound quality at this price anywhere else.

So if you are truly committed to getting the highest quality online drum tracks for your music and saving big money risk-free then click the button below to make your deposit. Then email me right away at Shay@eDrumSessions.com.
Are you still thinking about it???
This is your ****RISK FREE*** opportunity to get the killer drum tracks that you've been dreaming about.

Take it from client Timothy Gillespie of New Jersey: "Shay! You nailed it! Great work. You were right. I have 'inevitable glee'. You played exactly what I imagined! I'm sure putting together a mix with your drums will be easy, but you make it hard to decide which takes I want to use..."

YOU CAN'T LOSE.

And for those in Canada and Europe, remember that the WEAKNESS OF THE AMERICAN DOLLAR makes edrumsessions an even more perfect choice for getting online drum tracks!

So go ahead and click the button below to make your deposit, and get the communication going right away at Shay@eDrumSessions.com!

REMEMBER, getting your drum tracks here will save you lots of money over going into a studio (while reaping all the benefits of that situation) and lots of time over using drum samples (with much more musicality), and you will be STOKED with the drum sounds!

THIS IS UNDOUBTEDLY YOUR BEST BET FOR GETTING DRUM TRACKS ONLINE, so take advantage!

IF you are serious about getting the highest quality custom drum tracks and saving then get the ball rolling by clicking on the deposit button now.
I look forward to working with you and giving you the master-quality, custom drum tracks your music deserves.

links/sponsors

2008-02-05T00:29:00.000-08:00

Shay Godwin and Thai Long Ly would like to thank the following sponsors for their gracious support with our online drum recording service. Their continued support has been instrumental in our success, bringing affordable custom drum tracks of the highest quality.

Vater Percussion

Aquarian Drumheads

Shure Microphones

Axis Percussion

Daking

Shay Godwin
shaygodwin.com
myspace page

Thai Long Ly
myspace page

Monsterous bass player Derek Frank's online session website
basstracksonline.com

Listen To Sample Tracks

2008-02-05T00:07:00.000-08:00

Below are examples of drum tracks recorded at eDrumSessions. (Also included are clips from a few songs Shay has performed on outside of eDrumSessions.)

Sample track #1

Sample track #2

Sample track #3

First double-kick example

Sample track #4

Second double-kick example

Sample track #5

Sample track #6,

brushes

Sample track #7

Sample track #8

Sample track #9

Sample track #10

Sample track #11

Sample Track #11

Foolish - Caren Manuel,

independent artist

Inside of Me - Caren Manuel

I Fall Down - Caren Manuel

Haunted - Charlotte Martin

(from RCA release "On Your Shore")

Every Time It Rains -

Charlotte Martin

Chasing a Shadow -

Charlotte Martin

Hot Legs - JB & The Rebellion

(from Home Records release)

Well, Well - Freeman

(heard in the Warner bros. movie "The breakup")

You and I - Freeman
(from the recordings that recently got him

signed
to Arista by Clive Davis)

Against the Ropes - Freeman

Another White Dash -
Butterfly Boucher, Interscope artist (from AOL Sessions Live, please forgive sound quality)

I Can't Make Me (live) -

Butterfly Boucher

Life Is Short (live) - Butterfly Boucher

Drum Track Testimonials

2008-02-04T23:33:00.000-08:00

"Shay Godwin is amazing drummer with an instinctual approach to music rarely encountered today. Every time I work with him in the studio I'm amazed at how quickly he locks in, and how great his drum sounds are." - Ken Andrews: songwriter/producer/mixer; founding member of the groundbreaking group Failure; producing/mixing credits include Charlotte Martin, A Perfect Circle, Tenacious D, Chris Cornell, Nacho Libre Soundtrack, Pete Yorn, Jimmy Eat World

"Shay is one of the most talented drummers I've ever had the pleasure
of working with. He is a real musician that plays with taste,
incredible feeling, and he is amazingly versatile in his styles." - Charlotte Martin: founder, Dinosaur Fight Records

"Shay is a true professional - He is solid, has great feel and great tone - One need look no further." - Ty Stevens: Warner/Chappell staff songwriter; wrote "Rock This World" and was Musical Director for Hillary Duff (Hollywood Records); M.D. for Jennifer Pena, Daniel Rene (Univision); wrote music for Disney, Verve, Universal, artists Mindi Abair; Musical Consultant for Aly & AJ (Hollywood Records); guitarist for Mandy Moore, countless other credits

"Shay Godwin is one of the top session drummers I've had the pleasure of working with. He's a one take wonder, which is great in the studio because time is money. Shay was extremely professional, and well prepared. He has killer sounding drums, and was able to give me all kinds of snare tones to choose from. We will be working together for many years."- Jay Ruston, Producer/Engineer/Mixer, credits include Brian Wilson, The Donnas, Abandoned Pools, Dianna Ross, American Idol, Morrissey, Polyphonic Spree, Meatloaf

"Shay has an attention to detail while working on parts in a song combined with keeping it simple and soulful. His vast knowledge of musical styles and professionalism in getting the job done in a timely manner is why I love to work with him." - Buck Johnson: co-wrote the single "Just Feel Better" for Carlos Santana's album "All That I Am" featuring Steven Tyler of Aerosmith ; keys/vocals/guitar with country act Whiskey Falls; vocalist/keyboardist with the following artists: The Doobie Brothers (backing vocals on "Rockin' Down the Highway"-Live CD-1996), Tal Bachman (backing vocals and Keys of Columbia Records debut album -'99, Timothy B. Schmit (of The Eagles, his solo CD 2000-backing vocals and keys), Matthew Sweet (touring keys and backing vocals and "Best Of Matthew Sweet CD), Shawn Mullins (touring -2000), and John Waite

"Hey Shay, I wanted to say thanks again + great job in the studio sessions for the BFD XFL. You really did a top job covering the various brush strokes, and a lot of composers have told me they've been featured in many TV shows and movies!
All the best!"
Steve Duda: creator of the BFD Premium Drum Module, credits include: Nine Inch Nails - Fragile - Percussion, Violin, Programming, Choir, Chorus; Pitchshifter - Deviant - Programming, Editing; Pitchshifter - Bootlegged Distorted Remixed Uploaded - Producer; Rob Zombie - American Made Music to Strip By - Remix; Methods of Mayhem - Methods of Mayhem - Programming; A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step - Digital Engineer

...and from recent email feedback by some eDrumSessions clients around the globe:

"Shay and Thai are a great team... Not only is the playing solid the sounds are great! Shay always nails it and gives me a few options to work with. I highly recommend eDrumSessions!"
Ryan Perez-Daple: Composer, Producer, multi-instrumentalist. Credits include trailer music for "What Happens in Vegas"(20th Century Fox); "Fired Up" (Sony Pictures); production music for Killer Tracks (Universal-owned music library); numerous instrumentalist credits (woodwinds)

"I tried some other online drummers, you are by far the best." Luke, Germany

"Your process is great. The three takes is a perfect way to make sure it works. Your tracks sound great. I was very happy with the process. You and Thai Long were awesome. Your professionalism and enthusiasm, not to mention skill at your craft made this perfect." - Craig Campbell, Detroit, USA

"I was totally blown away by the quality of the recording. By comparison with other drum recordings I have heard (some of them by other online drum recording services), your unprocessed tracks are close to the processed tracks I have heard!"

"Your drumming during the chorus clearly sets it aside in terms of energy from the verse parts, something that I find important. Your playing supports the song and even inspires me with ideas to improve it. Upright Bass, anyone?"
Henrique Pataca, Portugal

"Shay, just a quick email to let you know that I'm very happy with the drums tracks!
They're well recorded and the performances are great! A pleasure to mix!
More to come for you soon." Gyom, Alexandria, Va USA

"Nice fills and some cool grooves dude! Exactly what I was looking for!!! All three takes sound great. I think my favourite is track 2 but I might incorporate some bits of the other takes into it as well." Ramon McDrury, Sydney, Australia

"Hi Shay, the takes are perfect, exactly what I was after and played with real
passion, thanks so much!" Owen Duff, London, UK

"I can´t decide which version i like best, all three are great. I think take 3 is again most powerful ,straight but still sophisticated, which i like cause i really want powerful, driving bass and drums carrying the song but played intelligent." Luke, Germany

"Shay! You nailed it! Great work. You were right. I have 'inevitable glee'. You played exactly what I imagined! I'm sure putting together a mix with your drums will be easy, but you make it hard to decide which takes I want to use..."

"Hey guys! I just wanted to thank you both for spending the extra time to nail down these tracks. You really nailed these tracks and inspire me with your playing. I'm really honored to have you guys work on this stuff and grateful." Timothy Gillespie, New Jersey, USA

custom drum tracks engineer Thai Long Ly

2008-01-08T18:34:00.001-08:00

Thai Long Ly is a Washington D.C. area transplant living in Los Angeles. Long, as he’s known to close friends, is a Producer / Engineer / Composer / Bassist who’s work has found it’s way to film, television and stages around the world.

He’s worked with...
George Duke
Al McKay (Earth Wind & Fire, Emotions)
Marcus Miller (Miles Davis, Luther Vandross)
Sheila E.
Doc Powell
Lyfe Jennings
Chris Standring
Tim Carmon (Eric Clapton, Babyface)
Frank Gambale (Chick Corea Electric Band)
Judge Hatchett Show
Independent Film Channel
Discovery Channel
Bruce Kulick (KISS)
Michael Harris (Pheonix Horns, EWF)
Miles Copeland (Police, Sting)
Laurie Morvan Band
Silvana
Nicole C. Mullen
Morris Day (The Time)
Devon Glenn (The Getaway Car, Buckcherry)
Gary Chang (Island of Dr. Moreau, the Breakfast Club)
Rory Bennett (K-Ci and JoJo, Quincy Jones)
Brett MIchaels (Poison)
Michael Shapiro (Sergio Mendes, Kevyn Lettau)
Hutch Hutchinson (Bonnie Raitt)
Teena Marie
Sam Avila (Walter Trout, Reel Big Fish)
Everette Harp (Billy Joel, Neil Diamond)
Chris Hesse (Hoobastank)
Dona Oxford (Buddy Guy)
Jason Scheff (Chicago)

Here's what people think of him:

“ ... an engineer who really does have ‘golden ears’, a comedian, a psychologist, a producer and a good buddy. If I have to go into battle, I want him by my side.’” - ERIK ZOBLER, 2x Grammy Winning Engineer

“Long was a joy to work with on our ‘Cures What Ail’s Ya’ CD - always positive, always working hard. His strong engineering skills, attention to detail, and excellent preparation, including supplying custom power cords and mic cables, kept our recording sessions running smoothly and gave us the quality we were looking for.” - LISA & LAURIE, LAURIE MORVAN BAND

“Don’t go short... go Long!...and high, like his standards! Long has the high standards and expectations of himself that set him apart from the rest of the pack. As a friend of mine for many years, I’ve watched him grow to become an amazing engineer. With his passion for music, big ears and solid musical ideas, when Long shows up, he brings it all!” - NATHAN EAST (bassist; Fourplay, E. Clapton, Phil Collins)

“I’ve known Long for many years now, enjoyed chatting with him, and have admired his business acumen, his artistry, feel and soul as well as his evident talents. For his career in producing and engineering I know he’ll be a front runner ...”
- CAROL KAYE (Legendary Session Bassist)

Drum Track RATES

2008-01-05T11:20:00.002-08:00

Individual "dry" (unprocessed) drum tracks tracks -OR- stereo bounce for:

one to two songs: $200 per song, three takes each

package deal #1, 3-4 songs: $185 per song, three takes each

package deal #2, 5-7 songs: $165 per song, three takes each

package deal #3, album of 8 or more songs: $150 per song, three takes each

Additional modifications $40 each

Single-hit samples: $15 for (3)Bass drum hits (soft, medium, loud)

$15 for (4)Hi-hat hits (top tight, edge tight, edge loose, edge
wash)

$15 for (3)Snare drum hits (soft, medium, loud)

Gear

2008-01-05T11:20:00.001-08:00

DRUM GEAR

DRUMKITS
DW Custom kit
Yamaha Recording Custom kit
1967 Ludwig kit
Cadeson maple kit

SNARE DRUMS
Slingerland Radio King ca. 1935
Slingerland snare drum ca. 1964
Worldmax "Blackdog" (Black Beauty-type brass)
Yamaha Maple Custom
Ludwig mohagany snare
Cadeson maple snare
Pork Pie piccolo and soprano snares

CYMBALS
I usually default to my collection of Turkish brand cymbals, but if
you have a request for a specific cymbal I betcha I have it.

RECORDING GEAR/MICROPHONES

PLATFORM/SOFTWARE
PRO TOOLS HD3 ACCEL
APPLE MACPRO QUAD 2.66GHZ

ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERSION
APOGEE AD/DA16X

PREAMPS/MIXER
NEVE 8816
MILLENNIA MEDIA STT-1
DAKING 52270B (4)
DAKING MIC PRE ONE (4)
DAKING MIC PRE IV
DEMETER TUBE MIC PRE
FOCUSRITE ISA428
DeMEDIO 103
BOULDER STEREO PRE

EQ’S
MANLEY MASSIVE PASSIVE EQ
MANLEY MINI MASSIVE EQ
DAKING 52270B (4)

COMPRESSION
MANLEY ELOP
DAKING FET COMPRESSOR II (5)
ALAN SMART C2
TC ELECTRONIC FINALIZER

MICROPHONES
ROYER LABS R-121
MICROTECH GEFELL UM92.1S
NEUMANN U47FET
AKG 414’S (3)
AKG 451C’S (2)
E.V. RE20
SHURE SM57 (5)
SHURE BETA 56 (4)
SHURE BETA 52
SHURE BETA 91
SHURE KSM 141 (2)
SHURE KSM 44 (2)
SHURE VP88
AUDIX I5

MONITORING
JBL LSR6328P (PAIR)
JBL LSR6312SP
TANNOY PBM 6.5 (PAIR)
HAFLER DH-200
NEVE 8816

BALANCED AC
TARA LABS AD10B (2)

CABLES/WIRING
TARA LABS cables throughout

Online Drum Recording : How It Works

2008-01-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

Step 1: Lets communicate. You have options. You could contact me through the following email address: Shay@eDrumSessions.com. In the email provide a brief description of your project. Feel free to give me information regarding where in the song(s) you want the drums to enter, whether you want me to play in the style of a specific song or drummer, and any other musical concerns. This just gives me some preliminary info before we talk on Skype (free download). After our initial email contact, I will also provide you Skype-averse folks with a phone number where you can reach me as well.

Step 2: I will need you to send me the following:

*Your "scratch" tracks for my reference. If you have MIDI drum tracks you want me to mimic for your online drum tracks, please send two versions of the song (one with the MIDI drums and one without for me to record to). This can be in the form of an mp3 if you wish, which is the easiest way.

2) A 50% deposit per song. (Go to my eDrumSessions.com home page for Paypal button, or I can invoice you when I get the tracks.)

Step 3: I will record THREE good takes of your track (each take with subtle-to-blatant differences), then upload mp3s for your review. Once you have indicated your satisfaction, I will send you a Paypal invoice for the remainder of your balance. You then will be sent a link to all individual drum tracks. These will be sent "dry", with no plug-ins etc. unless you request otherwise.

Then you reap the benefits of having the highest quality custom drum tracks available for your music!
If you have Skype (free download - do it!) or iChat we can communicate more thoroughly, which I strongly recommend if our schedules allow it. This way you can communicate your needs/suggestions to me in real time, which will result in an interactive and creative experience. More satisfying for the both of us!

Any further questions, please refer to the FAQ page or contact me at Shay@eDrumSessions.com

Custom drum track FAQs

2007-12-29T12:24:00.000-08:00

Who owns the rights to the drum tracks? After payment has been received and you receive your drum tracks you own the rights to them and may do as you wish with them without my consent.

If I have added MIDI drum tracks to my song, can I have you play the same or similar pattern? Yes, just send two versions of the song: one with the MIDI drum tracks for my reference, AND a file without the MIDI tracks for me to record my drum tracks with.

Why do I have to pay a deposit? This is standard practice and is done to "weed out" less committed clients.

Will my information be shared with anyone? I will NEVER share your information with any third party, that is my policy. This is a secure site.

What is your standard microphone configuration? We have 16 high-quality inputs and generally use 12 of them: BD internal, BD external, snare under, snare over, tom1, tom2, tom3, HH, overhead R, overhead L, room R, room L. We can make any variation on that configuration that you request.

What if I have a large file but a slow internet connection? You can always send me the file through regular mail on a DV-R.

How can we communicate? Emailing me some info about your musical preferences is a good start, but beyond that we could communicate though Skype (a free download) or iChat.

Can I be physically present at the recording session? If you live in LA (or want to travel here) and want to be at the recording sessions, separate rates apply. Contact me at shaydrums@hotmail.com for further info on this.

How do I pay? With Paypal, of course! Most major credit cards accepted.

Master Quality Custom Drum Tracks

Drum Samples Don’t Cut It: Get Custom Drum Tracks from an Online Session Drummer

eDrumSessions.com and Engineer Thai Long Ly in NAMM publication

Online Drum Recording: Save a Huge Amount of Money Over Traditional Methods of Getting Drum Tracks

FREE DRUM TRACKS: DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF FORCING THEM ON TO YOUR MUSIC

Custom Drum Tracks: Make the Right Choice

Online Drum Tracks - Tips for Success

Session Drummer Shay Godwin

Master Quality Custom Drum Tracks From A Versatile Session Drummer

"How to Easily Get Killer, Pro Drum Tracks of the Highest Sound Quality: Risk Free!"

Sound engineering is a serious skill that takes experience.

"Shay is one of the most talented drummers I've ever had the pleasure of working with. He is a real musician that plays with taste, incredible feeling, and he is amazingly versatile in his styles."Charlotte Martin: founder, Dinosaur Fight Records

Here's how it works:

...and you get THREE TAKES of each song you send!

That's right, THREE TAKES!

"Your process is great. The three takes is a perfect way to make sure it works."

...WITH ABSOLUTELY NO RISK TO YOU BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T WANT THE DRUM TRACKS YOU JUST WALK! Your deposit will be immediately refunded and you have no obligation whatsoever!

REMEMBER, getting your drum tracks here will save you lots of money over going into a studio (while reaping all the benefits of that situation) and lots of time over using drum samples (with much more musicality), and you will be STOKED with the drum sounds!

links/sponsors

Listen To Sample Tracks

Drum Track Testimonials

custom drum tracks engineer Thai Long Ly

Drum Track RATES

Gear

Online Drum Recording : How It Works

Custom drum track FAQs

"Shay is one of the most talented drummers I've ever had the pleasure of working with. He is a real musician that plays with taste, incredible feeling, and he is amazingly versatile in his styles."
Charlotte Martin: founder, Dinosaur Fight Records