Billy86
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Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
So... I've got some rock drums working in AD2, routed to individual Sonar tracks. I'm not using any of the FX sends/inserts in AD2, preferring to use 3rd Party plugs. I've got waaaay too many from Waves: CLA compressors, SSL channels, dbx, Puig, Schepps 73, the Abbey Road stuff.
My question is how should I approach using AD2's Overhead and Room channels? Compression.. EQ. How do I make the cymbals and ride (which have no direct channel outs) as present as the rest of the kit? The only way to get them in the mix are these OH and room channels coming out of AD2. The ride and cymbals seem so much more in the background compared to the hat and kit pieces that have their own channel outs.
Thanks for any advice. This has been/is a great support forum.
Windows 10 x64 on a Dell/Intel i5, 500 Gig SSD, 32 gig RAM, Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, Sonar Professional, Melodyne 4 Assistant, Kurzweil SP-76 stage piano, Baldwin RP 100 digital upright, Novation Impulse 25, Breedlove Pursuit Concert Acous/Elec, Fender American Standard Tele, Fender G-DEC 30 modeling amp, Sigma DM-5 Acoustic, Ovation MCS148 Celebrity Acous/Elec. Mandolin, Roland V-Drums TD-11KV, AKG P220, Yamaha MG82CX mixer, KRK Rokit 6 Powered Monitors, PreSonus FaderPort
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a6strng
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Re: Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
2017/12/04 00:58:08
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☄ Helpfulby kzmaier 2017/12/04 15:40:50
When in the kit section of AD2, there is volume sliders on the right side of the individual window for each piece. (the window that shows the pic of each drum and cymbal). I have pumped up the volume for the cymbal I needed and it was reflected in the room and OH master faders. Hope this helps
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Billy86
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Re: Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
2017/12/04 01:06:38
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Thanks for the reply. I've tried that, but then the levels are blazing/clipping hot without that much improvement in the overall presence in the kit mix.
Windows 10 x64 on a Dell/Intel i5, 500 Gig SSD, 32 gig RAM, Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, Sonar Professional, Melodyne 4 Assistant, Kurzweil SP-76 stage piano, Baldwin RP 100 digital upright, Novation Impulse 25, Breedlove Pursuit Concert Acous/Elec, Fender American Standard Tele, Fender G-DEC 30 modeling amp, Sigma DM-5 Acoustic, Ovation MCS148 Celebrity Acous/Elec. Mandolin, Roland V-Drums TD-11KV, AKG P220, Yamaha MG82CX mixer, KRK Rokit 6 Powered Monitors, PreSonus FaderPort
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Cactus Music
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Re: Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
2017/12/04 03:54:03
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Yes I find it sucks that there is no mixer channel for the cymbals and this is why sometimes I have to use Air's Strike drums or even Session drummer just to get a ride cymbal right. I guess what they are doing is copying the way a real recording would go down, but yu turn up the overheads and you get a nasty bleed from the kik and snare,, the whole point of IN the Box drums should be control and not duplicate the same issues you get with the real thing.
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Kamikaze
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Re: Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
2017/12/04 04:17:15
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☄ Helpfulby Cactus Music 2017/12/04 15:20:54
If you want less spill from the other drums in the overhead mics, go to the edit page and go through all the other drums and turn them down.  You can just have cymbals in the overheads if you want complete separation by doing this
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ooblecaboodle
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Re: Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
2017/12/04 12:16:39
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☄ Helpfulby StevenMikel 2017/12/04 12:41:10
Use the overheads as your "core" sound. It's what gives you the bulk of everything you need. The "kit should be played" (or programmed, obviously) in a way that every element is balanced - just like when you play a piano or guitar, you try and male all the notes work together.
You can compress the overheads as you like, fast or slow settings depending on whether you want fat sounds, or pop and punch.
Then, bring in each individual close mic as needed, in order to give definition and crispness to the sound.
Don't fear the bleed, bleed is what makes a kit sound like a kit, and not individual samples. The bassdrum on it's own can lack snap, but when the snare sizzles in response to it, it adds that high frequency snap. The toms resonate with each other and with the kick, to give a fuller low-end, and so on.
If you want to go down the more heavy metal kind of sound, where there's lot more separation between kit and cymbals (typically done by raising the cymbals and hats substantially higher than normal), then you could always use two instances of the plugin, one for the shells, and another for the cymbals.
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Kamikaze
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Re: Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
2017/12/04 13:18:40
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☄ Helpfulby Cactus Music 2017/12/04 15:21:05
The Transform tool can be used to balance your playing. It's not well known (even an XLN support guy didn't know you could do it, and found out from me), but you can drag your MIDI from PRV into the Transform section. There you can adjust the velocity balance of each element, then drag it back into the PRV. 
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a6strng
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Re: Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
2017/12/04 14:02:05
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I've also went as far as opening up the piano roll and found the exact note (cymbal hit) and clicked on the midi note to raise its velocity. I do like the answer by Kamikaze. I'll have to try that!
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Cactus Music
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Re: Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
2017/12/04 15:26:17
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Thanks Scott- once again if I visit this forum I will learn something new.. That's one of the best tips for me in a long time-- and there it was, right in front of my nose! Guess I should read the manual eh!
AD2 is pretty deep and the more I use it the closer I get to the sound in my head.
I might just buy some more kit pieces.
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kzmaier
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Re: Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
2017/12/04 15:40:33
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Easy Drummer 2 has the same style mixer as in overheads, no cymbals only. We were spoiled with CW Session Drummer (easy track routing). I like the tips in this thread!!! Will need to check them out. I have a hard time with cymbals.
Thanks to all!
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Kamikaze
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Re: Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
2017/12/04 15:43:42
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I didn't read the manual. I used to read the manuals, but that mindset seemed to dry up a long time ago. I'd probably know some more of it's secrets if I did. But then, I knew something the tech support guy didn't, and he probably had to read the menu. 
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Billy86
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Re: Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
2017/12/04 20:59:24
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Kamikaze
The Transform tool can be used to balance your playing. It's not well known (even an XLN support guy didn't know you could do it, and found out from me), but you can drag your MIDI from PRV into the Transform section. There you can adjust the velocity balance of each element, then drag it back into the PRV.
Wow! This is a mind-blowing easter egg. Great tip! I've read the entire manual. You'd think this powerful feature would be mentioned. But, hey, who am I... just a customer they're trying to sell to. ;)
Windows 10 x64 on a Dell/Intel i5, 500 Gig SSD, 32 gig RAM, Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, Sonar Professional, Melodyne 4 Assistant, Kurzweil SP-76 stage piano, Baldwin RP 100 digital upright, Novation Impulse 25, Breedlove Pursuit Concert Acous/Elec, Fender American Standard Tele, Fender G-DEC 30 modeling amp, Sigma DM-5 Acoustic, Ovation MCS148 Celebrity Acous/Elec. Mandolin, Roland V-Drums TD-11KV, AKG P220, Yamaha MG82CX mixer, KRK Rokit 6 Powered Monitors, PreSonus FaderPort
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Billy86
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Re: Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
2017/12/04 21:00:10
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a6strng
I've also went as far as opening up the piano roll and found the exact note (cymbal hit) and clicked on the midi note to raise its velocity. I do like the answer by Kamikaze. I'll have to try that!
Hey, thanks. I've done this as well. Just can't get where I want to go...
Windows 10 x64 on a Dell/Intel i5, 500 Gig SSD, 32 gig RAM, Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, Sonar Professional, Melodyne 4 Assistant, Kurzweil SP-76 stage piano, Baldwin RP 100 digital upright, Novation Impulse 25, Breedlove Pursuit Concert Acous/Elec, Fender American Standard Tele, Fender G-DEC 30 modeling amp, Sigma DM-5 Acoustic, Ovation MCS148 Celebrity Acous/Elec. Mandolin, Roland V-Drums TD-11KV, AKG P220, Yamaha MG82CX mixer, KRK Rokit 6 Powered Monitors, PreSonus FaderPort
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Billy86
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Re: Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
2017/12/04 21:03:36
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ooblecaboodle
Use the overheads as your "core" sound. It's what gives you the bulk of everything you need. The "kit should be played" (or programmed, obviously) in a way that every element is balanced - just like when you play a piano or guitar, you try and male all the notes work together.
You can compress the overheads as you like, fast or slow settings depending on whether you want fat sounds, or pop and punch.
Then, bring in each individual close mic as needed, in order to give definition and crispness to the sound.
Don't fear the bleed, bleed is what makes a kit sound like a kit, and not individual samples. The bassdrum on it's own can lack snap, but when the snare sizzles in response to it, it adds that high frequency snap. The toms resonate with each other and with the kick, to give a fuller low-end, and so on.
If you want to go down the more heavy metal kind of sound, where there's lot more separation between kit and cymbals (typically done by raising the cymbals and hats substantially higher than normal), then you could always use two instances of the plugin, one for the shells, and another for the cymbals.
Thank you. I'm going back to square one and try this approach. I've seen vids on such 'top-down' drum mixing... This is my first effort with AD2, or any multi-track drums for that matter. Maybe this will be the key...
Windows 10 x64 on a Dell/Intel i5, 500 Gig SSD, 32 gig RAM, Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, Sonar Professional, Melodyne 4 Assistant, Kurzweil SP-76 stage piano, Baldwin RP 100 digital upright, Novation Impulse 25, Breedlove Pursuit Concert Acous/Elec, Fender American Standard Tele, Fender G-DEC 30 modeling amp, Sigma DM-5 Acoustic, Ovation MCS148 Celebrity Acous/Elec. Mandolin, Roland V-Drums TD-11KV, AKG P220, Yamaha MG82CX mixer, KRK Rokit 6 Powered Monitors, PreSonus FaderPort
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Kamikaze
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Re: Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
2017/12/05 14:26:58
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I don't take ooblecaboodle approach, but I do think that's the intention of XLN, and the way to get the most authentic sound out of AD2. Mine's kind of the opposite, with the overheads being just cymbals, and working from the close mics to get my sound, then bringing the bleed into the the overheads to add extra colour and texture. Either way the Kitpeice Select in the Edit page section of the AD2 seems much overlooked, but key to getting the most out of the Overheads. The Overheads and Room are basically two submixes. I find this area a little too simplistic, and would prefer being able to adjust the volumes, of say all the toms in one go here. Having to click on 18 different kitpieces to set the levels and get your 'Core sound' is a quite crude. I'd prefer this a sets of faders all visible at once. It would also help users not overlook it.
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Anonymungus!
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Re: Pressing on: How do I mix Overheads out of Addictive Drums2?
2017/12/05 15:22:51
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Great stuff Kamikaze!!! Thank you 
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