Capture Unique Rock Drums That Perfectly Fit The Production

Hard-hitting & energetic drums are at the core of every Rock production.

They provide the rhythmic backbone, drive the song, and add INSANE amounts of excitement.

On the other hand, generic parts can take a fantastic production from ‘WOW!‘, to Meh… I’ve heard that one a million times over.

In this course, Mike Pepe (Taking Back Sunday, Lil Lotus) teaches you how to produce slamming drum parts that highlight the sound of the band and complement your own production style.

Want to learn how to craft professional drum productions?

This comprehensive guide is for you!

Gain an all-encompassing view of the entire production process:

From recording techniques, and working out parts with the drummer, to comping, editing, all the way to crafting a powerful final mix.

Say goodbye to generic drum parts and give your songs the unique sound they deserve!

michael pepe explaining 4
Michael Pepe Drum Recording 3

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

Record Powerful Drums
-The Smart Way!

Capturing a great sound at the source is BY FAR the most crucial part of music production. 

Here, you can shape your drum sound to fit the style of the production right from the get-go.

– And make every step down the line a LOT easier.

With over a decade of experience under his belt, Mike believes in ‘working smarter not harder’.

In this course, he teaches you how to record drums with a purpose.

Learn how to consider the drum kit, the sound of the room, the playstyle of the drummer, as well as your musical vision for the song.

– And use these ideas to choose the perfect recording setup!

Discover the secrets behind proper mic selection & technique, get a detailed look at professional signal chains, and learn how to achieve BIG drum recordings in a medium-sized room.

By the end of this course, you’ll have adopted a pro’s mindset, and walk away with custom-tailored, professional recordings that’ll basically mix themselves!

Develop Drum Parts That Hit A Home-Run

At this point, you’ll already have set up your recording chains and mics to give you an outstanding sound.
– So that part’s covered!

Now, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty.

What parts should the drummer actually play? Which are the perfect grooves and fills, that will enhance the energy and tension of the song?

Watch Mike work with the drummer to figure out the best parts for the song and bring their vision to life.

Take a front-row seat and witness how drum parts are developed and improved upon over 9 takes.

Until both Mike and the drummer feel confident to have found the perfect arrangement!

michael pepe drum tracking session 2
michael pepe drum tracking session 1
michael pepe comping 1

Create ONE Stellar Performance: Comping

By now, you’ve already handled the bulk of the production work. –And hopefully, most of your takes sound fantastic!

However, there are usually certain parts or fills that stand out in one take over the other.

Mike teaches you how to effortlessly combine the best pieces of each take into one, stellar-sounding performance.

The performance which you’ve already clearly envisioned and fits the song perfectly.

Tightness & Groove:
Musical Editing

Even when working with the most seasoned drummers, there’ll be an occasional miss-timed snare hit, or odd sounding cymbal crash.

In this chapter, you’ll learn how to use beat detective to tighten up the performance, while keeping the unique groove and feel of the drummer alive.

After all, that unique feel is the entire reason we’re producing drums in the first place!

Learn how to use ‘guide tracks’ to edit the entire drum group as a whole, to avoid phase issues, flams, and odd sounding cymbals decays.

michael pepe editing
michael pepe mixing 1

Turn Your Raw Tracks Into A Massive, Final Mix

In the final chapter, you’ll learn now to tie everything together into a final, massive-sounding drum mix.

Discover how to use Gainstaging, Bussing, EQ, Compression, Transient Designers, Bus Compression, Room Samples, and Reverbs to achieve maximum clarity, energy and excitement.

Take this class today and create professional drum mixes that feel 3-dimensional, and larger than life!

All Multitracks Included

We’ve included all Multitracks of Michael Pepe’s drum session, so you can study the sound of each mic, and reconstruct Michael’s path to the final mix.

Carole King Multitracks Download

Your Mentor

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Endorsed by Legends and Pros Alike

Isaac Slade

Issac Slade

Singer/Songwriter The Fray
Jack Douglas

Jack Douglas

Legendary Producer
Joe Perry

Joe Perry

Guitarist – Aerosmith
John Krivit

John Krivit

Past President, Audio Engineering Society

Frequently Asked Questions

This course can be both streamed and downloaded. You’ll have access to download the files and stream any course for life!

Not neccesarily. While this class is taught in Pro Tools, but there are many other great DAWs out there, which have similar features.
The concepts taught in this class remain consistent and can be applied thoughout all DAWs.

Our courses are for everyone passionate about music, from beginners to professionals.  Our mentors explain both, the HOW and the WHY behind using specific techniques.

Yup! We include a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee for every single course and bundle we offer! If any of our lessons don’t help you take your tracks to the next level you’ll get a full refund, no questions asked. You can even keep the files!