That bass drum sound (or similar) on the tour

[dolmo333]

Hi all Shads experts!

Both been to a concert and listen to some youtube clips a have been thinking about that sound that gives the whole sound a "kick". Sounds like it´s connected to the bass drum, and sometimes not. It´s one of the coolest thing i have heard. Listen to this "FBI in the sky" at the beginning of the actual melody . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExPbJCdklOw This is not heard, to me, at all on the DVD. But outstanding live. Ofcourse it´s an effect but it would be interesting to hear what it´s actually connected to?

Regards from a Sweden with lots of snow

Daniel

[Bob Dore]

At a guess, a properly mic'd kick drum and a sound system with decent sub woofers.

Bob.

[kittycph]

Even at the big venues you could sometimes feel the drums in your chest. A great feeling

[roninnes]

As a drummer and student of BB here is my take on that bass drum sound.

1. Brian has one mother of a bass drum and the set up with a mic through the hole in the front head, an Evans patch on the batter head and although I don't know what tension he has the heads it all adds up to that lovely deep bass drum sound.
2. The sound engineer can through some very good balancing, tweaking or what you want to call it enhance the sound.
3. Don't forget you are also hearing the bass guitar of Mark Griffiths in time with the bass drum so that will add to it as well.

In my kit I use a fairly large bass drum 22x18 Evans patch and mic through the hole and with a good set up can get a really good sound.

Ron

[dolmo333]

Thanks guys! Thats about my thoughts also. But never to seen them live i did expect a great show (as seen in The Final Tour DVD) but this just blew my mind off completly. Could never in my mind imagine that bass sound that was created. Lite a wet dream.... Too bad it was´nt obvious on the DVD, but i guess it has it´s limitations.

/Daniel

PS: After listening again and again it has to be an effect added by a sound engineer to Brians bass drum. I can´t hear Marks bass guitar connect to the effect. But again the coolest drum effect i´ve ever heard. Just proves how outstanding they really are.

[RayL]

Without wishing to destroy too many cherished illusions, it is not unknown for sounds to be 'improved' or even replaced at the post-production stage of making a DVD. I'm not saying that such a thing happened in this case but when every sound has been recorded individually at a concert, the opportunity exists for 'improvement'.

Incidentally, I hope we're not all confusing ourselves here. The youtube clip is from a camera phone or something similar and the sound is hopelessly compressed (by the phone), with the bass notes 'ducking' the melody ia a way that would not have occurred on the night and does not occur on the DVD. The sound on the clip (complete junk) is only useful to establish what tune was being played at the time.

Ray L

[dolmo333]

Well Ray, i still know what i heard on the night of the concert. How exactly this recording is rubbish or not it´s not what i asked for. It´s not my recordning but this is the best example i have found so far that shows that bass drum effect sound i was asking about. There are som good clips (mostly removed by youtube) but only few, that captures the powerful bass drum sound effect of the concerts since you can´t hear it much on the DVD. I don´t think you understand what i was looking for here Ray.

Lucky Ron did. Thanks Ron!

/Daniel

[Bob Dore]

The sound system used in the concerts will likely have a balanced frequency response between 20Hz and 20kHz. The sound (or feeling) you're describing is the very low frequencies between 20Hz and 50Hz. Very few home systems go down that far, if you played the DVD through a vDosc or Aspect system at home you'd probably get the same effect.

Bob.

[dolmo333]

Thats true Bob. Well i got my answer and it must be an added effect to Brians drum bass pedal.

Thanks everyone and a Happy New Year to all Cliff & Shads fans out there!

/Daniel

[wstagner]

Intresting point you bring up, Ray....about "improving" the sound. I've wondered that maself.
I know the DVD was recorded over 2 nites at the O2 and they likely chose what they thought was "the best" performance. Thanks to U toob, I did notice at least 1 dif on Don't Talk to Him. Hank's intro is a little different here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FTnuM4fWcA

compared to what's on the DVD.

I'm in favor of different flavors of same live material so this isn't a criticism. I can't remember the toon on the 2004 DVD but there were one or 2 missed notes by Hank, not necessarily mistakes OR they could have been edited out.

Live music is always what it is, missing notes, mistakes and performance perfection whenever possible.