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drums from “wake up” by arcade fire | ToneDB

wake up

arcade fire

drums

75% ai confidence

Tone Profile

The drum sound is big and open, with a focus on natural room ambience and a raw, energetic feel. It's characterized by a blend of close-miked attack and distant, spacious reverberation, creating a sense of depth and power.

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The Story

The massive drum sound on 'Wake Up' was tracked at Pet Cemetery studio in Montreal using a combination of high-end microphones including Neumann U47, U67, and AKG C414s. The production team utilized both close mics for attack and distant room mics to capture the natural ambience of the space, with the raw tracks mixed with minimal processing to preserve the energy and natural dynamics.

Production Credits

Producer: Arcade Fire, Markus Dravs

Engineer: Craig Silvey

Recorded at: Pet Cemetery studio, Montreal

Signal Chain

Instrument: Ludwig Drum KitShop on Reverb

Microphone: Neumann U47Shop on Reverb

Recreation Tips

  • Record the drums in a large room with natural reverb.
  • Use a combination of close mics and room mics to capture both the attack and ambience of the kit.
  • Experiment with microphone placement to find the sweet spot for the room sound.
  • Consider using a ribbon microphone as a room mic to add warmth and character.
  • Blend the close mics and room mics carefully to create a balanced and cohesive drum sound.
  • Use minimal compression and EQ to preserve the natural dynamics and energy of the performance.

Original Gear

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Substitutions & Recommendations

Warm Audio WA-47Shop on Reverb$900-$1000

Alternative to: Neumann U47 overhead/room mic

Tube condenser that captures the warm, open character of the U47 for overhead and room miking

Golden Age Project R1 MKIVShop on Reverb$300-$350

Alternative to: Neumann U67 overhead/room mic

Ribbon mic that provides natural room ambience and warmth similar to vintage tube condensers

AKG C414 XLIIShop on Reverb$1000-$1100

Alternative to: AKG C414 room mic

Direct modern equivalent offering the same versatile large-diaphragm condenser characteristics

Valhalla RoomPlugin Boutique$50-$60

Alternative to: Natural room reverb

Algorithmic reverb that can recreate large, natural-sounding room ambiences for drum mixing

Shure SM57Shop on Reverb$100-$120

Alternative to: Close drum mics

Industry standard dynamic mic for snare and tom close-miking to capture attack and punch

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

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