drums from “painkiller” by judas priest | ToneDB
painkiller
judas priest
drums
Tone Profile
Aggressive, punchy, and heavily compressed drums, with a prominent snare crack and a tight, controlled low end. The overall sound is powerful and designed to cut through a dense mix.
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The Story
The drums on "Painkiller" were recorded at Miraval Studios in France, produced and engineered by Chris Tsangarides. The sound features close-miked Tama drums with AKG D12 and Shure SM57 microphones, processed through Urei 1176 compressors for the characteristic aggressive punch and tight control needed to cut through the dense metal mix.
Production Credits
Producer: Chris Tsangarides
Engineer: Chris Tsangarides
Recorded at: Miraval Studios, France
Signal Chain
Instrument: Tama Drum KitShop on Reverb
Microphone: AKG D12Shop on Reverb
Processing: Urei 1176Shop on Reverb
Recreation Tips
- Start with a well-tuned Tama drum kit, focusing on a snare with a sharp, cracking tone.
- Use close miking techniques on each drum to capture a detailed sound.
- Apply heavy compression using a Urei 1176 or similar FET compressor, paying attention to the attack and release settings to enhance the punch and sustain.
- Experiment with EQ to further shape the drum tones, boosting high frequencies on the snare for added crack and attenuating any unwanted low-frequency rumble.
- Consider using gating to tighten up the drum sounds and eliminate any lingering noise.
Original Gear
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- Tama Drum KitShop on Reverb(drums)
- AKG D12Shop on Reverb(mic)
- Shure SM57Shop on Reverb(mic)
- Urei 1176Shop on Reverb(compressor)
Substitutions & Recommendations
Alternative to: Urei 1176 compressor
Authentic emulation of the original 1176 with the same aggressive FET compression characteristics that created the punchy, sustained drum sound
Alternative to: Urei 1176 compressor
Hardware recreation of the 1176 circuit providing the fast attack and release settings essential for the tight, controlled drum punch
Alternative to: AKG D12 kick drum mic
Modern evolution of the D12 with similar frequency response characteristics for capturing tight, punchy kick drum fundamentals
Alternative to: Shure SM57 snare mic
Still in production and identical to the original, providing the midrange punch and high-frequency crack essential for the aggressive snare tone
Alternative to: Tama drum kit
Modern Tama kit with similar maple construction and tuning characteristics for achieving the focused, aggressive drum tones
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