TONEDB

drums from “enter sandman” by metallica | ToneDB

enter sandman

metallica

drums

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

A tight, punchy, and aggressive hard rock drum sound with a focus on clarity and impact. The kick drum is prominent, and the overall tone is polished and powerful.

Gear

Tama Granstarinstrument
Reverb$125Sweetwater
Shure SM57microphone
ReverbSweetwater
Neumann U87mic
ReverbSweetwater
API 512cpreamp
ReverbSweetwater
Urei 1176compressor
ReverbSweetwater
Zildjian Cymbalsdrums
ReverbSweetwater

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The Story

The drums on "Enter Sandman" were recorded at One on One Recording Studios in Los Angeles, produced by Bob Rock and engineered by Randy Staub. Lars Ulrich's Tama Granstar kit was recorded using close-miking techniques, with Shure SM57s on individual drums and Neumann U87s as overheads for the cymbals. The kick drum was heavily dampened for a tight, focused attack, while the snare was tuned high and tight for maximum cut. The recording combined close mics with room mics to capture both clarity and spatial depth.

Production Credits

Producer: Bob Rock

Engineer: Randy Staub

Recorded at: One on One Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA

Signal Chain

Instrument: Tama Granstar

Microphone: Shure SM57

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a well-tuned drum kit with new or relatively new heads.
  • Experiment with different muffling techniques to achieve the desired level of damping on the kick and snare drums.
  • Use a combination of close mics and overhead mics to capture the full sound of the kit.
  • Pay close attention to microphone placement to achieve the desired balance and tonality.
  • Use a high-quality preamp and compressor to shape the sound of each drum.
  • Consider using a console or channel strip to EQ the individual drum tracks to get the perfect sound.
  • Experiment with room mics to capture the ambience of the recording space.
  • Mix the drums with a focus on clarity, impact, and aggression.

Original Gear

  • Shure SM57(mic)
  • Neumann U87(mic)
  • Tama Granstar(drums)
  • API 512c(preamp)
  • Urei 1176(compressor)
  • Zildjian Cymbals(drums)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch$1200-$2000

Alternative to: Tama Granstar drums

Modern Tama kit with similar shell construction and aggressive attack characteristics needed for metal tones

ReverbSweetwater
Shure SM57$100-$120

Alternative to: Shure SM57 microphones

The exact same microphone model used on the original recording, still manufactured and industry standard for close-miking drums

ReverbSweetwater
Audio-Technica AT4050$400-$500

Alternative to: Neumann U87 overhead mics

Large diaphragm condenser that captures cymbal detail and room ambience similar to the U87 at a more accessible price

ReverbSweetwater
Warm Audio WA12-500$300-$400

Alternative to: API 512c preamp

API-style preamp clone that provides the punchy, colored sound characteristics of the original API preamps

ReverbSweetwater
Universal Audio 1176LN Plugin$150-$200

Alternative to: Urei 1176 compressor

Faithful emulation of the original 1176 compressor used to achieve the tight, aggressive drum compression on the track

ReverbSweetwater
Steven Slate Drums 5$200-$250

Alternative to: Complete drum recording setup

Includes samples specifically modeled after this era of metal drum sounds with built-in processing chains

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

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