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Sassy Scarlet Gina
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« on: July 28, 2002, 12:13 AM » |
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prefaced by I am not deaf, or have tinitus etc
sounds weird but I can't really "hear" what I am playing, meaning that I am not getting feedback in my head of what I am playing.
I have been recording myself play, and when I play back the recordings I can construct what sounds good and what doesn't, and what fits where.
However when I am playing live or in realtime, sitting at the drums all I hear is a mash of noise, maybe I am playing too loud? I don't know it sounds nutty. Sort of like I am going through the mechanics of, if it hit the snare and the crash it will sound good to the audience, but not to me.
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Peter Jeffery
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« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2002, 04:14 AM » |
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That's about the strangest problem I've heard here so far.
SSG, there might be an explanation. You mentioned you weren't deaf -and that on the playback you can sort it all out. Do you experience an elevated sensitivity to volume when you play? Some people do....it would cause the sound-blender you describe.
Whether or not it has anything to do with playing drums -go get yourself an audiologist and find out what's going on.
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Peter Jeffery
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TMe
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I am evil Homer, I am evil Homer..!
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« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2002, 12:44 PM » |
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I have the same problem and I've found a number of things that help.
If your practice space has a lot of hard surfaces, you may be getting too much reflected sound. Try damping the surfaces by covering them with something soft.
Try practicing with ear plugs. They'll lop off a lot of the high end and make the drums sound more punchy and articulate.
Put a couple of microphones on the other side of the room, run them through a stereo amplifier, and listen to yourself through headphones while you practice. You'll get a sound that's much closer to what other people are hearing when you play.
These days, I spend almost all my time practicing with electronic drums, which provide a very clear and articulated sound. I find it a lot easier to learn new stuff on the electronic kit, and then play what I know on the acoustic.
Another thing to consider is this; are you playing WAY too loud? I used to bash away and now that I play with a more reasonable amount of force (and smaller cymbals) I'm not so overwhelmed by the wash of sound.
Experience is another factor. After you play with other musicians enough, your listening skills go way up.
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"Some people say I ain't so super groovy. Why don't I leave the music alone?" Black Uhuru
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groovsmyth
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« Reply #3 on: July 28, 2002, 08:28 PM » |
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Gina, I think both TMe and Peter have touched on good points.
I had a similar feeling that you describe the first time I played a big outdoor venue with stacks and got confused by the puny sonic output of my kit. I really need some of my drums in the monitor mix to counteract the discrepancy in volume and delay.
Like TMe I found also that ear plugs really help you discern articulation not only of your own sound but of your bandmates. Ear protection is also very beneficial to the longevity of your hearing ability.
I could be wrong on this but I think realtime input and the feedback you get from analyzing your playing afterwards are dealt with by different parts of our brains. This could be totally different situation, but my daughter can sing effortlessly without sound reinforcement but has problems blocking out the different characteristics in her voice through the sound system. It's distracting to her. We're examining whether this could be due to sensory integration problems.
If after you've tried TMe's great ideas for enhancing your feedback during your practice and still are not processing the 'wash of sound' as you produce it, then, as Peter suggests, you might try looking into the way you process sensorily.
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Sassy Scarlet Gina
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« Reply #4 on: July 29, 2002, 04:00 AM » |
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thanks for the suggestions guy, I will mike up the kit and see if playing with headphone helps.
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felix
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« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2002, 05:14 AM » |
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I don't know how long you have been playing (but since you don't have tinnitus not very long HA HA) but you have to remember every single place you play is going to have a different "sound" to it. And sometimes it can be really weird trying to get what I call a "sonic grip" on what is going on. Your band has to be smart about stage volumes, setting their amp levels to your drum levels etc. and if you are playing outside gigs- that is a whole other can of worms.
When I started playing drums I would just bash and bash, no dynamics, oblivious to what was going on around me. Now, I start of on the softer side of my playing and make sure I can hear what is happening with the rest of the band (SOUNDCHECK? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING SOUNDCHECK!) Plus if you are in a grunge band...totally saturated/distorted guitars are NOT going to cut sonically...they are muddy can be hard to lock with.
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marker
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« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2002, 05:02 PM » |
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If your rehearsal space has a lot of hard surfaces, like hardwood floors and plaster walls, try adding some soft stuff like carpet, old sheets/blankets thumbtacked to the walls, etc. You'll be able to hear yourself much better.
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