The Toronto drum educator uses Slate Digital's VMS and its ML-1A and ML-2A modeling mics to pull a wide range of pro drum sounds from one compact setup.
DrumsByDavid, a Toronto drum educator who teaches home recording on his channel, has built much of his current setup around Slate Digital’s Virtual Microphone System and its ML-1A and ML-2A modeling microphones.
Modeling mics capture a clean, neutral signal, then model the sound of different classic microphones in software. For a drummer who wants a range of tones without a room full of expensive mics, it covers a lot of ground with very little gear.
“If you are a working drummer and have a limited budget, you often have to choose between character or versatility,” David explains.
In his own studio, David runs a pair of ML-2As as room mics and an ML-1A as a mono overhead. He often reaches past the stock mic models, combining and processing several at once, stumbling on unexpected sounds, like using a kick-drum mic model to fatten a snare.
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David’s setup
- Slate VMS with the ML-1A large-diaphragm condenser and ML-2A modeling mics
- A pair of ML-2As as room mics, an ML-1A as a mono overhead
- Combines and processes several mic models at once
- Virtual Mix Rack chain: VCC for analogue colour, FG-S and FG-N EQ by ear, FG-401 compression, then Hollywood or London saturation
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From there, David builds his mixes in Slate’s Virtual Mix Rack, starting each channel with the VCC for an analogue feel, EQ-ing by ear with FG-S and FG-N, compressing with FG-401 and adding harmonics with the Hollywood or London saturation. The EQs deliberately skip a visual graph, which pushes him to mix by feel rather than by the numbers.
“I’ve noticed a growing backlash against generative AI where producers and engineers are starting to favor character and humanity again,” he says. “People are doing everything from really crunchy, characterful mixes, to super polished, to heavily compressed that just hit you in the chest now, and it’s often those details that catch you and make you want to listen to a track over and over again.”
David calls himself a drummer first and an engineer second, encouraging drummers to experiment and find their own sound rather than a safe, standard one.
Find DrumsByDavid at drumsbydavid.com. For local enquiries on Slate Digital, head here.
