Q: What was the overall aim with this EZX and what does it offer in contrast to the other titles available in the EZX family?
A: Toontrack has recorded quite a bit of loud drums in some of the most spacious rooms on the planet, but for this specific EZX we were after pretty much the exact opposite end of the audio spectrum – tight, organic and intimate. Not a drum booth type of tone, rather just the raw acoustic essence of each kit captured in a low-diffusion ambience that still was big enough to allow the drums to sing naturally.

Q: You went through an extreme selective process compiling the final line-up of kits. Tell us how and why you whittled it down to what ended up in the final product.
A: Going in to this session, we had a huge array of drums at our disposal. Whittling the selection down was indeed a process, but well worth it. Listening back to the finished product, we really managed to capture a broad palette of tones – from short, snappy and tight to deep, long and dark. We also went with rather light and thin snare drums, almost exclusively made out of wood. Cymbal-wise, we had the same approach and tried to capture the entire range – from bright, crisp and light to deep, dark and vibrant ones. The one common denominator we really honed in on was finding relatively thin cymbals that all had a nice sustain and singing tone even when not hit very hard. A lot of the tones, of course, come from the instruments themselves, but I can’t emphasize enough how much the actual stroke of the drummer plays in to the equation of sound. We also had the help of a great drum tech in Daniel Berglund. His knowledge was invaluable not only for tuning drums but also microphone positioning, overall engineering as well as fixing the quirks and noises that always come as a result of working with vintage drums.

Q: You mentioned stroke as something essential in the process of capturing these drums. How much does the actual way a drummer hits the instrument change the overall tone?
A: Different drums speak in different ways and extracting the most out of each one takes quite the drummer. There is more to the art of hitting a drum than just pushing air through it. Thomas did an amazing job of capturing these drums for us. We decided early in the process to sample these drums a bit softer than usual, partly because of how a more delicate touch really made the drums come alive in the room, but also because of how we envisioned the end-product in the context of a song. These are not drums for loud rock songs, having to force their way through a wall of distorted guitars – these are drums meant to serve as the heartbeat of the rhythm section in laid-back, acoustic and organic-sounding productions.

Q: What mics and outboard did you use and why?
A: For the kick drum, we tried tons of different options and ultimately ended up with three mics: an AKG D112 inside the drum and two mics in front of it. The D112, a staple in the industry, is probably what you reach for when you need more attack. The first mic outside the drum is a Shure Beta91. It is most commonly used inside the kick to provide a bit of attack, but we ended up putting it in front of the drum instead and actually angled it 90 degrees away from the center to get a slightly rounder and less direct sound. The third kick mic is a Neumann TLM103, positioned about a foot from the drum. This mic is probably the most complete out of the three and provides both a bit of attack as well as a full and rich tone throughout the frequency spectrum.

For the snare drum, we ended up with a Shure SM7B and a Neumann KM84 close to the batter head and the trusty SM57 on the bottom head. The SM7B provides a bit more low end while the KM84 is slightly brighter and has a bit more snap to it. They really complement one another and together, they create that full, rich and deep tone. On the toms, we went with the classic Sennheiser MD421 on top, but also blended in Beyerdynamic Opus 66 bottom mics as well. To me, tom bottom mics usually don’t sound particularly interesting on their own, but in this case the combination produced the exact picture we wanted. It gives the toms a bit more sustain and provides a fuller low end. For the hi-hats, we blended an SM57 with a Røde small diaphraghm condenser mic to get a bit of dirt and character as well as some crisp in the high end.

For overheads, we went with a spaced pair of Neumann KM100s. In addition, we set up a couple of Coles 4038 ribbon mics behind the drummer. The Coles are perhaps not to be considered as overhead mics, but rather kit mics set up to capture the kit as a whole. This microphone positioning technique is probably most commonly referred to as the “Recorderman.” I personally like it as both the kick and snare drum are centered in the stereo image, in contrast to many other two-mic setups where the kick might be pushed to the side a bit.

In the other end of the room we placed a pair of small diaphragm condensers. We positioned them on the floor and added some wooden panels underneath to and add a bit of reflections more life to them. For the percussion close mic sounds we once again relied on an SM57.

As far as outboard goes, we used a couple of different options. At our disposal we had an SSL Duality Console. With its smooth, transparent preamps and a great EQ section it was the main workhorse for this session. In addition, a couple of kick and snare mics were routed through an API 3124, which can give you an extra bit of punch. For most of the condenser mics, we found a Grace M802 preamp being the best choice as it tamed some of the high end. All channels were routed through the EQ of the SSL console and we also used a bit of SPL Transient Designer, mainly to tame some of the sustain on the toms.

Q: You’ve worked at Toontrack for many years, recorded in studios all over the world and always said that you’ll never get tired of recording drums. What’s so great about drums?
A: Being a drummer and a mixing engineer, I can appreciate the challenge when it comes both to recording and mixing drums. It’s such a crucial part of the end result of a song. Much like vocals, if the sound and performance is not there, the whole song may not live up to its potential. Also, unlike other acoustic instruments, the tone that comes out of a kit is largely dependent on the room in which it’s played. You can place two identical kits in different rooms, mimic the signal chains and use the exact same gear in the entire process, but you’d still end up with two completely different-sounding kits. That’s why I love drums and why it’s always a treat to capture them. There simply are no two identical drum recordings.

Q: What’s your history with Toontrack and how were you approached about this project?
A: I’m fortunate enough to having worked with Toontrack before. I’ve both recorded samples but also made a collection of beats. To add to this, Mattias Eklund actually recorded my very first album! I was sixteen years old and I played in a local hardcore band.

Q: You were very much involved picking out the different kits and cymbals. What was the selective process like and which specific qualities did you try to cover with the different setups?
A: I wanted to go for a “modern vintage” kind of sound. Something heartfelt and individual, as older drums tend to be, but at the same time aiming for a contemporary quality, often found in indie music of today.

Q: On a more personal note, you started touring at the age of 16 and you’re now coming up on 25 years playing in bands. If you had to name a some highlights along the way, what would they be?
A: Wow, there are many fun moments to be quite honest. Everything from playing punk at an abandoned farm house outside Sevilla in my teens – with bats flying over our heads – to having Daft Punk as guests at a sold out Phoenix show at Madison Square Garden. Another highlight was definitely having Beyoncé front row, dancing and singing along when we played Coachella with Phoenix.

Q: Throughout your career, shifting between different music styles has been somewhat of a theme. You’ve done anything from mellow and acoustic pop to pummeling post-metal. How do you adapt, both creatively and gear-wise?
A: I’ve been truly fortunate and blessed to having had this opportunity. I’ve been lucky enough to work with band members who really care about the drums; who

wants to let the rhythmic ideas become important parts of the overall compositions. That has pushed me to develop my playing in what I hope to be an imaginative way. Gear-wise it’s obviously been different between the bands, so it’s kind of hard to pin down. I’ve used so many different sounds and approaches that it’s hard to find a general concept. I tend to lean towards older kits though, or newer that sounds kind of old. Which is what we’ve aimed for with this release.

Q: If you had to choose, is there one style of music where you feel at most “home” from a drumming point of view?
A: I would say rock and pop. That’s what I’ve been doing the most over the years.

Q: To you, what makes a great drum sound?
A: The boring answer is that it depends on the music. But generally I like when the production aspect of recording drums really show. That the sonic dimension is part of the composition.

Q: And what makes a great drummer?
A: Someone who’s playing for the song, but is fearless when it comes to making the drums a crucial part of the composition. That can be done in so many ways, obviously. Sometimes just keeping the backbeat on the hi-har is exactly what the song needs, and the next time it’s all about filling up every imaginable space. So: being adaptable and attentive. But most important is to play with an open soul and a big heart. Emotions are the source from which we get everything creative.

Q: Listening back to the final product, did it come out like you had envisioned?
A: It sure did! I think the product will allow people to get a contemporary sound, without it being overpowering and unsubtle.