Drummers Behind Screens

[Headbanger]

I've been to two music gigs last month, and the drummers have been behind transparent plastic screens. Is this the latest EU Health and Safety directive? Any drummers out there who can explain?

[mallyh]

perhaps there are fans(electric lol) to cool them down ?

[Hypognosis]

If it's an open-air festival, it might be because they're the only band member who can't dodge the urine-filled drinks bottles, coming out of the audience at them.


Or it's because the drums are mic'd up and you don't want drum sounds leaking into the vocslist's mic's?

[Headbanger]

They were both indoor events. One did have fans, but I thought that was to counteract the effect of being stuck in this plastic bubble. It's a recent thing which I'd never seen before. I wondered if someone, somewhere had been injured by a loose drumstick and sued the band.

[The Builder]

Yes, it's just acoustic shielding, HB. Trying to prevent louder instruments such as drums from leaking into mikes.

I can't help wondering if it's just a little gimmicky. Plenty of bands from mega loud to quiet jazz groups manage perfectly well without them.

In the "old days", before monitors were widely used, players relied on hearing each other directly. With the extensive use of in-ear monitors and radio packs today, personal monitoring comes straight from the Soundman on the mixing desk.

[bhg481]

I was wondering about this the other week, so I asked my grandson who plays in a group. Hypo's suggestion about the drums being miked up and not wanting sound leakage is the correct answer.

[Headbanger]

Thanks TB and bhg. It all makes sense now. I first noticed it at a Rumours of Fleetwood Mac gig , where they had two drummers. It's a bit of a shame, as part of the enjoyment at a gig comes from watching the drummer's faces. Good to know there are still some areas in life which the EU haven't interfered with.:)

[henbreeder]

This isn't a recent innovation. I sing in a church worship group and we've been using a screen for years, because as has already been mentioned, the drums can overpower the other musicians and vocalists, even with fold-back and individual mics. The screens help to 'stifle' the sound somewhat. I have been to events, where the drummer has been totally encased in a 'plastic' box.

[The Builder]

Henbreeder, that's why drums are recorded in a drum booth in the studio. As are saxophones and singers.

[andy-hughes]

Recording drums is a fascinating art.

As advised, a lot of drummers are hidden behind sound screens, which can be solid because no-one needs to see the drummer.

On stage, if it s a smaller stage especially, the drum sound can ‘leak’ into other microphones which makes a clean sound mix difficult. That matters less in jazz than in rock, hence why jazz bands don’t usually bother.

In some cases, the sound leakage is the desired effect. When Led Zeppelin recorded tracks like When The Levee Breaks, they used Hedley Grange studios, and John Bonham’s drums were set up in the hall, with ambient mics on the upper floors and staircase. The already massive sound of his 24” bass drum, and power with which he kicked it, was enhanced by the natural booming echo of the old building which gave birth to a classic, and much sampled drum sound.

That’s the drum sound you can hear on The Beastie Boys’ Fight For Your Right To Party, and many more.