We’re excited to present yet another video in our studio production series from Riverside Studios in Berlin. This time, production duo Pan-Pot show off a few clever techniques for recording handheld shakers and mixing them in a track, as well as share why it’s important to get a solid rhythmic take on shakers and not rely Ableton’s warp features to clean up a take.
A few highlighted tips from the video:
- The shakers used in the video are made by Meinl Percussion – who make a variety of shakers. Check out the brand on Amazon to see some of the many types available.
- The mic should be positioned further back from the shaker, with the gain turned down on the preamp – it’s a loud input signal.
- Avoid warping a take of shakers after the fact – it’s better sounding to get a well-done take so that the sound is consistent in the mix
- For dynamics, a low-cut EQ on all sizes of shakers will help, and compression sidechained to the kick drum can make a shaker sound solid. When two shakers are in the mix at the same time, pan them and create a physical space for the sound.
Sounds From Pan-Pot
Want to get a feel for what type of music Pan-Pot is making these days, with and without shakers? Check out some of their recent sounds:
Want to watch more tutorials from the Riverside Studios series? Check out some of the best below:
