In the latest installment of our What's That Sound? series, Noam and Jessica are breaking down how to recreate the modern yet Motown-esque drum sound from Amy Winehouse's "Rehab." Though these drums were tracked with just a single mic, it does take quite a bit of extra processing to get that perfect blend of retro lo-fi character and modern, full low-end that Winehouse's team achieved.
To make this happen, let's start with the drums. We're using a 1970s-era Gretsch drum set, with the front bass head removed for a focused, short kick sound. Our snare is a heavily dampened 5x14" Ludwig Acrolite. For cymbals, we have a pair of 14" Zildjian K Sweet hi-hats dampened with tape, as well as a 20" Zildjian Custom Dark Crash.
On the recording side, we're using a Shure SM57 placed right where the kick drum, snare, and hi-hats meet. Placement is really important with a single mic, so be sure to watch the video above for tips on how best to determine where to place it. For processing, we're using the Pultec EQH-2 Program Equalizer, Otari MTR-90 tape machine, and AMS Neve 336309 stereo compressor.
Be sure to check out the full video above for the step-by-step tips on how to recreate this drum sound yourself. And if you don't have access to some of the gear we've used above, Noam also suggests some budget-friendly alternatives that will get you there at the end of the video.