Drum Sound?

Posted on

Derka Derka
Member Since: May 05, 2006

Looking for new ideas on ways you guys mic drums.

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Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


May 05, 2006 07:51 am

Native Instruments Battery 2...no mics needed, the app doesn't drink all your beer or show up to practice late either.

Derka Derka
Member
Since: May 05, 2006


May 05, 2006 08:04 am

haha yeah. NI rocks. but sometimes those beer drinking guys show up around 9 and they want their stuff set up. :P

I've tried tri-mic'n the snare. 1 top 2 on bottom.
The top with a hair of mid and bottom with seperate low frequencies just testing stuff out. Just didn't know if you guys had any tricks as far as mic'n drums went. I've been reading up a bunch of interesting things about the In Utero, Nirvana recording. Pretty cool stuff. What people have made out of it anyway. They seem to be all hush hush about it but oh well. As far as running my drums thru compression... eh... I try to stay away from that. I'm in love with dyanamics and unfortuniatly my compressor/gate isn't the finest money can buy, and with drums I get that god awefull click if I turn it up enough to effect them. Just digging for hint/tricks/advice on creative mic'n for them. AKA using the old skool reverb mats ect.

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


May 05, 2006 08:09 am

I have always went for simplicity when recording drums...one mic in the mic, one on the snare (top) and a couple around the kit...compression is almost required on kick and snare in my opinion...it brings out their power, especially the kick...

The kick I have often scooped out around 300-400hz as it gives better presense to the boom and the smack...I also like boosting the snare at the very highest bands to bring up the "crack" of the snare...

The best place to start is make sure your drummer know what it means to "tune" his drums.

An overhead or two is nice as well for natural room ambience.

Hold 'Em Czar
Member
Since: Dec 30, 2004


May 05, 2006 11:08 am

take off the front head of a kick, build a heavy thick blanketed 'tent' that extends out about 3 feet and throw a LDC out there....combine with the close mic for a deep tone...

also if ya have a closet in the room, stick an LDC or SDC in it facing away from the kit, with the door closed (or cracked open for more highs)

a piezo on another surface besides a wall, a high school text book or somethin' unusual, yealds some intresting textures...

try just two mic's in the room's sweet spot

LDC 5 feet out lookin' dead on the kick just between the toms and kick. this will give a big sound when mixed with close mics

mic the air hole on the snare for more power and longer decay

Ultra Magnus
Member
Since: Nov 13, 2004


May 05, 2006 07:21 pm

I do that with kick too WYD. Then a pair of SDCs as overheads, 57 on rim of snare. I'm usually happy with that with a bit of playing with placement. Occasionally i use an omni in the room as well, just for some ambience, usually ends up pretty low in the mix.

Derka Derka
Member
Since: May 05, 2006


May 09, 2006 12:06 pm

i tried the mics in the closet. just playing around with it, pretty interesting; i've tried something close before. just take an old box and cut two holes in it and put some styrofoam (sp?) cups in it with holes cut in the bottom in the two farthest corners from the set pointing on the outsides of it. then take reverb mats and place those the opposite direction of the boxes. pretty differnt sound. 'bout to go try the book thing you were talking about. sounds cool. well peace.

thnx for all the help you guys.

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