drum recording techniques
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Posted on Jul 26, 2009 10:16 am
stephentedsmith
Member Since: Jul 26, 2009
I wanted to create a topic where we can share drum recording techniques. I'll give an overview of some of the stuff I do at my studio but would love to hear what other techniques people are using.
Snare Drum Recording Techniques
We usually end up miking the snare drum's face with a Shure SM57 sometimes together with a Beyer M201 or a Neumann KM84. There’s often a debate over whether mics should also be placed underneath the snare. Occasionally we have used this to get more of the snare spring sound. However it will almost invariably need gating and can also introduce phase issues. If we do place mics underneath we will usually go for another SM57 or possibly a C451EB.
Overhead Microphone Recording Techniques
Overheads are also very important and at ALT Recording Studios the approach we take with overheads is that they bring the drum sound together giving a more natural less disparate feel than just close miking alone can. We always meticulously check the phase relationships between each drum and the overheads as this can ruin the bottom end of the recording.
We always move the mics around loads. When were recording a drum kit in our bank vault live room we often spend much more time in the live room trying out mic positions than we do in our control room.
Kick Drum Recording Techniques
For recording Kick drums we always go for the classic AKG's D12 large-diaphragm dynamic mic as it always seems to deliver the results we’re looking for. It’s basically a microphone that emphasises the sound you want form a kick drum.
Our secret weapon for creating an extra big Kick sound is an Electrovoice RE10. This vintage mic has a frequency response that’s pretty flat for a dynamic mic and it also doesn’t produce too much proximity effect. Another trick we use at ALT Recording Studios is Brighton is miking closer to the beater head. We find were able to get greater beater presence. When doing this changes to the mic positions greatly effect the level and quality of the beater sound. We often end up essentially with 2 different recording 1 of the beater and 1 capturing the tonality of the kick.
The full article I've written is posted on our website
www.altrecordingstudios.com
www.altrecordingstudios.c...ding-drums.html
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Quincysanhttp://www.unitedmusicians.infoContributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007
Jul 26, 2009 10:45 am Oooh, cool method for mic'ing the kick. I bet that would give it a nice punch.
I heard on one forum somewhere in the etherspace that it's common to mostly rely on one or two OH's for picking up the drums. The poster went as far as to say that the mics on the toms, kick, snare are only used for 'color'. This seems really counter-intuitive to me...I would think you would want the individual mics at the front of the mix with the overheads mixed just about equal. The poster made it sound like OH should be on top, and the rest of the mics should be behind the OH's. Thoughts?
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Jul 26, 2009 08:49 pm mmm, well, i havent had alot of exp with micing drums as yet, but,
I have used drum software like bfd2 where you have access to all mics at all positions, ya can do anything you would be able to micing it yerslef.
not saying its exactly the same, but id say ive learnt alot just mucking around with that and EZDrummer and watching setups in studios.
So with the overheads i really i think, there's only so loud you can have them in the mix obviously because the cymbals are too loud if you crank it, and at a decent level i dont think they have a massive effect on the drum sounds themselves anyway.
i would be thinking a room mic would be better to have too, so as to get more cohesian. i dunno, im only going by what ive read and seen and what i do with me drum proggies.
so i guess i agree with ya there Quince, there's obviusly a fine line between O/H's and close mics.
that my 2cents, which is proly worth more like .5
CptTrippsCzar of Turd PolishMember
Since: Jun 20, 2006
Jul 27, 2009 12:16 pm On overheads, it all depends on where you put them. I will agree with a good OH capture the other drums are definitely audible, but not dominant. When I mix drums I solo the OH's and then bring up each drum until there is a nice blend but both are audible. Neither should be on top as Quincy obtained from the other article, it should be a nice balance between the two, a balance that can be easily destroyed by a poorly placed mic.
My recent enlightenment.
I videotaped my drummer the other day in his 20x20 living room while standing on a chair at about 6.5' high (almost touching the ceiling with the camera pointed down and just in front of the kit.
The video came out so damn good and the toms and kick were very audible. The cymbals were a perfect level and I was just amazed.
So... we mic'd up his drums and I positioned the OH's in the same place I was holding the camera. They turned out very powerfull and allowed both kick and toms to come through. Soloing just the OH's I could actually use them all by their lonesome.
Now, normally my OH's are not 6.5' high and are usually sitting right above the kit about even with the toms. With this setup I capture great cymbal tone but the other drums seemed lacking body. Definitely workable in a mix but the better OH capture is alot less work.
HuePinnipedal Czar (: 3= Member
Since: Apr 11, 2004
Jul 27, 2009 01:26 pm Cool thread... all good ideas/tips!
The only thing I'd care to add, as it all seems to be covered quite well, and drums being such a 'room-dependant'-type of capture, is this:
When micing a kit, the fact that there may be at times, some rather 'far' distances between the mic and the part of the kit it's directed at. I think of it a bit like a pool-table shot... After loosely positioning the mic, and finding the approximate sweet spot for it(by measuring), I find that looking right down the mic(much like the barrel of a gun, or a pool stick), while pointing it at the part/piece of the kit that I want to capture, lends quite a bit more accuracy to it's position.
This may sound trivial, and appear to be something that everyone would just 'do', but I've seen my fair share of engineers that '4don't'. Next time you're setting up the overheads, and reaching up 'pretty high' to position them, after doing so, get a chair and pop up there to see just how accurate you were without this follow-up... you may be surprised. I know I was. : )
Aug 01, 2009 11:58 am I'd like to add the importance of the drums themselves and the drummer. That the drums are well maintained and tuned to marry with the song. A drummer that is consistent and doesn't hit the cymbals so loudly that its impossible to record everything else.
ALT Recording Studios Brighton
