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drum recording

DK_EssenceDK_Essence 189 Posts
edited January 2006 in Music Talk
i was just thinking about buying some microphones for drumset recording and was wondering if some of the drummers around here have any suggestions or knowledge to drop on that issue?my drumset is kinda standard jazz setup (less toms, more cymbals) and i was thinking about the usual hihat/snare/bass/overheads combination of microphones. any mic recommandations?
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  • SexyBNyceSexyBNyce 371 Posts
    i was just thinking about buying some microphones for drumset recording and was wondering if some of the drummers around here have any suggestions or knowledge to drop on that issue?

    my drumset is kinda standard jazz setup (less toms, more cymbals) and i was thinking about the usual hihat/snare/bass/overheads combination of microphones. any mic recommandations?

    you can get a real hot sound out a couple cheep SM57s. it's all about mic placement. I did alright just setting up the kit facing a corner and using two overheads in a V from behind. Just experiment with it. Theres some heads in here can prolly give you more specific advice.
  • DK_EssenceDK_Essence 189 Posts
    yea... i once recorded a demo tape with a jazz quartet. one mic (i guess it was some old akg mic) recorded it all and it was quite nice. it had just the right jazz sound. not to clean, not to ruff, instruments well balanced. though i really like that kind of recording, i have to get it more precise as i like to have the mic setup not only for recording but for live gigs too.

    did you get any cool bassdrum sound with the sm57s?
  • BaptBapt 2,503 Posts

    "cool bass drum" = re20
  • randomaccessmikerandomaccessmike 97 Posts
    I've got a pdf or word document at home all about drum setups. I haven't read it yet, but saw it on the desktop at work and emailed it to myself. It may not list particular microphones but I would bet they'd at least tell you what type you'd need for each part of the setup.
  • randomaccessmikerandomaccessmike 97 Posts
    I also read in a home recording magazine about a technique of placing mics inside a large pvc pipe (around 6") and facing the open end toward the kick as some sort of sound tunnel. Never tried it, but it sounds interesting.
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    On the (relatively) cheap, I love Audio-Technica 4033's for overheads. They pop up for $2-300 a piece. Dont underestimate the impact of mono drums, especially if you pan out other instuments in the arrangement. I like an Audix D6 or an AKG D112 on kick. A lot of times, I just use a pair of ribbon mics at the drummer's eye height, in front of the kit, and if it's a nice sounding kit/room, blowing off the close mics except maybe the kick.
  • BaptBapt 2,503 Posts
    I also read in a home recording magazine about a technique of placing mics inside a large pvc pipe (around 6") and facing the open end toward the kick as some sort of sound tunnel. Never tried it, but it sounds interesting.

    Yeah! tried it! that's what's the best for recording low freqs
  • UnherdUnherd 1,880 Posts
    On the (relatively) cheap, I love Audio-Technica 4033's for overheads. They pop up for $2-300 a piece. I like an Audix D6 or an AKG D112 on kick

    I have a lot of love for Audio Technica's too, 4040's real nice, even for vocals. SM57 is good for snares, and definately get something for the kick drum like the aformentioned D112 or Shure Beta52, both under 2 bills. You might get a nice sound with just those four (two auidotechnica overheads, sm57 top snr and kick) but i'd get a Sennheiser MD421 ($350) if you want to get some tom sound.
  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    don't count out vintage mics either.

    honestly the best sounding Mic I have ever used/heard on overhead, proximity and direct miking are Royer ribbon mics. I'm sure they have a website somewhere where you can download thier sample cd. They are pretty astounding when used correctly.

    Also remember that a mic is only as good as the gain stage behind it, and changing your mic pre and subsequently the input impedance and a variety of other factors will change the way even an SM58 sounds. The question is as much about mics as it is about pres.

    In that realm I recomend I recomend a million different things but for drums Telefunken v672, v72 and v76s come to mind.

    hope this helps
  • bthavbthav 1,538 Posts
    ?!??! How many telefuken pre's to you have?


    you could go beatles stlye and have two condensors as "under heads" and a single condenser overhead right in the middle of the kit... so all three mics meet right above the middle of the kick. and some kick mik (if you can use a close and a distant mic to blend later... you could use that pvc trick or just make a tunnel with a thick blanket taped to the kick and the other end to a chair.. just to isolate the distant mic).

    i really like using as few mics as possible for drums, but its dicey... you really have to make sure that your happy with the clarity of the kit ( you get enought snare/hat/kik.. cause you got no options later). but its a stylisitc choice for me... less to worry about when mixing.


    otherwise, your gonna have to buy 8 mics and pre's....


    if you have the time to set up/mik the drums.. my best advice is trial and error... AND CHECK YOUR PHASE!
  • akoako https://soundcloud.com/a-ko 3,413 Posts
    heres what i was able to get out of two shitty low-end Shure mics, my drum set, and a good room...one mic overhead, one in the kick:



    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drum36.mp3



    (i get a little sloppy at one point)



    another clip, same set-up:



    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drumxx.mp3
  • mallardmallard 452 Posts
    heres what i was able to get out of two shitty low-end Shure mics, my drum set, and a good room...one mic overhead, one in the kick:

    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drum36.mp3

    (i get a little sloppy at one point)

    another clip, same set-up:

    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drumxx.mp3




    love that sound ako!
  • Joakim_LJoakim_L 9 Posts
    heres what i was able to get out of two shitty low-end Shure mics, my drum set, and a good room...one mic overhead, one in the kick:

    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drum36.mp3

    (i get a little sloppy at one point)

    another clip, same set-up:

    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drumxx.mp3

    Really nice!
  • DK_EssenceDK_Essence 189 Posts
    heres what i was able to get out of two shitty low-end Shure mics, my drum set, and a good room...one mic overhead, one in the kick:

    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drum36.mp3

    (i get a little sloppy at one point)

    another clip, same set-up:

    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drumxx.mp3

    is it the old set or the gretsch?
  • PABLOPABLO 1,921 Posts
    heres what i was able to get out of two shitty low-end Shure mics, my drum set, and a good room...one mic overhead, one in the kick:

    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drum36.mp3

    (i get a little sloppy at one point)

    another clip, same set-up:

    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drumxx.mp3

    Man, you're reeealy tempting me to get the kit out of the attic.
    Shit sounds great, any compressor or tube pre's on there or is that stright into the board?
  • meshmesh 925 Posts
    a lot of great advice in here. only thing i would add is that your sound is heavily dependent on the actual drums themselves, as well as the player. as they say, you can't polish a turd.

    make sure you tune your drums up with some fresh heads(unless you are going for that super dirtball grimey kit sound), and that you consider baffling around the set. i got the hook up on some real cheap foam if you need it.
  • m_dejeanm_dejean Quadratisch. Praktisch. Gut. 2,946 Posts
    Someone (I don't remember who) told me that Rick Rubin used SM57s for everything when recording Blood Sugar Sex Magik for The Red Hot Chili Peppers. All drums, amps, vocals and so on. Sounds like a hoax to me, but maybe someone can verify this.



    -> Ako - nice drumming
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    heres what i was able to get out of two shitty low-end Shure mics, my drum set, and a good room...one mic overhead, one in the kick:

    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drum36.mp3

    (i get a little sloppy at one point)

    another clip, same set-up:

    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drumxx.mp3

    that's fresh man...what type o ride is that?
  • meshmesh 925 Posts
    heres what i was able to get out of two shitty low-end Shure mics, my drum set, and a good room...one mic overhead, one in the kick:

    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drum36.mp3

    (i get a little sloppy at one point)

    another clip, same set-up:

    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drumxx.mp3

    nice.
  • akoako https://soundcloud.com/a-ko 3,413 Posts
    heres what i was able to get out of two shitty low-end Shure mics, my drum set, and a good room...one mic overhead, one in the kick:

    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drum36.mp3

    (i get a little sloppy at one point)

    another clip, same set-up:

    http://www.boomspeed.com/fannywagon/drumxx.mp3

    is it the old set or the gretsch?

    thats my old Swingstar, but my 70s ludwig snare (which im continuing to use with the Gretsch)

    the ride is a Sabian AAX and the hi-hats are shitty Zildjian ZBTs (i need new ones, but these dont sound that bad really..)

    and this was the two mics ran straight into a cassette deck. the only thing i did post-recording was boost the bass, the reverb is all natural.

    glad you like it! i think it has a good sound.
  • BaptBapt 2,503 Posts
    AKAKOOOO!!!!!!

    MP3 is shit, can't hear nothing but it seems you play well.

  • akoako https://soundcloud.com/a-ko 3,413 Posts
    AKAKOOOO!!!!!!

    MP3 is shit, can't hear nothing but it seems you play well.


    haha, what do you mean? it doesnt work?

    it is only 128kbps...
  • BaptBapt 2,503 Posts

    128kbps... Aah! That's what I said: you can't hear nothing.
    I mean, this is not easy to say "yeak! That Kick sounds great..." listening to a 128kbps mp3 file, nahmsayn...?
    Wanna hear more of your stuff.

    Which preamp do you use?
  • BeatChemistBeatChemist 1,465 Posts
    Those drums sound reeeeeaaaaallllll nice ako!! The booming kick is what gets me.
  • akoako https://soundcloud.com/a-ko 3,413 Posts

    128kbps... Aah! That's what I said: you can't hear nothing.
    I mean, this is not easy to say "yeak! That Kick sounds great..." listening to a 128kbps mp3 file, nahmsayn...?
    Wanna hear more of your stuff.

    Which preamp do you use?

    haha, none...the mics ran straight into the L&R inputs on a tapedeck, i listen with the headphones in the headphone jack

    ive done really nice recordings with just a boombox before...ill try to find one.
  • DK_EssenceDK_Essence 189 Posts

    thats my old Swingstar, but my 70s ludwig snare (which im continuing to use with the Gretsch)

    awesome snare.

    i finally got tosco hihats (after messing around with some paiste and zildjan stuff), which i bought 2nd hand from a guy who bought them 2nd hand. i played at school with tosco cymbals and they kicked me but i havent seen them in any of the drum stores around here yet. i think they quit business or something, but if you ever get your hands on tosco cymbals or hihats, buy them.


  • ShingalingShingaling 877 Posts


    you can get a real hot sound out a couple cheep SM57s. it's all about mic placement. I did alright just setting up the kit facing a corner and using two overheads in a V from behind. Just experiment with it. Theres some heads in here can prolly give you more specific advice.

    Right on the money! If you have the cheese... Earthworks condenser mics are the shit. If you had 2 of those and a kick drum mic you would be in good shape. Overall, mic placement is the key. 3 mics on a kit...in the right place is all you need.
  • DK_EssenceDK_Essence 189 Posts
    thank you all for knowledge dropping.



    peace,

    dirk
  • silvertonesilvertone 765 Posts
    my little 2 cents.

    I am also of the as-little-mics-as-possible school, which just takes a little more pre-planning in oder to get over. I also have found for some reason that fibre-based heads work much nicer in recording situations.

    Blood Sugar Sex Magik is widely reagrded as the benchmark for overcompressed radio mix, I would assume the 58s have nothing to do with it.
  • mallardmallard 452 Posts
    something i found interesting (especially for those dudes into minimalist micing techniques). i've heard the flaming lips did soft bulletin and yoshimi all with one room mic, compressed to hell. i've never been able to recreate the sound they got, but im a little dude engineer. this thread is helping, though.
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