How many tracks do you use to record drums?

How many tracks do you use to record your drums?

  • 2 Tracks?

    Votes: 39 8.5%
  • 3 Tracks?

    Votes: 51 11.1%
  • 5 Tracks?

    Votes: 67 14.6%
  • More than 5?

    Votes: 303 65.9%

  • Total voters
    460
I have found that recording each drum separately works best for me. That way I can get proper placement and not have to deal with phase issues.
 
You mean that you play/record one drum at a time? That sounds really impersonal, but I praise you for being able to pull it off. :)
 
Currently twelve mics for the drums

2 large diaphragm condensers overhead in the recorderman fashion.
2 pencil condensers overhead in left/right configuration
8 individual drum mics.

Im thinking of going two more as I want to get the kick drum beater clicks a little more present.
 
7 on the setup i have now, x-y overheads mxl 922's, cad's clipped on the rim of the heads of the snare and toms, a cad in the soundhole, a sm57 low on the snare, still want to mic the front of the kick, thinking about what to mic it with though.
 
Now that I have a band with a drummer and a drum kit, I'm thinking two.

That doesn't mean I'm only going to use two mics, mind ;)
 
I used to use 6 or 7 tracks, but recently I have been experimenting with just 4 (a pair of overheads, a kick mic, and snare mic) and I've been getting pretty good results
 
wouldnt be only using 4 be a few mics short? Shouldnt you mic up all the drums including the toms to capture them all?

No, it's not short at all. Nothing wrong with micing every drum, but you can make great drum recordings with 4. If you can't get a very good, or even great, drum track with 4 mics (2 overheads, kik and snare), then your problem isn't the amount of mics you're using. That's what overheads are for, picking up the kit as a whole. You don't HAVE to mic every tom by any means.

In fact, I'd go as far as to say that a total beginner at recording drums SHOULD only use 4 mics. You'll progress a lot faster learning how to deal with that than you will dealing with mysterious issues like phase cancellation with your tom mics, etc....There are so many un-expected challenges when it comes to recording drums that you'll be pulling out enough of your hair just dealing with 4 mics at the beginning. If only it was as easy as throwing a mic on each drum and pressing RECORD.
 
There are so many un-expected challenges when it comes to recording drums that you'll be pulling out enough of your hair just dealing with 4 mics at the beginning. If only it was as easy as throwing a mic on each drum and pressing RECORD.

Ive found this out the hard way, i jumped in head first and i was wayy over my head, i think im gonna cut back to 4 mics and learn from there cause ive gotten so frustrated ive considered giving up recording drums all together. but i think im gonna cut down the amounht of mics i use and hope that i can handle it all a bit better
 
Even with using the "recorderman" method, I still wind up with nine to twelve mics. I say the more the merrier, you can always mute the track later.
 
How many tracks(channels) do you use to record drums and still a very good decent sound?

Ok this is the first time I ever posted what I think is some of my best drum solo'ing that I ever captured on tape.This is early 2000s when I still had a pretty good size studio before I went thru a divorce. I had a lot of recording equipment even then, but decided to prove that I could get a great recording of this big kit I had put together..... with only 4 mics and my Tascam 424.This is one of 5 short solos, think I mixed it straight to a CD recorder with very little processing. Please let me know what ya'll think and then I will see if I will post the other 4 short solos.....thanks and happy listening !!!
 

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Ok this is the first time I ever posted what I think is some of my best drum solo'ing that I ever captured on tape.This is early 2000s when I still had a pretty good size studio before I went thru a divorce. I had a lot of recording equipment even then, but decided to prove that I could get a great recording of this big kit I had put together..... with only 4 mics and my Tascam 424.This is one of 5 short solos, think I mixed it straight to a CD recorder with very little processing. Please let me know what ya'll think and then I will see if I will post the other 4 short solos.....thanks and happy listening !!!

This recording I made here (above) using 4 mics and 4 TKS were just done like that at that time, I don't never use a certain amount of mics are TKS the same way hardly ever.....just saying :)
 
This recording I made here (above) using 4 mics and 4 TKS were just done like that at that time, I don't never use a certain amount of mics are TKS the same way hardly ever.....just saying :)

I know think what I you are saying, think I... wut??? :confused:

I'm not an expert, but I listened to it and it sounds pretty impressive to me.
 
When Hal Blaine was recorded on one session, they used over twenty mics. (he had a set of rack toms all over the place) I've done sets with only two, an overhead small diaphragm condenser and a Bass Drum mic. Other times I used between six and about ten. The rule I use is this. The Bass drum and overhead first; then stereo overheads, then a snare mic, then a hi-hat condenser; then toms; then ride; then room stereo mics; then a PZM (pressure zone mic) taped to the drummer's chest. This runs from 2 to 13. It depends on how much control you want and how much control the drummer exercises while playing. I was often asked to hit really really hard so they could turn the mic inputs down and control bleed between the mics. That gave them more control on mixing. Now for live I use two mic set-ups. The overhead condenser seems to pick up the snare just fine. I control the dynamics. So that's how I treat recording other drummers. If they hit really hard, I close mic with more mics. If they have really good dynamic control, I feel I can use two or three. There is no right or wrong way. Everyone has their own solution. Sometimes it depends on how many mics and inputs you have open on a location recording. I hope that helps.
Rod Norman
Engineer

How many tracks(channels) do you use to record drums and still a very good decent sound?
 
The rule I use is this. The Bass drum and overhead first; then stereo overheads, then a snare mic, then a hi-hat condenser; then toms; then ride; then room stereo mics; then a PZM (pressure zone mic) taped to the drummer's chest. This runs from 2 to 13.

SCOIDH
(Sound Clips Or It Didn't Happen)
 
Not sure how this got bumped, but I'm up to quite a few tracks for drums these days.

Kick port
Kick subkick
Snare top
Snare bottom
Rack tom 1
Rack tom 2
Floor tom 1
Floor tom 2
High Hat
OH L
OH R
Room L
Room R
Ride close
 
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