How many tracks do you use to record drums?

**rweiss** · 03-20-2006

Normally, I mike everything once. That's snare, 3 toms, kick, 2 overheads. However, I'm beginning to add another mic to the bottom of the snare, inside the kick (when I get the money to get a beta 91) (as well as an akg d112 outside), and on top of the hihat and ride. This will total to 11 mics. When I can get hold of a decent bass amp, I'm going to reverse the polarity and use it to pickup the low end of the kick by placing it in front of it and recording through it (search the forums for this technique).

Again, it's all about mic placement. You can get decent drum sounds just from overheads.

...Read up on mic placement and phasing issues, because if you're going to use two mics on the same drum (e.g. one on top and bottom of snare, pointing semi-at eachother), you're going to run into phasing issues which will really affect your sound, so search the forums for phasing preventions.

-Ryan

**PhilGood** · 03-20-2006

6 tracks seems to work best so far. I used to send everything to 2 tracks, but I just got a Delta 1010 and now my life is heaven. I run through an old Ramsa mixer, but group what I want together for some control. I have room for 2 more inputs if I decide to use a room mic.

Kick and subkick to track one, sent through the first bus of the mixer.
Snare on track two.
overheads as a stereo pair, three and four.
All 5 toms panned and sent through bus three and four of the mixer to tracks 5 and six.

It's nice because I don't have to worry about the balance being right while tracking. I can set it during mixdown!!

**funkydrummer** · 03-20-2006

i do 4 mics for loud rock music-- two overhead, one kick, one snare. for acoustic/ softer music, i use two mics-- one two feet over the snare, one three feet in front of the kit, in line with the front of the kick drum head.

**Funky_A** · 03-20-2006

More then 5.

If it needs to happend quick
2 overheads
1 snare
1 snare bottom
1 bass
=5

Serious business
2 overheads (sm81)
1 hihat (beyerdynamic opus 53)
1 ride (opus 53)
5 toms (sennheiser md421, I own 3 of them now..hopefully soon 4 and 5 will be in my collection..instead now using AV JEve clipons)
1 snare top (SM57)
1 snare bottom (AV Jeve)
1 Room mic to be added soon..

..not sure what yet.
2 bass drums (D112)
=14

When I got the money evt. I will also add triggers to snare and kick, cause a lot of the time I run it through Drumagog, so just for a backup..

I just purchased a MOTU 2408 next to my 1224, hopefully soon..I can buy another ADAT mic pre-amp so I can have 24 channels

...

**Harvey Gerst** · 03-20-2006

Usually 6 to 8 tracks, depending on the music.

Small sets are miked:

Kick
Snare
Hi Tom
Floor Tom
Left OH
Right OH

Larger sets are usually miked:

Kick
Snare
Hi Tom
Mid Tom
Floor Tom
Left OH
Right OH
High Hat

My son Alex uses a lot more mics for drums in the big room.

**mixsit** · 03-20-2006

Earthworks -kit low and rear
Snare 57. ('I5 up next for trial.
RE20 or ATM25 -kick close
SDC -over/cymbal candy
Front of kit? Secret weapon hell. That's the mondo-mono spot man!

4047 or 'Old funky RCA 'Varicoustic' ribbon rebuild.

**mrface2112** · 03-20-2006

well, for me it often depends on how many other instruments i'm recording at the same time as the drums. i'm limited to 10 inputs at the moment, so if it's a band (assuming 2x guitars, bass, vox), i'm limited to 4-6 tracks of drums. this usually works fine for the most part.

but if i'm laying down drums to pre-recorded tracks (scratch tracks, etc), i'll use all 10 (and could use another 8 for close mics).

Kick: EV RE38 (similar to an RE20) in close to resonant head
MXL V77 back a little bit from resonant head under tunnel
Sennheiser e835 or shure 545 (on beater side of batter head--and only sometimes)

Snare: Sennheiser e609 and MXL 603, above rim (where you'd typically put an SM57), diaphragms as close together as possible. when using a 545 instead of the 609, i tape the two mics together.

OH: I don't have a "pair" of anything other than the MXL603's....and i don't like them on OH. Lately i've been using a non-matched pair of mics, or a mono OH.

Ride Side: BLUE Dragonfly (a little brighter sounding--helps pick up the ride)
HiHat Side: MXL V67 (darker and cuts back on the hat)
If mono: V67 or V77, about a foot above the drummer's head.

That's 7 tracks. I don't have enough inputs to close-mic my toms (10, 12, 13, 14 and 16in) and have them recorded to separate tracks--i'd have to bus them at the mixer and send out a stereo mix--which although not a horrible idea, is a little less flexible tham i'd otherwise like to be.

Often i'll put in a mono "front of kit" mic too. What that is depends on what I haven't used and what sounds good. Could be the Dragonfly, or an SP B1 or the V77 or V67 or even an SM57. Usually it's compressed all to hell in the mix.

I've been in the process of rehanging all the mics for my drums--i've had them down to record some acoustic guitars and vocals lately. i'll try to finish up tonight and post a pic or two if anyone's interested.

cheers,
wade

**phaqu** · 03-20-2006

I mic/track all my drums, but, I try to get my overheads (X-Y usually) and kick sounding as good as I possibly can first. Then,if I absolutly have to,start adding snare and tom( in the mix). The tracks are there if I need them. More offten than not, I just end up using 3 tracks. Less phase problems that way to.