Recording/EQing a Kick Drum

ziplock43

New member
I'm finaly taking the next step in my recording. . . I'm micing my entire drumset. . . I've got a couple questions about the kick drum though.

1) When micing. . . Should I position the microphone inside or outside of the bass drum? I've got that hole on the front of the set, and don't know whether or not to put the mic inside or outside.

2) EQing. . . Should I focus the kick drum generally higher or lower in the Frequency range than the bass guitar? In all my recordings so far, the bass drum and the bass guitar muffle eachother out, and I don't know which should go lower. Or does anyone jus thave general EQing tips for drums? Are they more towards the middle or lower end of the spectrum?

Thanks for any help
 
As far as mic placement on the kick, you'll really have to experiment. It also depends on the heads you use, what mic you use, how your other mics are positioned... Typically, most people will put it just inside the drum through the hole, and point not directly at the beater, but more to the side.... usually the side away from the snare to reduce mic bleed.

As for the eq... if it sounds muddy, it is likely too much lows. You might try turning those down a little bit. Also, for a more punchy kick, I usually have good luck bumping the EQ a bit around 3-4khz. You might try some of this for starters.
 
Where you put the mic depends entirely on what mic you are using.

For example, a D112 likes to be inside the kick a couple inches from the batter head. A Beta 52 likes to be placed just inside the hole in the front head.

I find that I don't add much low end to a kick, I end up adding a bunch of high end and upper mids to get more attack and I normally suck out some lower mids (200-500hz area) to get rid of the boxy muddy stuff.

I tend not to add too much low end to bass guitars either, I end up adding 800hz to 1khz for clarity.

It really will depend on what sound you are going for. (and what sound you have to work with)
 
What kind of music are we talking here? I hope most people here don't go for the same kick sound in metal that they do for country. :)
 
A bass guitar, for the most part, is going to be very dynamic in the general frequency ranges it occupies.

In other words, an open E string is going to be different than an open G. A walking bass line will occupy a wider spectrum than one that just follows the guitar chords .... and a thumpin' / popping bass line will occupy different real estate than a smoother, jazzier one.

On the other hand, a kick drum just is what it is, and every hit is a near carbon-copy of the last one and the 100 or so before it and after it.

With that in mind, it is much, much easier to alter the arrangement and the tone of the bass guitar to fit in to a nice pocket with the kick drum. As the bassist ... assuming the kick sounds good; is being played well and there's a good balance of beater slap, etc ...

... then the bassist has to bear some responsibility to fit in to the pocket. If what you're playing is somehow getting lost and creating a pool of muck with the kick drum ... then you need to wake up and get your act together!

You probably could stand to change your strings. That's usually a given. When was the last time you took that thing in for regular maintanance / setup? Probably quite a while. How's the amp? Piece of crap? Thought so. Adjust it. You see those knobs just to the right of your wrist? Start twisting them. Right, left, middle, etc. and listen to what happens and how the tone changes.

You've got four strings. Use them. Did you know that there are other areas up and down the neck that will produce the exact same notes ... but give you a completely different tone? :D Yes, an "A" can be played with your fat finger on the fifth fret of the E string ... or it can be played open on the next string down! And both will sound completely different from the other, and can possibly interact much differently and play much more nicely with the kick drum.

Amazing.

But are you ready for the real kicker? Do you play with a pick? Try using your fingers. Do you play with your fingers? Try a pick. Better yet, if you normally pluck with the meat of your finger just above one of the pickups ... try moving your right (or plucking) hand down further, just below the pickups.

Overall, though ... if all you're going to do is sit around and expect some magical EQ to save you, then you're basically useless and expendable as a bassist, as far as I'm concerned ... and you may as well give up on life and simply run off and join the peace core. :D Seriously. No, not really -- I'm just joking. But seriously ....

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