Help me Record Drums w/ 5 Mic's

[Floyd]

Can someone/anyone give me some tips on how I should mic up a drum kit with 4 or 5 microphones (I've only got a total of 4 ins, with a possibility of 4 additional submixes{4 channels bottlenecking into 1 input)

Here's the kit:

1 kick
1 snare
1 hi-hat
3 toms
2 floor toms
3 crash cymbals
1 ride cymbal

It's a pretty standard set up (sitting in chair)
snare/hi-hat on left
toms starting from left to right
ride cymbal on right
1 crash to left of toms
1 crash to right of toms

If anyone has any suggestions/tips, I would really appreciate it!!

[BillyFurnett]

Hey Floyd,

You MIGHT wanna list what mics you have to help the guys here give you realistic opinions on what you can expect (or hope) to achieve and how to best go about it.

[Chris Fallen]

Do kick, snare, and two overheads. With so many additional things to mic, that extra one won't really be of much help. Maybe a room mic?

[Floyd]

These are the mic's that I will have access to:

1 Audix - Fusion 4 Drum Mic Kit (AFUSION4X)
1 F12-for kick
3 F10-for snare/high-hat/tom/etc

1 Shure 57

1 Oktavia Condensor (not sure which model)


I'll have 5 preamps (1 for each mic)

Also, since my soundcard does not support XLR cables, what is the best way to go from XLR to 1/4" (take the XLR output from preamp with an XLR-1/4" cable, or just take the 1/4" output to the soundcard? does this make any sense?)

Thanks again!

[MemoGtr]

Originally posted by Floyd
These are the mic's that I will have access to:

1 Audix - Fusion 4 Drum Mic Kit (AFUSION4X)
1 F12-for kick
3 F10-for snare/high-hat/tom/etc

1 Shure 57

1 Oktavia Condensor (not sure which model)


I'll have 5 preamps (1 for each mic)

Also, since my soundcard does not support XLR cables, what is the best way to go from XLR to 1/4" (take the XLR output from preamp with an XLR-1/4" cable, or just take the 1/4" output to the soundcard? does this make any sense?)

Thanks again!

hmmmmm those are SEVEN mics lol
i'd say borrow/buy/steal a mixer so you could use the 7 mics

in the sound card issue:
there are XLR to 1/4" cables

what soundcard do you have?

[Floyd]

I have an MAudio Delta 66 (4ins/4outs) Soundcard.

I don't have a mixer or much $ at this point. However, I was thinking was using an old 4-Track. I would basically just use that as a mixer. Unfortunately I'm also short on preamps (only 5 to work with. I agree that I should use as many mic's as I can, but I think it's going to end up being just the 5. Unless...you have any other suggestions. All are welcome!

So basically, what's the best bet in mic placement (which mic's go where), the best configuration in submixes.....

Floyd

[Mark7]

Originally posted by Floyd
These are the mic's that I will have access to:

1 Audix - Fusion 4 Drum Mic Kit (AFUSION4X)
1 F12-for kick
3 F10-for snare/high-hat/tom/etc

1 Shure 57

1 Oktavia Condenser (not sure which model)


I'll have 5 preamps (1 for each mic)

Also, since my soundcard does not support XLR cables, what is the best way to go from XLR to 1/4" (take the XLR output from preamp with an XLR-1/4" cable, or just take the 1/4" output to the soundcard? does this make any sense?)

Thanks again!

Okay, you don't have any stereo pairs for overheads. Nor indeed do you have two of anything except the snare/tom mics. So, bearing that in mind, I'm going to suggest the following

Overhead The Oktava.
Kick Drum The F12
Snare Drum The SM57
Between the Floor and Middle Toms An F10
Between the Middle and High Tom(s) Another F10.

That should work.

[Mark7]

If you have 1/4" Jack outputs on your Pre-amps and 1/4" Jack inputs on your Soundcard there's two possibilities

Either:

A: Use 1/4" to 1/4" cables or
B: Use XLR to 1/4" cables (and, yes they do exist).

I'd guess the 1/4" Outputs on the Pres are unbalanced, so keep the cables as short as practical.

[eeldip]

agreed with mark7 re: location of mics.

also i would take a moment and determine if the drummer actually uses all those toms.

two floor toms? one 16 and one 18?

i find 18" floor toms to be very very very hard to capture (used to own one and sold it cause i hated the way it sounded on tape)

and all those crashes...

that is a big kit.... do you need it that big...



are you recording rush or van halen or something?

[Mark7]

I have to concur with my esteemed colleague vis a vis the possibility that many of the drums and cymbals may (or may not) be redundant during any particular number. The best thing to do would be to observe the drummer in question in action and make a note of which pieces he uses during each song; and which ones he doesn't.

[nascentjunkie]

right on!! Drummers always take their whole "glorified" kit and never seem to use it all... I just recorded a band on sun. that the drummer had a premier signia and he brought all the shells(5 piece) and 2 crashes, ride and hi-hat. And he only used the kick, snare, hi-hat, and the 16'' crash!!! but thank god i asked him what he was actually going to use before hand...

[Scottgman]

You should also think about how your drummer is going to hear anything. Is he going to play to a click track or a guitar or something?

[FattMusiek]

I can only record 4 tracks at a time with my Delta 44. If I had an extra input, I would mic the hi hat, I like complete control of it. You should probably lay down $99 for another Oktava MK012 to use as a second overhead.

I recommend:
F10 on kick
SM57/F10 on snare (I have no experience with Audix mics)
2 Oktava MK012 as overheads
F10 on hi hat (just me, some people think it's crazy to mic a hi hat)


Hope I could be of service.

[dean1964]

Has anyone ever tried using 2 unmatched mics for over heads. I've done it a few times. To me it makes the stereo effect of the kits a bit more colorful.(?)

I sometimes take to of my mics (I'm very limited as well man) a bright one and a dark one and use them for overheads. I use the dark one for the right side (drummers perspective) and the bright one for the right. (reverse for a lefty) For tracking I pan them hard then add in a 57 on the snare and your f12 on the kick. Id put your f12 inside the drum even with the beater about an inch or less from the head.

The Bright mic with proper placement grabs the hats, snare, mounted toms,and any plates on that side of the kit. The dark one gets the lower toms, ride and plates. Use the snare and kick mics to augment whats in the the overheads. You may want to compress the crap out of the overheads. Its a judgement call every time for me.

Also read this http://www.saecollege.de/reference_material/index.html
Check out Drums and percussion.

Anyone else using a similar method? Hope I helped.
Cheers!
Adam