can i record Overheads with ONE AKG c414 ?!

[earworm]

hi there,

so i got my entire drumkit miked up, but don't have money for two condensers for the overheads,

i do have one AKG c414 , i messed with it as a room-ambience mike,
but didn't have nice results yet (the accoustics in my room are terrible)


so i wonder, did anyone try this before, miking the overheads with one mic,
where would YOU put the mic ... .?

..very curious


thanx,
earworm

[crankz1]

Never tried it myself, but you could experiment with different placements. I'd try right over the back of my head to capture the players perspective. You wont be able to get a stereo image with just the one mic though.

[fakeness]

are u talking about those small pick up mic, AKG C 414!?!?!
wow....
what i know is , mostly u will pick up those "low-boom" from overhat with C414 beacuse C414 is too small to pick up wider enough angles...
i usually use big condensor mic for overhead, at the same time it can also pick up some nice room reverb which help you on the mixing

[Richard Monroe]

Fakeness, I don't know what you are are talking about, and I don't think you do , either. First, the C414 is a multipattern, large diaphragm condenser mic, and a very good one, And- small diaphragm mics, which the C414 isn't, have better off axis response than large diaphragms. They see big because they are small, like the tiny little vu window in a motel door.
As far as placement, nobody can tell you. You have to move the mic around until you get the best sound. But I can tell you this- Yes. you can use the 414 as a single overhead, and it will work just fine. With only one overhead, you'll want more distance from the kit to pick up a bigger picture, so start fairly high.-Richie

[BruceAMiller]

Put the mic in omni and place it about a foot in front of the kit and about a foot above the cymbals. Test it and move it until you can hear ALL of the toms and cymbals clearly.

Remember that the less mics you will put on a drum kit, the more important it is for the kit to be well balanced (individual drums and cymbals are not much softer or louder than the others).

I used this mic placement (or close to it) when making some mono drum loops for Marcus Miller with Poogie Bell playing. I used an old RCA 44 ribbon mic as the ONLY mic (no direct mics) and we were very happy with the results. The 414 is a great mic (actually one of my "desert island mics"...if you had phantom power on the desert island). You will have to tune the kit well and move the mic until you nail it.

-Bruce Miller
( more tips and "Starving Artist Mix Special" at http://BruceAMiller.us )

[Ronan]

Originally Posted by earworm

so i got my entire drumkit miked up, but don't have money for two condensers for the overheads,

i d have one AKG c414 , i messed with it as a room-ambience mike,
but didn't have nice results yet (the accoustics in my room are terrible)

so i wonder, did anyone try this before, miking the overheads with one mic,
where would YOU put the mic ... .?
thanx,
earworm

Sure, this should work great. The only thing to be careful of is that a 414 can be a really bright mic, so if your drummer has really bright cybals or is a real basher is can start to sound a little harsh (you could tone some of that down with a little EQ or De-sessing). I have switched to other mics now, but early in my career I used 414s for overheads all the time.

Where to put the mic depends on the drummer and the kit set up, but I would start above the snare about 5-6 off the floor and then move around until you get a balance you like. If the snare is too loud try moving the mic behind the drummers head (pointed at the rack tom) or out in front of the rack tom a little bit. You if your drummer is any good and you experiment you should be able to get a good sound that has a nice balance of the whole kit (but the kick will be a bit whimpy).

Since it lots of styles of music the hi hat is really important, i might cheat the mic a littel in favor of the hats.

I do not know what other mics you are using, but dont worry about mono drums. Stereo is a bit over rated. but if you want a more stereo feel, if you jog the OH just right of center and the snare just left of it, you will be amazed at home much that small change can open up the sound of the durms.

[earworm]

very very interesting !

thanx guys,

gonna experiment with it in a few days...

what are my other mics ? simple :

got an SM57 on each snare or tom, and an AKG d12 on the kick
and its completely true that the c414 can be harsh on cymbals,
i did some tests, even together with a guitarist,and yeah,
most of the time the high tones get too sharp..

now about those small "pencill" condensers that we should use for overheads:
do they, in general, have a little cut in the bottom end ?

or if you record your overheads, do you really cut away some bass ?

cheers,
earworm

[fakeness]

no worry guys,..i was drunk....i have no idea what am i talking about...
hahahahahaha